Noun Phrases

Many nouns in English can be easily expanded to make bigger noun phrases. Two or more nouns are put together, or compounded. One becomes the head or main noun, the others function as adjectives.

News headlines often have noun phrases. Here are some examples:

MTV awards concert highlights (= highlights of the concert at the MTV awards)
New UK citizenship testing starts (= testing + citizenship + UK)
Paris suburb riots continue (= riots + suburb + Paris)

When noun phrases involve numbers of some kind, the nouns which become adjectives usually have to change from plural to singular:

The hotel has four stars > It is a four-star hotel
The meeting lasted 45 minutes > It was a 45-minute meeting
The race has three stages > It's a three-stage race

Note the use of the hyphen (-) in these examples.

Quiz

Rewrite these sentences using noun phrases:

1. The building has eight storeys > It's an _______________ building.
2. The team has six men > It's a ______________ team.
3. Your price reduction is five euros > You get a ____________ reduction.
4. The tour lasts six days > It's a _____________ tour.
5. He is 27 years old > He's a _______________ man.
6. The parcel weighs four kilos > It's a ______________ parcel.
and slightly more difficult:
7. The problem has two sides > It's a _______________ problem.
8. The monster had two heads > It was a ______________ monster.
9. The vehicle has three wheels > It's a _______________ vehicle.
10. She's got two incomes > She's a _____________ woman.
11. He performs the show all by himself > It's a _______________ show.
12. The painting has many colours > It's a ________________ painting.

Note
Hundreds, millions and thousands are only used in the plural when there is no number attached:
He earns millions. Thousands went to the concert. We saved hundreds of euros.

If there is a number, keep it in the singular:

He earns three million dollars a year.
Sixty thousand people went to the concert.
It was a five-hundred euro saving.