A three-part teaching material about powering up description, making writing effective with understanding the use of expanded noun phrases - some pages have timed elements and other animation; it is best to download it and watch it in slideshow mode
3. Learning outcome You will understand how the English language uses noun phrases to make writing more interesting and efficient You will be able to improve your writing by building up noun phrases This also prepares you for academic and descriptive writing
8. Example noun phrases the three musketeers a gold ring a class of excellent students a beautiful little girl my pen a Coca-Cola bottle the best school in the area a disappointed parent any question the lesson after Maths
9. The noun phrase A group of words which act like a noun Words can go beforethe noun the great river and/or after the noun man of honour They modify the meaning of the noun
10. For what we use noun phrases A noun phrase in a sentence can be a Participant (Subject or Object) a Circumstance as part of a prepositional phrase (preposition + noun phrase) The house is near the sea. Participant Circumstance
11. Why noun phrases? They give extra information about the nound very efficient way Complex noun phrases are effective Complex noun phrases are effective Complex noun phrases are effective Complex noun phrases are effective Complex noun phrases are effective Complex noun phrases are effective Complex noun phrases are effective Complex noun phrases are effective It is very boring to read a text without them efficient: using minimum resources
12. Compare these sentences. Which is more interesting to read? The sun has risen. The glowing sun that gives life has slowly risen.
13. You can greatly improve the quality of your writing with complex noun phrases You can greatly improve the quality of your writing with complex noun phrases
25. Learning outcome You will understand how the English language uses noun phrases to make writing more interesting and efficient You will be able to improve your writing by building up noun phrases This also prepares you for academic and descriptive writing
27. See if you can spot the noun phrases The girl with red hair was afraid of flying. She was determined to overcome this fear. Her aunt in America had invited her to stay and she wanted to go. Fears like this can be overcome, she decided.
29. Noun phrases in sentences Process(Verb) Participant (Subject) Circumstance Participant(Object) The little girl is reading her new book in the living room. noun phrase noun phrase verb phrase prepositional phrasepreposition + noun phrase FORM labels FUNCTION labels
30. See how a noun phrase can be built up girl girl English girl English nice girls English nice four girls English nice four the girls English nice four the from the neighbourhood You can add moreof this
31. The possible components of a noun phrase girls English nice four the from the neighbourhood Classifier Determiner Qualifier Quantifier Head Describer
32. Can you find the noun phrases in this extract from a novel? Look for the nouns and see what you find around them Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards the evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish … Extract from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
33. Notice how much percentage of the text is basically noun phrases: 50/73 Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards the evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish …
37. Noun Phrase or Sentence Part of a Circumstance the burial site Also recovered from the burial site were scraps of expensive clothing that seemed to correspond roughly in gender, age and size to the Romanov family and followers.
38. Components of the noun phrase lesson those few great English lessons when I was twelve Head English lesson Classifier Qualifier Nounphrase Describer Determiner Quantifier great English lesson those few great English lessons a few great English lessons
39. Let’s look at the parts of the noun phrase again and see some examples at work
40. Head school evening Martha The Head is the main part of the noun phrase; this is what gets modified by the other parts. It is usually a noun school evening Martha
41. Classifier secondary school summer evening gold ring The Classifier classifies the Head. It tells about the type of something rather than just describing it secondary school summer evening gold ring
42. Describer improving secondary school warm summer evening beutiful gold ring The Describer describes the Head. It tells about the quality of something rather than putting it in a class. It is usually an adjective or a participle (improving…/improved) improving secondary school warm summer evening beautiful gold ring
43. some good Grimsby schools one nice summer evening Quantifier The Quantifier tells how many Heads there are. This can be a number or some indefinite word some good Grimsby schools one nice summer evening
44. a good complex sentence our last summer evening Determiner The Determiner specifies the kind of reference a noun has. This can be an article or a possessive/ demonstrative/quantifier/numeral a good complex sentence our last summer evening Type of Determiners
45. Determiner article a/an, the, books (zero article when plural) possessive determiner my, your, his, its, etc. demonstrative determiner this, that, these, those quantifier every/each, either/neither, any, no; all, many, some, (a) few, enough, several, both numeral one/two…
46. Qualifier a good school in the neighbourhood our last summer evening in the countryside The Qualifier is some extra information put after the Head. This is usually a prepositional phrase (a preposition + another noun phrase). a good school in the neighbourhood our last summer evening in the neighbourhood
47. Let’s analyse this noun phrase Describer Determiner Head Qualifier this bleak place overgrown with nettles Determiner
48. Determiner Head Qualifier Describer (describes the raw afternoon – that is why there is no comma) Describer a memorable raw afternoon towards the evening Determiner Let’s analyse this noun phrase
49. Let’s analyse this noun phrase Determiner Describer Head Describer Quantifier Qualifier Determiner Qualifier Head Describer of the Describer My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things
50. Task: Now, build up a noun phrase. Start with the Head Head Classifier Describer Quantifier Determiner Qualifier
51. What possible parts can a noun phrase have by function? Head Classifier Qualifier Noun PhraseComponents Describer Determiner Quantifier
52. Can you add any information to these nouns? The meeting went well. The bus came late. The cat is hiding under the bed. Their house is near the beach. After the show we went home.
53. The first trick – two statements in one This ring is beautiful. This beautiful ring .... is mine. broke because of you.
54. Try it. See how the sentences improve The clock is big. The summer is cold. The school is fantastic. The big clock never works. The cold summer is not good for kids. This fantastic school has just opened its theatre.
55. Identify the noun phrases in this extract. What is the purpose of them? The sea which lies before me as I write glows rather than sparkles in the bland May sunshine. With the tide turning, it leans quietly against the land, almost unflecked by ripples or by foam. Near to the horizon it is a luxurious purple, spotted with regular lines of emerald green. At the horizon it is indigo. Near to the shore, where my view is framed by rising heaps of humpy yellow rock, there is a band of lighter green, icy and pure, less radiant, opaque however, not transparent. We are in the north, and the bright sunshine cannot penetrate the sea. Where the gentle water taps the rocks there is still a surface skin of colour. The cloudless sky is very pale at the indigo horizon which it lightly pencils in with silver. Its blue gains towards the zenith and vibrates there. But the sky looks cold, even the sun looks cold. Extract from the novel, The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch The sea which lies before me as I write glows rather than sparkles in the bland May sunshine. With the tide turning, it leans quietly against the land, almost unflecked by ripples or by foam. Near to the horizon it is a luxurious purple, spotted with regular lines of emerald green. At the horizon it is indigo. Near to the shore, where my view is framed by rising heaps of humpy yellow rock, there is a band of lighter green, icy and pure, less radiant, opaque however, not transparent. We are in the north, and the bright sunshine cannot penetrate the sea. Where the gentle water taps the rocks there is still a surface skin of colour. The cloudless sky is very pale at the indigo horizon which it lightly pencils in with silver. Its blue gains towards the zenith and vibrates there. But the sky looks cold, even the sun looks cold. The noun phrases in this opening paragraph serve as a resource for capturing both the look and the feel of the landscape.
56. Analyse these noun phrases;use the table on your sheet The sea which lies before me as I write glows rather than sparkles in the bland May sunshine. With the tide turning, it leans quietly against the land, almost unflecked by ripples or by foam. Near to the horizon it is a luxurious purple, spotted with regular lines of emerald green. At the horizon it is indigo. Near to the shore, where my view is framed by rising heaps of humpy yellow rock, there is a band of lighter green, icy and pure, less radiant, opaque however, not transparent. We are in the north, and the bright sunshine cannot penetrate the sea. Where the gentle water taps the rocks there is still a surface skin of colour. The cloudless sky is very pale at the indigo horizon which it lightly pencils in with silver. Its blue gains towards the zenith and vibrates there. But the sky looks cold, even the sun looks cold.
59. This time you will see that although there are many adjectives serving to capture the colours and atmosphere of Ayemenem, a town in India, the description seems clumsy. Can you diagnose what is wrong – grammatically speaking? May in Ayemenem is hot. May is also brooding. The days are long. They are humid. The river shrinks. The mango trees are still. The mango trees are also dust green. Black crows are on the mango trees. They gorge on the mangoes. The mangoes are bright. The bananas are red. The bananas ripen. There are jackfruits. The jackfruits burst. Bluebottles are dissolute. They hum vacuously in the air. The air is fruity. The bluebottles then stun themselves against windowpanes. These windowpanes are clear. The bluebottles die. When they die they are fatly baffled in the sun. The nights are clear. But the nights are suffused with sloth. The nights are also suffused with expectation. This expectation is sullen. Nearly all the adjectives in the paragraph are functioning as Participants (complements). They are not in a noun phrase as Describers. The descriptions seem drawn out and stilted. It is a list of things, but not shaped and compacted in such a way as to capture our attention in writing
60. The original text May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month. The days are long and humid. The river shrinks and black crows gorge on bright mangoes in still, dust green trees. Red bananas ripen. Jackfruits burst. Dissolute bluebottles hum vacuously in the fruity air. Then they stun themselves against clear windowpanes and die, fatly baffled in the sun. The nights are clear but suffused with sloth and sullen expectation. Compacted description; it focuses our attention
61. May in Ayemenem is hot. May is also brooding. The days are long. They are humid. The river shrinks. The mango trees are still. The mango trees are also dust green. Black crows are on the mango trees. They gorge on the mangoes. The mangoes are bright. The bananas are red. The bananas ripen. There are jackfruits. The jackfruits burst. Bluebottles are dissolute. They hum vacuously in the air. The air is fruity. The bluebottles then stun themselves against windowpanes. These windowpanes are clear. The bluebottles die. When they die they are fatly baffled in the sun. The nights are clear. But the nights are suffused with sloth. The nights are also suffused with expectation. This expectation is sullen. May in Ayemenem is a hot, brooding month. The days are long and humid. The river shrinks and black crows gorge on bright mangoes in still, dust green trees. Red bananas ripen. Jackfruits burst. Dissolute bluebottles hum vacuously in the fruity air. Then they stun themselves against clear windowpanes and die, fatly baffled in the sun. The nights are clear but suffused with sloth and sullen expectation.
62. The most common adjectives used as describers and classifiers in noun phrases Size/Amount big little small long great high low large Time new old young Colour black white red dark Evaluative good best right nice important special Scope same whole different full general major final main single Topical political public social human international national economic These more in the news and academic writing These are all frequent in fiction Blue = in conversations
63. Trick 2 The potato has grown. The grown potato .... is very delicious. sells very well.
64. Try it. See how the sentences improve The clock is ticking. The summer is coming. The school is shut. The school has improved. The ticking clock never works. The coming summer promises surprises. The shut school is being renovated. The improved school hired more good teachers.
65. This is called NOMINALISATION. There is a tendency in English – especially technical English – to represent events, qualities of objects and qualities of events not as verbs, adjectives and adverbs but as nouns. Examples: to own->ownership, to move->movement, to grow->growth TRICK 3: Making nouns from verbs – another way of compacting information It rained yesterday. The rain yesterday was very sudden.
66. How we make nouns from verbs Verb form evaporate absorb vibrate to rain to flow deliver arrive move convert understand Nominalised form (abstract idea) evaporation absorption vibration the rain the flow delivery arrival movement conversion understanding
67. Why is it good to know how we can build noun phrases? They give more information about the Participant and Circumstance in a very efficient* way It is very boring to read a text without them
68. Match the meanings of these words to the right word to describe sg to classify sg to quantify sg to determine sg to qualify sg to arrange or order by classes to describe sg as having a particular quality to discover or express the quantity of sg to give an account of sg in words to fix in scope, extent…… (here)
69. Apply Trick 1 to one to these sentences The road is bumpy. The light is red. The banana was fresh. Have you put the adjectives in Participant role into Describer role in to the noun phrase? Have you introduced a new Process?
70. Noun phrases can help to enrich writing. Look at the following passage. The nouns have been highlighted. See if you can modify them and improve the passage. Theteacher raised hiseyes and looked at theclass. He held up thepaper. ‘Which student has done thiswork?’ ‘It’s mine, ’ said avoice. ‘Come and get thereward,’ said theteacher.
71. Now read two other versions. As you read them, discuss the differences, the effects of the noun phrases and how they compare to your version. The demon-like teacher raised his blood-shot eyes and looked at the class of terrified children. He held up the crumpled and torn paper. ‘Which miserable student has done this so-called work?’ ‘It’s mine, ’ said a tiny trembling voice. ‘Come and get the reward you deserve,’ said the teacher with malice in his voice. 36/54 67%
72. The laughing teacher raised his watery eyes and looked at the puzzled class. He held up the paper he’d been reading. ‘Which quick-witted student has done this hilarious work on ‘My Life as a Whoopee Cushion’?’ ‘It’s mine, ’ said a voice from under a table. ‘Come and get the reward for the funniest story this year,’ said the teacher through his giggles.
73. As you can see, noun phrases and how you construct them, are important aspects of writing. You need to know when enough is enough too. Read the following passage. Discuss how they could be improved. The tall, imposing and really rather massive monument was made from cool white marble with lots of little, itsy-bitsy, infinitesimal flecks of emerald green running all the way through it. The girl gasped as she looked up at the absolutely huge, thick, chunky pillars, utterly and thoroughly amazed by its simplicity. The description contains too many adjectives.
74. The tall, imposing monument was made from cool white marble with little flecks of emerald green running through it. The girl gasped as she looked up at the thick pillars, amazed by its simplicity. Now read another version and discuss why it might be more effective. Sometimes less is more. Be aware of noun phrases in your own writing and also in the writing of others.
75. You have learnt how to build complex noun phrases. You understand their roles in making writing more interesting. Use them in your writing. Well done!
78. Backdrops: - These are full sized backdrops, just scale them up! - Can be Copy-Pasted out of Templates for use anywhere! www.animationfactory.com
79. to arrange or order by classes to describe sg as having a particular quality to discover or express the quantity of sg to give an account of sg in words to fix in scope, extent……(here) to arrange or order by classes to describe sg as having a particular quality to discover or express the quantity of sg to give an account of sg in words to fix in scope, extent……(here) to describe sg to classify to quantify sg to determine sg to qualify sg Match the meanings of these words to the right word Match the meanings of these words to the right word to describe sg to classify to quantify sg to determine sg to qualify sg to arrange or order by classes to describe sg as having a particular quality to discover or express the quantity of sg to give an account of sg in words to fix in scope, extent……(here) to arrange or order by classes to describe sg as having a particular quality to discover or express the quantity of sg to give an account of sg in words to fix in scope, extent……(here) to describe sg to classify to quantify sg to determine sg to qualify sg to describe sg to classify to quantify sg to determine sg to qualify sg Match the meanings of these words to the right word Match the meanings of these words to the right word
80. Homework – for next lesson Find 10 examples of complex noun phrases in any printed material at home. Write down the example and state source like this ‘sudden death’ from CCHR website, article on child drugs …
81. Write a piece of descriptive writing about a place (where you live or where you have been) Minimum 150 words
