The "Phrase Structure" lecture I delivered in my English 402--Grammar course at the State University of New York College at Cortland.

1. Phrase Structure
Ed McCorduck
English 402--Grammar
SUNY Cortland
http://mccorduck.cortland.edu

2. • all phrases have a headword (a.k.a. a head)
slide 2: headword of phrases
English 402:
Grammar

3. • noun phrases (a.k.a. NPs)
o headword is a noun
slide 3: definition of noun phrases
English 402:
Grammar

4. example
the dog
slide 4: examples of noun phrases
English 402:
Grammar
dog is the headword of this phrase, dog is a noun,
therefore the dog is a noun phrase

5. more NP examples (headword in red)
a dog
the dogs
dogs
Rover
a big dog
her very big dog
that very big, nasty dog
that very big, nasty dog in the backyard
that very big, nasty dog who barks all night and pisses us off
slide 5: more examples of noun phrases
English 402:
Grammar

6. • verb phrases (a.k.a. VPs)
o headword is a verb
slide 6: definition of verb phrases
English 402:
Grammar

7. verb phrase examples (headword in red)
hacks (as in “A smoker often hacks”)
hacks computers (as in “The script kiddie hacks computers”)
has hacked (a computer)
is hacking (government computers)
was hacked
will be hacking (unprotected computers)
may have been hacking (the bank’s central computer)
is going to have been hacked
slide 7: examples of verb phrases
English 402:
Grammar