Noun Phrases and Independent Clauses
Explanation
A noun phrase is any word or phrase that can function as the subject of a sentence , the direct or indirect object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.
Hence, a noun phrase can be
· a simple noun:
Life is uncertain.
· an article and a noun:
A spider has eight legs.
· an article, adjective and noun:
The teacher asked the disruptive students to leave the class.
· an article, adverb, adjective and noun:
The teacher asked the extremely disruptive students to leave the class.
· a noun plus a prepositional phrase:
We gave some of our food to the man in the next seat.
· a noun and a relative clause:
Everyone who smokes should watch this documentary.
An independent clause is any group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence. It must include a subject and a verb.
It can be very short:
Dogs sneeze.
The building collapsed.
Or quite long.
Note the following:
A-An independent clause is not a noun phrase and can never be the subject of a sentence. Similarly, it can never be the direct or indirect object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.
For example,
McDonald’s is cheap.
is an independent clause. It can stand alone as a sentence .
But
McDonald’s is cheap is one reason for its popularity.
is not a sentence because “McDonald’s is cheap” is not a noun phrase and thus cannot be the subject of a sentence. Therefore,
McDonald’s is cheap is one reason for its popularity.
is not a sentence because there is no subject.
However, an independent clause can become a noun phrase by preceding it with “that” or “the fact that”. Accordingly,
The fact that McDonald’s is cheap is one reason for its popularity.
is indeed a complete sentence. As is
That he had no money bothered him.
B- Any verb can become a noun by adding “ing” to it. In grammar these “V-ing” nouns are called gerunds. Hence “smoke” cannot be the subject of a sentence, but “smoking” can.
Like a verb, a gerund can take a direct or indirect object, be followed by a prepositional phrase, and be modified by an adverb. The resulting group of words is a noun phrase and can function as a subject of a sentence.
Secretly smoking cigarettes in the boys’ room was one of the things I did to keep up my spirits in high school.
Also, because it is a noun, a gerund can be accompanied by an article, modified by an adjective, followed by a prepositional phrase, or qualified by a relative clause. And again the resulting series of words counts as a noun phrase.
The infrequent shoplifting that I indulged in as a teenager does not constitute a mortal sin.
C- When a question becomes part of a larger sentence its wording changes . The resulting group of words is called an embedded question and counts as a noun phrase.
For example:
How much does it cost?-à I told him how much it costs.
Is he open? – I tried to find out whether he was open.
D- Certain words and phrases whose meaning is similar are not interchangeable because some go with noun phrases while others are used with independent clauses. For example,
“For example” “For instance” “such as” and “like”
are all used to introduce examples but “For example” and “For instance” have to be followed by independent clauses while “such as” and “like” have to go with noun phrases.
The following table will help you
With independent clauses / With noun phrasesBecause, since, as / because of , due to
however, while, although / despite, in spite of
for example, for instance / such as, like
Also, in addition, moreover / in addition to , as well as
Exercise
For each of the following please choose the correct set of words whose inclusion will result in a complete grammatically correct sentence.
1) In spite of ______, I contributed the money that he asked for.
a) I was skeptical
b) my skepticism
2) He was unhappy about ______.
a) not being given the award
b) he was not given the award
3) ______was not something that even her opponents disputed.
a) She could be difficult to get along with
b) That she could be difficult to get along with
4) My charity work______.
a) Gives me greater understanding of the lives of other people.
b) Giving me greater understanding of the lives of other people.
5) ______is sometimes a good idea for recent high school graduates.
a) take a year off before starting university
b) taking a year off before starting university
c) young people take a year off before starting university
6) My new car ______.
a) being fixed in the garage
b) is being fixed in the garage
7) ______is something we will probably never have an answer to.
a) Why was he in Tijuana
b) Why he was in Tijuana
8) ______sometimes have difficulty getting back into the job market.
a) People spend too much time in graduate school
b) People who spend too much time in graduate school
9) I think that his memo sends a clear message ______
a) that the inappropriateness of such behavior.
b) that such behavior is inappropriate.
10) She was in a good mood this morning because______
a) got accepted to graduate school.
b) of getting accepted to graduate school.
11) He gave all sorts of excuses like _____
a) he did not want to tell a lie.
b) not wanting to tell a lie.