NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

What is a noun phrase composed of?

1. Only a verb

2. A noun and its modifiers

3. Only an adjective

4. A subject and a predicate

The correct answer is: A noun and its modifiers

A noun phrase is fundamentally composed of a noun along with its modifiers, which can include determiners, adjectives, and sometimes other nouns. This structure allows the phrase to provide more detail about the noun it represents. For example, in the phrase "the quick brown fox," "fox" is the noun, while "the," "quick," and "brown" serve as modifiers that enhance the meaning of "fox." In this context, modifiers help specify or give additional information, enabling clearer communication and richer descriptions. This construction is essential in English to form coherent and informative sentences, contributing to overall linguistic precision and depth. The other options do not correctly encapsulate the structure of a noun phrase. A noun alone or just an adjective does not provide the full complexity that a noun phrase entails. Additionally, a subject and a predicate refer to broader sentence structures rather than the specific components of a noun phrase.