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Park sang joon Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

A noun modifying a anoun

In the phrases below, I'd like to know whether the phrase 'of + noun' modifies a noun before it or the phrase 'noun of' modifies a noun after it.

1) a pair of shoes
2) these kinds of questions
3) a lot of girls
4) a mountain of a wave
5) an angel of a girl

Thank you in advance for your help.
  

Top answer

In all your examples the head of the noun phrase is the first noun, and the of phrase is a dependent of that noun. Some modern grammarians take the first three PPs to be in complement rather than modifier function on the grounds that of is specifically selected by the head. In traditional grammar they are all modifiers.

— Anonymous

  • In all your examples the head of the noun phrase is the first noun, and the of phrase is a dependent of that noun.
  • Some modern grammarians take the first three PPs to be in complement rather than modifier function on the grounds that of is specifically selected by the head.
  • In traditional grammar they are all modifiers.
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2 Answers
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In all your examples the head of the noun phrase is the first noun, and the of phrase is a dependent of that noun. Some modern grammarians take the first three PPs to be in complement rather than modifier function on the grounds that of is specifically selected by the head. In traditional grammar they are all modifiers.
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I think of the following as nouns modifying nouns:
baseball mitt
boxing glove
kitchen towel
barroom fight
cowboy boots
sushi restaurant
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