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Saving the English language 60 seconds at a time.
Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and did you know that sometimes an entire phrase can be a noun?
Quick recap: A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. So, things like cups, communism, Sarah, the sky, and so on. But sometimes an entire phrase in a sentence can function as a noun. For example, in the sentence “the little cat that’s sitting on the sofa has a big meow,” the entire first part of that sentence, “the little cat that’s sitting on the sofa,” is a noun phrase.
The main noun, “cat,” is called the “head.” That entire phrase refers to the cat, and that entire phrase is what’s doing the action of having a big meow.
Why is this important? Well, because a noun phrase acts as a single noun, it’s important not to break it up. Thus, noun phrases have implications for word order. That would take way more than a minute to explain, so for now, treat this as a fun fact and do some more research on noun phrases if you’re interested.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.