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Anonymous Posted 9 years ago
Vocabulary

A compound noun phrase

"The ability of people in public life or in the media to say the most outrageous falsehoods and not be held accountable has really altered the balance in our public discourse, in a way that I think is endangering democracy." (The Guardian.)

Is The ability of people in public life or in the media to say the most outrageous falsehoods and not be held accountable a compound noun phrase and a subject in the sentence above?

  

Top answer

It is one long noun phrase, yes, and the subject of the sentence, as you say. Whether it is a "compound" noun phrase depends rather on the definition, I think. Some people seem to use the term to describe noun phrases with multiple attributive nouns, and others for "noun and noun" combinations, neither of which applies here.

  • It is one long noun phrase, yes, and the subject of the sentence, as you say.
  • Whether it is a "compound" noun phrase depends rather on the definition, I think.
  • Some people seem to use the term to describe noun phrases with multiple attributive nouns, and others for "noun and noun" combinations, neither of which applies here.
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1 Answers
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It is one long noun phrase, yes, and the subject of the sentence, as you say.

Whether it is a "compound" noun phrase depends rather on the definition, I think. Some people seem to use the term to describe noun phrases with multiple attributive nouns, and others for "noun and noun" combinations, neither of which applies here.

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