Exercises on Nouns & NPs

Exercise 1

In the following sentences, put all noun phrases (including those that consist of just one word) in brackets and type them in the blank space after each sentence. Remember that noun phrases can be contained within larger noun phrases!
e.g. [Swans, made of [wax]], swam on [the lake], and were reflected in [it]. For the first sentence, the solution has been supplied to you!

From The Brave Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen

1. There were once five-and-twenty tin soldiers, who were all brothers, for they had been made out of the same old tin spoon.

Solution: [There], [five-and-twenty tin soldiers], [who], [brothers], [they], [the same old tin spoon].

2. They shouldered arms and looked straight before them, and wore a splendid uniform, red and blue.

3. The first thing in the world they ever heard were the words, "Tin soldiers!" uttered by a little boy, who clapped his hands with delight when the lid of the box, in which they lay, was taken off.

4. They were given him for a birthday present, and he stood at the table to set them up.

5. The soldiers were all exactly alike, except one, who had only one leg; he had been left to the last, and then there was not enough of the melted tin to finish him, so they made him to stand firmly on one leg, and this caused him to be very remarkable.

6. In front of the castle a number of little trees surrounded a piece of looking glass, which was intended to represent a transparent lake.

Exercise 2

Identify all head nouns in the NPs from exercise 1 and describe the head noun as follows:

a. If it is a proper noun, then mark it as prop;
b. If it is a common noun, then mark it either as cnt (= count) or mass (non-count);
c. If it is a pronoun, then mark it as one of the following:
pers pro (= personal pronoun),rel pro (= relative pronoun);
int pro (= interrogative pronoun);refl pro (= reflexive pronoun);
recip pro (= reciprocal pronoun); dem pro (= demonstrative pronoun)
and exist pro (= the existential pronoun there).
d. Finally, following a dash, mark the case of the noun as either plain, nom, acc, or gen.
Examples: (head nouns are underlined)
1. [there] - exist pro - plain;
[five-and-twenty tin soldiers] soldiers - cnt - plain; ...

Check the solutions

1. [who] - rel pro - nom;
[brothers] - cnt - plain;
[they] - pers pro - nom;
[the same old tin spoon] spoon - cnt - plain;

2. [they] pers pro - nom;
[arms] mass - plain;
[them] pers pro - acc;
[a splendid uniform, red and blue] uniform - cnt - plain;

3. [The first thing in [the world] [they] ever heard]]
thing - cnt - plain; world - cnt - plain; they - pers pro - nom;
[the words] words - cnt - plain;
[Tin soldiers] soldiers - cnt - plain;
[a little boy] boy - cnt - plain;
[who] rel pro;
[his hands] hands - cnt - plain;
[delight] mass - plain;
[the lid of [the box]]
lid - cnt - plain; box - cnt - plain; which - rel pro; they - pers pro - nom;

4. [they] pers pro - nom;
[him] pers pro - acc;
[a birthday present] present - cnt - plain;
[he] pers pro - nom;
[the table] table - cnt - plain;
[them] pers pro - acc;

5. [The soldiers] soldiers - cnt - plain;
[who rel pro;
[one leg] leg - cnt - plain;
[he] rel pro - nom;
[the last] last - mass - plain;
[there] exist pro - plain;
[the melted tin] tin - mass - plain;
[him] pers pro - acc;
[they] pers pro - nom;
[him] pers pro - acc;
[one leg] leg - cnt - plain;
[this] dem pro - plain;
[him] pers pro - acc;

6. [the castle] castle - cnt - plain;
[a number of [little trees]]
number - cnt - plain; trees - cnt - plain;
[a piece of [looking glass]]
piece - cnt - plain; looking glass -> mass - plain;
[which] - rel pro;
[a transparent lake] lake - cnt - plain;

Exercise 3

In the following examples, give the function and the category of the underlined expressions.

1. the frantic scene

   Function:

   Category:

2. too frantic a scene

   Function:

   Category:

3. almost all troops from Delta Force

   Function:

   Category:

4. the freed men's shirt pockets

   Function:

   Category:

5. the direct knowledge of details

   Function:

   Category:

6. the men that were wearing long robes

   Function:

   Category:

7. the rescue of the hostages

   Function:

   Category:

8. the suspicion that he had a hidden camera

   Function:

   Category:

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