Function of Nouns
Function of Nouns
Function of Nouns
Nouns in English are traditionally described as naming "persons, places, things, and ideas." Pronouns are
a subcategory of nouns. English
Noun phrases are formed by a noun or pronoun and any modifiers, complements, or determiners
including adjectives, determiners, prepositional phrases, noun clauses, and verb phrases.
Nouns and noun phrases perform ten grammatical functions in the English language. The ten functions
are:
Subject
Subject complement
Direct object
Object complement
Indirect object
Prepositional complement
Determinative
Appositive
Adverbial
The following sections discuss the ten functions and include examples to illustrate use.
Subject
Nouns and noun phrases first function as the subject of clauses. A subject is a word, phrase, or clause
which performs the action of or acts upon the verb. Clauses contain both a subject and a predicate. The
following italicized noun phrases are examples of subjects:
The puppy has chewed on the bone.
Although other grammatical forms can function as the subject of clauses, nouns and noun phrases most
frequently perform the function.
Subject Complement
Nouns and noun phrases secondly function as subject complements. A subject complement is a word,
phrase, or clause that follows a copular verb and describes the subject. Copular verbs are also called
linking and state-of-being verbs and include verbs like be, become, and seem. The following italicized
noun phrases are examples of subject complements:
Direct Object
Nouns and noun phrases can also function as direct objects. A direct object is a word, phrase, or clause
that follows a transitive verb and answers the question "who?" or "what?" receives the action of the
verb. The following italicized noun phrases are examples of direct objects:
Object Complement
Similarly to subject complements, nouns and noun phrases can function as object complements. An
object complement is a word, phrase, or clause that directly follows and describes the direct object. The
following italicized noun phrases are examples of object complements:
Indirect Object
Nouns and noun phrases can also function as indirect objects. An indirect object is a word, phrase, or
clause that follows a ditransitive verb and answers the question "to or for whom?" or "to or for what" is
the action of the verb performed. The following italicized noun phrases are examples of indirect objects:
Prepositional Complement
Nouns and noun phrases function as prepositional complements. A prepositional complement is a word,
phrase, or clause that directly follows the preposition in a prepositional phrase. Prepositional
complements are also called complements of prepositions and objects of prepositions. The following
italicized noun phrases are examples of prepositional complements:
Although adjectives are traditionally defined as words that describe nouns, nouns and noun phrases can
function as noun phrase modifiers. A noun phrase modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that describes
another noun or noun phrase. The following italicized noun phrases are examples of noun phrase
modifiers:
Determinatives
Like other determiners, nouns and noun phrases can also function as determinatives. A determinative is
a noun or noun phrase plus the possessive clitic (apostrophe s or s apostrophe) that indicates possession
of or some other relationship to another noun or noun phrase. The following italicized noun phrases are
examples of determinatives:
Nouns and noun phrases functioning as determinatives can simultaneously function as subject
complements. The following italicized noun phrases are examples of bother determinatives and subject
complements:
Appositive
Nouns and noun phrases also function as appositives. An appositive is a word, phrase, or clause that
modifies or explains another noun or noun phrase. The following italicized noun phrases are examples of
appositives:
Adverbial
Finally, nouns and noun phrases can function as adverbials. An adverbial is a word, phrase, or clause that
describes an entire clause by providing information such as time, place, manner, condition, reason, or
purpose. Adverbials answers such questions as "when?" "where?" "why?" and "how?" The following
italicized noun phrases are examples of adverbials:
Today I need to go to bed early.