Noun Phrase
Pattern
Det + (Adj) + N + (PP/RelCl) — determiner-headed nominal group
Definition
A word group built around a noun or pronoun that functions as a subject, object, or complement. May include determiners, adjectives, prepositional phrases, and relative clauses as modifiers.
Examples
Example 1
The old man with the walking stick sat on the park bench.
"The old man with the walking stick" — determiner + adjective + noun + prepositional phrase modifier
Example 2
A surprisingly elegant solution to the long-standing problem.
Heavy pre-modification ("surprisingly elegant") combined with post-modification ("to the long-standing problem")
Example 3
Everything she had ever wanted slipped through her fingers.
A noun phrase headed by a pronoun ("everything") with a relative clause modifier ("she had ever wanted")
AI Detection Note
AI noun phrases tend toward heavy pre-modification (stacking adjectives before the noun) rather than the post-modification (prepositional phrases, relative clauses) more common in natural speech. Look for suspiciously neat modifier chains.
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