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Complex noun phrases
C2 C2 grammar · lesson 2 of 12
Academic, legal and journalistic English packs a lot of meaning into long noun phrases. Learning to build and unpack them helps you write concisely and read dense texts with ease.
The structure of a noun phrase
A noun phrase has a head noun at its centre. Information can be added before it (pre-modification) and after it (post-modification). At C2 you combine several modifiers at once.
| Determiner | Pre-modifiers | Head | Post-modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| the | recent sharp | rise | in energy prices |
| a | widely reported | decision | to close the factory |
| several | long-term | studies | carried out in rural areas |
| the | government’s | failure | to act on the warnings it had received |
Pre-modifiers
Before the head you can use adjectives, participles (a growing concern, an overlooked detail), nouns used as modifiers (a data protection policy), possessives and compound adjectives (a three-year project, a well-funded team). Compound adjectives before a noun are usually hyphenated, and a number inside them stays singular: a ten-minute walk, not a ten-minutes walk.
Post-modifiers
After the head you can use prepositional phrases, relative clauses, participle clauses, to-infinitives and appositive that-clauses (the fact that…, the idea that…, the claim that…).
There has been a marked increase in the number of students choosing to study abroad.
The proposal put forward by the committee last spring was rejected.
Anna questioned the assumption that higher prices always mean better quality.
We need a clear, cost-effective strategy for reducing waste.
The two-day conference on urban transport attracted 400 delegates.
Leo’s reluctance to accept the offer surprised everyone.
A small but growing number of companies now allow remote work.
Agreement and clarity
The verb agrees with the head noun, not the nearest noun. Also avoid stacking too many nouns before the head (the city council road safety improvement plan review); rewrite with prepositions to keep the phrase readable.
✗ The quality of the new buildings are excellent.
✓ The quality of the new buildings is excellent.
✗ It was a five-hours journey.
✓ It was a five-hour journey.
✗ The idea which we should cancel the event upset Maria.
✓ The idea that we should cancel the event upset Maria.
✗ The report of the review of the plan of the council’s delay…
✓ The council’s review of the delayed plan…
Good noun phrases let you replace long chains of clauses with one compact unit – a key feature of advanced written style.