Modification vs complementation within a noun phrase

Question

Hi: What's the difference between Complementation of a noun/noun phrase and Modification (premodification and post modification of a noun/noun phrase, please?

For example, how to identify whether a structure before or/and after a head noun is functioning as a modifier or a complement?

Here are some examples illustrating what I'm trying to ask here:

- The guy in black shirt

"The", here, is functioning as a Determiner or a Modifier. Is the phrase "in the black shirt' functioning as a complement? Or a Modifier?

- This beautiful woman in the town

"This" functions as a Determiner, "beautiful" as a modifier, "in the town" as?.... Complement or a modifier?

- Every child who doesn't want to go

What is the function of the "wh-" clause here?

BillJ · Accepted Answer

LaboriousHi: What's the difference between Complementation of a noun/noun phrase and Modification (premodification and post modification of a noun/noun phrase, please? For example, how to identify whether a structure before or/and after a head noun is functioning as a modifier or a complement?

It's a big topic, so it's not possible to cover every aspect of the difference here.

Distinguishing modifiers and complements in NP structure is trickier than it is in clause structure. For example, complements in clause structure are often identified as such by being obligatory, but whether the dependents in NP structure are obligatory or optional is of virtually no relevance. Further, complements in clause structure generally have to be licenced (specifically permitted or required) by the head, but that is not always the case in NP structure, especially with pre-head complements.

[1a] a linguistics student [1b] a student of linguistics

[2a] a flower seller [2b] a seller of flowers

[3a] a legal advisor [3b] an advisor on legal matters

[4a] a first-year student [4b] *a student of first years - ungrammatical

Very often, post-head complements, but not modifiers, have a paraphrase with the form of a PP where the choice of preposition is specified by the noun, as in [1b-3b] above. But [4b] is different -- we can’t say *“a student of first years”: “first-year” is a modifier, not a complement.

[5] the advent of the steam engine

[6] a dearth of new ideas

[7] the feasibility of the proposal

And sometimes the PP is obligatory because the noun makes little sense without it, as in [5-7].

LaboriousHere are some examples illustrating what I'm trying to ask here: - The guy in black shirt "The", here, is functioning as a Determiner or a Modifier. Is the phrase "in the black shirt' functioning as a complement? Or a Modifier?

“The” is a determiner. Determiners are never modifiers. The PP “in the black shirt” is entirely optional modifier – it describes "the guy" by telling us what he is wearing.

Laborious- This beautiful woman in the town "This" functions as a Determiner, "beautiful" as a modifier, "in the town" as?.... Complement or a modifier?

You are right: “this” is a demonstrative determiner and “beautiful” is a modifier. The PP “in the town” is a modifier. It’s not a complement since it doesn’t have to be licensed by the head like the PPs in [1b-3b]

Laborious- Every child who doesn't want to go. What is the function of the "wh-" clause here?

It's a relative clause functioning as a post-head modifier of “child”.

Subordinate clauses, both finite and non-finite, can also be complements, e.g. the claim that he was ill / his ability to complete the task.

Modification vs complementation within a noun phrase

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