For the description of complicated concepts, activities, and states in academic texts, the writers have to make use of the complex noun phrases. Further, the use of complex noun phrases helps writers to incorporate a large quantity of the newly generated knowledge in their academic texts. Therefore, the novice writers should learn what the noun phrase structure is and the noun modifying structures are. They should also know the complexity level at which the noun phrases should be employed for their successful academic writing. This post treats the noun phrase construction as well as the noun phrase complexity levels which are commonly used in various academic registers.
1. Noun Phrase
The noun is a term that is used to describe lexical items. These lexical items refer to entities (e.g., table, video), substances (e.g., milk, soil), concepts (e.g., honesty, intelligence), named individuals or locations (e.g., Akhtar, Japan). A noun can stay after a determiner(s), or a modifier(s) and the resulting construction is called a noun phrase. If a noun phrase is seen in terms of its components, it may consist of one (minimum) and six internal components at maximum. These elements may be put into three categories. The first category may include determiners (the leaves) + pre-modifying adjective (the green leaves) + pre-modifying noun (the green tree leaves). The second category includes head noun (the green tree leaves). The third category may include a complement (The green tree leaves that rustled with one another) + post-modifier (the green tree leaves on the top). The third category may also include peripheral dependent (the green tree leaves rustling with one another). Semantic realization of a post modifier comes as peripheral dependent.
1.1 Simple and Complex Noun Phrases
The noun phrase that comprises a head noun alone or stay with one determiner is a simple noun phrase. Contrarily, the phrases that take pre-modifiers and post-modifiers beyond this simple level are complex noun phrases. Such noun phrases result in high lexical density and syntactic elaboration. These more complex noun phrases are embedded in longer clauses.
1.2 Noun Phrase Complexity
The density of noun phrases varies from comparatively less complex phrases to highly complex phrases. When noun phrases are less complex, head nouns are specified with determiners only e.g. the arms, his car, etc. Another phrase which is a bit more complex one, e.g. the camel’s front legs but is yet not highly complex. The example of a highly complex phrase may be, the soft green leaves of the upper part of plants called blossom. Such an information density in noun phrases is because of the number and type of modifiers that occur before and after the head noun. This is commonly termed as the noun phrase complexity and is considered as the significant component of overall text complexity.
1.3 Noun Modification Structure
Complexity of the modification structure means expansion through coordination and subordination. Coordination is there in case of pre-modification and enumerative apposition. On the other hand, subordination is there in the case of all modifiers on the first level of dependence.
1.4 Complexity of Noun Phrases with Clausal Post-Modifiers
In specific contexts, an NP carries either a phrasal post-modifier or a clausal post-modifier or a simple or a complex post-modifier. These variables represent syntactic function, register (structural choices), and weight (i.e. the words length) that enlighten the said contexts. For example:
- His house which he just built last year has been damaged. (Structurally Complex NP)
- His house has been damaged. (NP without post-modifier)
These example sentences show that occurrence of a post-modifier makes a noun phrase structurally and semantically complex.
1.5 Noun Phrase Complexity Measures
In simple words, a noun phrase is a string of words in which a lexical noun stays as its head. One surface test of the phrase complexity is the number of words in a phrase. The complexity of a noun phrase is also determined by the factors like respective semantic complexity of the head noun. This complexity is indicated by the number and variety of head noun modifying elements such as quantifiers, adjectives, prepositional phrases, relative clauses. Further, another indicator of complexity is syntactic depth, i.e. how many N nodes a noun phrase dominates.
2. Criteria for Measuring Noun Phrase Complexity
The criteria of measuring noun phrase complexity have a number of points. These points include word length, quality and number of modifiers, semantic complexity of head nouns, syntactic depth and syntactic variability in noun phrases.
2.1 Noun Phrase Complexity based on Word Length
The complexity of a noun phrase in terms of the length of words can be considered at four levels. The first level is short NPs that carry one to three words (e.g. a slow coach). The second is middle-length NPs with four to six words (e.g. the assessment of research scholars). The third level is higher level, i.e. NPs with seven to nine words in length (e.g. the views of my colleagues regarding research quality). The fourth is long NPs with over 10 words. For example, a case where the difference in beliefs causes a major difference in lifestyle and even an inability to get along.
2.2 Noun Phrase Complexity based on Quality and Number of Modifiers
The quality and number of modifiers cover the semantics, morphology, and number of modifiers in a noun phrase. Modifiers include determiners, adjectives, lexical nouns. The determiners are: a, an, the, this, that, these, those, any, many, few, numbers, etc. Adjectives can be categorized into basic (such as small, heavy, etc.) or advanced ones, (e.g., identical, prolonged, scientific, etc.). Examples of lexical nouns can be shown as in his elder brother’s commitment to the mission. The modifiers brother and mission are the lexical nouns in these examples.
2.3 Semantic Complexity of Head Nouns
The semantic complexity of a noun head in noun phrases can be considered at four levels. The lowest level of complexity is considered with reference to concrete objects and specific people, e.g. Aysha, flower petals, a car on the road, etc. The middle level relates to categorical nouns designating collections and location (e.g. the hospital), generic nouns (two things, village people), temporal nouns (last summer). The higher level covers non-abstract, high-register or rare nouns like contender, craze, every day abstract terms like struggle, quarrel, etc., generic temporal nouns like time. The highest level of noun relates to low frequency and abstract nouns which are mostly derivationally complex, e.g., linkage, survival, handsomeness, etc.
2.4 Syntactic Depth of Noun Phrases
Keeping in view syntactic depth, noun phrases can be put into four levels.
The first level: Noun phrases have noun internal depth only, i.e., they have a determiner and head noun (e.g., contention, one reason, the second option). In other words, these phrases have no additionally governed nodes beyond the initial head noun.
The 2nd level: Noun phrases are allied with one internal node. For example, [a new mode [of social gatherings]], [instinct [as a basic physical concept]].
The 3rd level: Noun phrases are provided with three internal nodes. For example, [one claim [that counters [the claim [of another party]]]], [a consignment [of food] and [facilities] for [the flood affected]].
The 4the level: Noun phrases stay with four or more internal nodes. For example, [the individuals [who lack life facilities [that keeps them uncomfortable in life [they feel disappointed till [they die]]]]. The use of noun phrases with the 4th level of complexity is extremely rare.
2.5 Syntactic Variability in Noun Phrases
A noun phrase can stay with different categories of modifiers, e.g., prepositional phrases, relative clauses, noun phrases, adjectives, infinitives, and participles. The syntactic variability not only includes subordination but coordination as well. This variability can also be considered at four levels:
Level 1: an affiliation with family [This NP contains one type of modifier, the prepositional phrase with family].
Level 2: one view that contradicts the view of another person [In this NP, there are two types of modifiers. These are the quantifier one and the relative clause that contradicts the view of another person. This relative clause carries two NPs the view and another person with of-preposition construction]. The NP, very high esteem for my teachers, has an adjective high and PP for my teachers is also of this level.
Level 3: every decision from the individual and organizational to the regional and global level [The NP carries the correlative coordinating construction of prepositional phrases (from…to) along with two coordinated adjectives individual and organizational and regional and global.]
Level 4: several various types of highly valuable initiatives for the prosperity of people living and working in villages alongside the river as the area of their preference. [The NP with variegated modification]
In this post,first, noun phrase has been mentioned. Next, simple and complex noun phrases have been dealt with. Further, the account of noun phrase complexity, modification structure, clausal post-modifiers and noun phrase complexity measures have been given. In the end, the criteria for measuring noun phrase complexity have been mentioned.
Sources Consulted
- Akinlotan (2018)
- Dušková (2009)
- Mutiara, R. (2019)
- Ravid and Berman (2010)
- Swierzbin (2014)
- Yang, G. (2015)
