I
love Kohl's department store b=
ecause
I can always find great clothes at
wonderful prices. I hate =
to buy
anything at full retail price.=
For example, I bought some new school clothes for my son yesterday afternoon. Kohl's had short-sleeve cotton shirts on sale. They were 50% off. I bought one dark blue plaid wrinkle-free shirt with white buttons. I also bought him a bright orange pullover knit shirt with a straight bottom.
Men's blue jeans were a=
lso on
sale and I found a nice pair of light blue Tony Hawk j=
eans
for $13.99. They were also half price. Kohl's had over 500 summer shirts in all different colors and styles. The
floral patterned silk shirts were especially beautiful, but I didn't bu=
y any of those shirts. You already know that I wear almost the same kind of clothes every school day. I am a very boring dresser, but I did buy myself a pair of red flannel pajama pants with a blue stripe on each leg. I haven't worn them yet because I =
am
saving them for a special occasion=
. Actually I rather buy something for someone else. That is much more fun for me.
Grammar =
Point
-
We have already talked=
about
the different constructions of English.&nb=
sp;
The largest group is the no=
un
phrases: the names of people, places, and things. A noun
phrase can be one word or more than one word.
toys
her toys
her new toys
her new plastic toys
her new red plastic toys
her new large red plastic toys
her new large red plastic beach toys
her new large red round plastic beach toys
her new large red round expensive plastic beach to=
ys
A noun phrase can get bigger and bigger. Every noun phrase must have a nucleus
and may also have modifiers.
toys
her toys
her new toys
her new plastic toys
her new red plastic toys
her new large red plastic toys
her new large red plastic beach toys
her new large red round plastic beach toys
her new large red round expensive plastic beach to=
ys
Exercise=
One -
Mark the following noun
clusters.
1. three new American cars
2. your red grammar book
3. a clean glass cup
4. small beautiful round eyes
5. her first child
Exercise=
Two -
Rewrite each group of =
words
into a noun phrase.
1. =
Italian sweater large
2. =
blue beautiful mugs coffee two
3. =
plastic the round window first
4. =
jacket a winter new
Exercise=
Three
-
Match each modifier in
Exercise Two with the kind of information it gives.
This is the order of
modifiers in a noun phrase.
Determiner<=
span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'> - Identifies the nucl=
eus.
______________
Ordinal Number<=
/b> - Tells the order.
Cardinal Number=
- Tells how many. _____________
Opinion - This is what you
think. _________________
Size - ____________
Age - ____________
Color - ___________
Shape - ___________
Made of - __________
Used for
NUCLEUS - <=
span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>_____________
Exercise=
Four
-
What other words do yo=
u know
for each kind of information? Add
them to exercise three.
Exercise=
Five
-
Choose a nucleus for a=
noun phrase
from our classroom. Add two or
three modifiers to each noun cluster.
Use Exercise Three vocabulary to help you.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Grammar =
Point
-
We use modifiers to ma=
ke the
noun more specific.
He ate a sandwich.
He ate a salami sandwich.
He ate a salami and turkey sandwich.
He ate a salami, turkey, and Swiss cheese sandwich=
.
He ate a delicious salami, turkey, and Swiss cheese
sandwich.
He ate a large delicious salami, turkey, and Swiss
cheese sandwich.
He at=
e a
large delicious Italian salami, smoked turkey, and Swiss cheese
=
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp;
sandwich.
Modifiers come from the Y place in Trunks.
=
&nb=
sp; =
Subject &nbs=
p;
X Y
=
&nb=
sp;
=
Her
toys are new.
=
&nb=
sp; =
Her toys are large.
=
&nb=
sp; =
Her toys are red.
=
&nb=
sp; =
Her toys are round.
=
&nb=
sp; =
Her
toys are expensive.
=
&nb=
sp; =
Her toys are plastic.
=
&nb=
sp; =
Her toys are for the beach.
Exercise=
Six -
Combine each group of
sentences to make one sentence by combining information in the noun phrase.=
What kind of Y is in each sentence=
? Show the modifiers and nucleus in =
each
noun phrase.
1. The sweatshirt is blue. Y =3D
The sweatshirt is extra-large. Y =3D
The sweatshirt is 100% cotton. Y =3D
I =
wear
my sweatshirt on the weekend.
2. Kohl's sells clothes.
The clothes are beautiful. Y =3D
The clothes are stylish. Y =3D
3. Every week Kohl's has a sale.
The sale is huge. Y =3D
The sale is very popular. Y =3D
4. Jeans are cotton. Y =3D
The material is strong. Y =3D
The material is thick. Y =3D
Jeans are blue.=
Y =3D
5. Sam bought his son some sneakers.
His son is young. Y =3D
His son is handsome. Y =3D
The shoes are Nike. Y =3D
The shoes are black. Y =3D
The shoes are red. Y =3D
The shoes are leather. Y =3D
The shoes are expensive. Y =3D
Grammar Point -
Y can also be a Prepositional Phrase. Prepositional
Phrases can also be modifiers in a noun phrase, but Prepositional Phrases<=
/b>
come after the nucleus.
He bought some pants. The
pants are from Khol's.
He likes the pants from Khol's.
Exercise Seven -
Find the=
noun
phrases in each sentence and show the nucleus and modifiers in each one.
1. =
The Kohl's Store in
2. =
The sales clerks in the shoe department are very
knowledgea=
ble.
3. =
The shirts in the corner by the front door into Kohl's
are usuall=
y a
very conservative style.
4. =
Your next time at Kohl's, you should talk to
a clerk in=
the
men's department.
5. =
The jeans on the wall are more expensive than
the jeans on the racks.
Exercise=
Eight
-
Combine each group of
sentences into one sentence by combining information into a noun phrase.
1. =
Sally has friends.
The friends are two. Y =3D
The friends are nice. Y =3D
The friends are from work. Y =3D
2. =
Last week the restroom=
s were
broken.
The restrooms were on the second floor. Y =3D
Sally had to use the restroom.
The restroom was on the first floor. Y =3D
3. =
The customers are often
crabby. Y =3D
The customers are impatient. Y =3D
The customers are in the children's department.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Y =3D
The customers complain about everything.
4. =
The weather is bad.
The weather is in
Visitors park in the parking lot.
The parking lot is behind Macy's. Y =3D
5.Shoppers
use the escalator.
The
escalator is in the center of the store.&n=
bsp;
Y =3D
Shoppers
are with children. Y =3D
Shoppers
are with small packages. Y =
=3D
6.
Shoppers use the elevator
The
elevator is in the corner of the store.&nb=
sp;
Y =3D
Shoppers
are in wheelchairs. Y =3D
Shoppers
are with strollers. Y =3D
Shoppers
are with large packages. Y =
=3D
Grammar =
Point
-
"Prepositional Phrases in Y" often tell the origin of a
nominal. For example, "H=
e is from
These prepositional phrases can be modifiers in noun phrases. For example,
I know a man from
=
* ß =
&nb=
sp; =
* ß
English also has Adjectives that tell the origin o=
f a
nominal, but they come before the nucleus.=
For example,
I know a=
man from
I like t=
hose
shoes from
Sometimes a nominal do=
es not
have an Adjectival form. Then you can use the nominal.
I like these shoes from Nike. =3D=
I like these Nike shoes.
He bough=
t a TV from Sony. =3D He bought a Sony TV.
Exercise=
Nine
-
Combine the sentences =
two
different ways. First (a) use=
a
prepositional phrase after the nucleus to describe its origin. Second (b) use an adjectival befor=
e the
nucleus to describe its origin.
1. =
She spoke to a man.
a.
b.
2. =
A woman asked her frie=
nd
about shopping. The woman is =
from
a.
b.
3. =
I like to buy milk.
a.
b.
4. =
Products are more
expensive. Products are from =
a.
b.
5. =
He only drinks coffee.=
Coffee is from Seven/Eleven.
a.
b.
Exercise=
Ten -
You are not able to go
shopping at the supermarket, and you are expecting guests this weekend for
dinner at your home, but don't worry!
I will go shopping for you. Make a very specific shopping list of 10=
to
15 items for me to get at the store.
You will have to use modifiers in your noun clusters to make your li=
st
specific. Use adjectivals,
nominals, and prepositional phrases.
You can do this alone or with a partner.
Grammar =
Point
-
We have used noun p=
hrases,
adjective phrases, and prepositional phrases as modifiers in =
noun
phrases. These modifiers =
come
from the Y place in sentences with the same subject as the nucleus. For example,
The p=
en belongs to her.
The p=
en is plastic. Y =3D noun phrase
The p=
en is black. Y =3D adjectival
The p=
en is from Bank of
The black plastic pen =
from
Bank of
These modifiers are in=
the Y
place and follow the X-words am, are, is, was, and were. -ING Forms also are in the Y=
place
and follow the X-words am, are, is, was, and were. An
-ING Form can be a modifier in a noun phrase when the subject of its senten=
ce
is the same as the nucleus. For
example,
Sergio knows a woman. A woman
is living in
=
&nb=
sp; =
NUCLEUS
Sergio knows a woman living in
=
&nb=
sp;
* &nbs=
p;
ß
Exercise
Eleven -
Combine the sentences =
into
one sentence by adding information to the noun phrase.
1. Maria asked the clerk a
question. The clerk was worki=
ng in
the women's clothing department.
2. She found a great
shirt. The shirt was selling =
for
$2.27.
3. The manager was watchi=
ng the
clerk. The clerk was helping =
Maria.
4. Customers are often
impolite. Customers are feeli=
ng
stressed out.
5. Stores expect a lot of
business. Stores are advertis=
ing
inexpensive clothing.
Grammar =
Point
-
Not all Y's are -ING F=
orms,
but you can change a verb to the -ING Form by tying the verb to am, are, is, was or were. For example=
,
The shirt looks very
nice. The shirt has three col=
orful
flowers on the front.
=
&nb=
sp; =
The shirt is having three colorful flowers on the front.
=
|<
The shirt having three colorful flo=
wers
on the front >| looks very n=
ice.
The stor=
e gets the best employees.
The store pays the highest salary.
=
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp;
The store is paying =
the
highest salary.
|< The store paying=
the
highest salary >| gets the best employees.
à * ß
Exercise Twelve -
Combi=
ne the
sentences into one by adding to the noun cluster.
1. One d=
ay
Phillip went to the store.
The store was new.
The store sells electronics.
The store is near his home.
2. He sp=
oke
with the salesman.
The salesman worked in the TV d=
epartment.
The salesman was busy.
3. Anoth=
er man
was in the department.
Another man was looking at car
stereos.
Phillip was standing near anoth=
er
man.
4. The m=
an was
looking at laptops.
The laptops were from Apple.
The laptops were on sale.
The lap tops were white.
The man was watching Phillip.
5. A wom=
an was
also standing next to the laptops.
She was holding a large bag.
The bag was open.
The bag was plastic.
The bag contained a wallet.
Exercise Thirteen -
Divide the sentences into smaller sentences. For example,
The y=
oung
boy wearing green shorts lives near me.
The boy lives near me.
=
&nb=
sp; =
The boy is young.
=
The boy is wearing shorts.
The shorts are green.
1) That =
older
lady buying fresh vegetables at the farmer's market worries about her healt=
h.
2) That =
shiny
new car behind the garage does not work.
3) The
President of the
4) The l=
ast
sentence in this exercise practicing modifiers in noun clusters is a very
difficult sentence in English.
Exercise Fourteen -
Finis=
h the
story by adding modifiers to the noun clusters.
A __________
doctor was examining a ________ woman ___________________________. The _________ woman
_______________________ told the __________ doctor
about the
___________ pain _____________________.&nb=
sp;
The doctor gave her a prescription ________________ and told her to =
go
to a drugstore ___________________ and get the prescription filled. When she gave the prescription to =
the
________ clerk ___________________, the clerk told her the price
________________. She could n=
ot
believe it. How could a _____=
___
amount ______________ cost so much? &=
nbsp;
She waited a _______ minutes for the ___________ medicine and when it
was ready, she paid for it and went home.&=
nbsp;
She wanted to take it immediately, but she had a_________ problem.
Exercise
Fifteen -
Ask the person sitting
behind you or in front of you the following questions.
Have you had any probl=
ems
lately? When? Where?
What were the problems=
?
Were you able to solve=
all
of these problems? Why or why=
not?
Which problems did you
solve?
How did you solve one =
of
your problems?
Exercise
Sixteen -
Mark all the noun clus=
ters
in the story and show the modifiers.
What kind of modifiers are they?
I love Khol's department store because I can always find great clothes at wonderful prices=
. I hate to buy anything at full retail price. For example, I bought some new school clothes for my son yesterday afternoon. Khol's had short-sleeve cotton shirts on sale. They were 50% off. I bought one dark blue plaid wrinkle-free shirt with white buttons. I also bought him a bright orange pullover knit shirt with a straight bottom.
Men's blue jeans were a=
lso on
sale and I found a nice pair of light blue Tony Hawk j=
eans
for $13.99. They were also half price. Khol's had over 500 summer shirts in all different colors and styles. The
floral patterned silk shirts were especially beautiful, but I didn't bu=
y any of those shirts. You already know that I wear almost the same kind of clothes every school day. I am a very conservative dresser, but I did buy myself a pair of red flannel pajama pants wi=
th a
blue stripe on each leg. I
haven't worn them yet because I am saving them for a special occasion.
Actually I rather buy somet=
hing
for someone else. That is=
much more fun for me.
What did you wear yest=
erday?
What do you wear when =
you
are home?
What do you wear when =
you go
out in the evening?
What do you wear to wo=
rk?
What is your favorite =
piece
of clothing?
What do the people in =
your
family like to wear?
First we need to make =
some
lists of vocabulary. What are=
the
names of clothing?
What modifiers can we =
use?
Answer t=
he
following questions in a sentence with a noun phrase.
1. Which apples did he
buy? (The apples were sitting=
on
the counter.)
2. Who did she marry? (The man worked with her.)
3. What family did she
meet? (The family had 5 child=
ren.)
4. Where does she want to=
eat
this weekend? (A restaurant s=
erves
spicy Chinese food.)
5. Which umbrella is mine=
? (The umbrella is standing next to =
the
door.)
6. Whose fault was the ac=
cident? (The woman was driving a white Hon=
da.)
With your partner, ask and answer five questions.
Exercise Tw=
enty
–
With your partner, ask and answer five questions. Us= e a Prepositional Phrase as a modifier in your answer. Write your questions and answers.<= /p>