The noun pre & post-modifiers and complements are two important components of a noun phrase. Both these components add to the quality and meaningfulness of the head noun. Without these, the noun phrases stay either unspecified or incomplete. Thus it can be said that these components play a significant role in the enrichment and completion of the noun phrases. Consequently, the noun phrases become an instrument of full meaning expression. In this post, first noun modifiers and complements have been explained along with how these are different from each other. Finally, their role in noun phrase construction and meaning expression has been presented.
1. Pre-head Noun Modifiers and Complements
Sometimes, the head noun stays after another noun. In this case, the preceding noun has the status of either a pre-modifying noun (an adjunct or modifier) or a complement. For example, in Bejing train, Bejing is a modifier as it is not licensed by the head noun train. On the other hand, in television screen, television is a complement as it is licensed or required by the head noun screen.
2. Post-Head Modifying Phrases and Clauses Vs Complement Phrases and Clauses
There is difference between the post-head modifying phrases and clauses and the complement phrases and clauses. This is that the post-head modifiers need not be licensed by the head noun. In other words, post-modifiers add extra and descriptive information. Thus they are optional in noun phrases, i.e. noun phrases remain grammatically complete without them. On the other hand, the complements need to satisfy the license test posed by the head noun. It means their presence after the head noun is necessary to complete the meaning of the noun. Thus their presence is obligatory. For example:
- The trees in the backyard are our fruit storage.
- His parents felt a sense of pride at his prominent success.
3. Noun Head Post Modifiers
It is very important to note that post-head modifiers are either preposition phrases or subordinate clauses. The examples of post-head modifiers are as a man of principles, the tree opposite the laundry shop, the house that they purchased, the person who entered the shop first. The phrases and clauses in italics stay as post-head modifiers as these are not licensed by the head noun. These phrases and clauses can be replaced by other appropriate phrases and clauses.
4. Common Types of Post-modifiers
There are four types of head noun post-modifiers i.e., prepositional phrases, adverb phrases, relative clauses and participial clauses. These post-modifying constructions supply information about the head noun. The following sentences carry these constructions.
- The availability of financial resources makes our life comfortable.
- Our meeting after winter vacation is not certain.
- He purchases books that are supplied digitally.
- The athletes running in the stadium are the students of Physical Education.
In example (a), the prepositional phrase of financial resources post modifies the head noun availability. The adverb phrase after winter vacation post modifies the head noun meeting in example (b). In example (c), that are digitally supplied is a relative clause and it is functioning as a post-nominal modifier for books. The participial clause running in the stadium in example (d) post modifies the head noun athletes. These examples show that a post modifier enhances but does not fundamentally alter the sentence’s message. It means, the meaning of the head noun remains intact even if these are removed or replaced by some other phrase or clause.
5. The Role of Post-modifiers in Expressing Head Noun Meaning
Post nominal modifiers consistently follow the noun phrase heads in advanced writing. These modifiers supply additional though non-essential information about the noun. The information supplied by a post-modifier helps specify the head noun’s identity, characteristics, locality and other similar characteristics. For example:
- The person in blue dress is my roommate.
- The building with the high towers is awesome.
- The interviews this week will not be held.
In example (a), the phrase, in blue dress as a post-nominal modifier helps identify the referent, i.e. the person. Similarly, the phrase with the high towers in example (b) describes the appearance of the head noun building. In example (c), the phrase this week specifies the time of the head noun interviews.
6. Noun Head Complements
Complements stay as phrases or clauses after the head noun. The examples of post-head noun complement phrases and clauses are: a feeling of hope, the information that a heavy rain fall may occur is worrying. Constructions in italics stay as complements of head nouns in the above examples. It is clear that these post-head phrases and clauses cannot be removed or replaced by any other phrase. This is so because these constructions are licensed or required by the head noun. If these complements are removed, the meanings of the head nouns do remain same.
7. The Role of Complements in Expressing Head Noun Meaning
The placement of a noun complement after the noun is essential as it is necessary for expressing the core meaning of the noun. For example:
- His reason that he is unable to pay his debt is not acceptable. (noun complement)
In example (a), that he is unable to pay his deb is a that clause (i.e. content clause) and it supplies a specific content about reason. Thus its role is that of a complement.
8. Noun Complements Vs. Appositives
The clauses or phrases that follow noun and complete the meaning of a noun are known as noun complements. On the other hand, the words or phrases that follow noun and supply supplementary information through renaming or clarifying nouns (without changing the core message of the sentence) are appositives. And if the information carried by appositives is nonessential they are set off by commas from the rest of the sentence. For example:
- My brother’s plan to establish a textile mill was life-changing.
- His sister Nasima has made a plan to study abroad.
- Imran, an outstanding researcher, has published almost one hundred research papers.
In example (a), the to-infinitive clause (to establish a textile mill) is a noun complement and its presence is necessary after the noun ‘plan’ to understand it. In (b), Nasima is an appositive and its presence for understanding which sister is necessary. In (c), an outstanding research is an appositive phrase, though it provides an additional information about Imran, its presence is not essential. That is why it has been set off with commas.
9. Delayed Head Noun Complements
It is not that nouns and their complements stay always close to each other. Sometimes, a noun and its complement may be separated by some parenthetical information (e.g., an independent clause). If this is the case, the complement becomes an appositive, rephrasing a noun instead of complementing the subject or object as the case may be.
Shaheen explained his idea, which he had been considering for weeks, that the domestic chores were not being attended to. Such separation better be avoided because this mode separates the noun from its crucial information and turns the construction into a clumsy construction. So better, the nouns and their complements stay close to each other.
In sum, complements and modifiers of the head noun are significant components of the noun phrase. Complements are pre-head nouns, post noun head phrases and clauses. The placement of these constructions is necessary to complete the meaning of the head noun in a noun phrase. There are two more points about the noun complements. First, noun complements and appositives stay after the head noun in a similar way. However, their role is different from that of each other. Complements provide complementary information and appositives provide supplementary (extra and descriptive) information. Further, appositives are not licensed by the head noun. At times, a noun and its complement may be separated by some parenthetical information (e.g., an independent clause). Post-modifiers of a head noun may be in the form of prepositional phrases, adverb phrases, relative clauses and participial clauses. The function of the post-modifiers of the head noun is to supply additional though non-essential information about the noun. The use of post-modifiers helps specify the head noun’s identity, characteristics, locality and other similar characteristics.
Sources Consulted
- Biber and Gray (2011)
- https://langeek.co
- Phil Williams (2015)
