Expanded noun phrases: golden-headed lion tamarin
The Grammar Bit!
Read the three scintillating sentences opposite.They each contain one or more expanded noun phrases (bold).
- A simple noun phrase is made up of a determiner and a noun, e.g. ‘the monkey‘.
- An expanded noun phrase adds more description. Putting one or more adjectives between the determiner and the noun is a common way to expand a noun phrase, e.g. ‘the squirrel-sized monkey‘.
With your talk partner, see if you can replace the adjectives in the scintillating sentences with your own.
Teacher note: A noun phrase can also be expanded by adding a prepositional phrase or a relative clause after it. This is explored in the Y4, Y5 and Y6 grammar programmes.
Scintillating Sentences
1) At sunrise, the squirrel-sized monkey poked its head out of its sleeping hole.
2) The magnificent golden mane fringed the head of the miniature monkey.
3) The bite-sized tamarins hunted furiously for food and eventually found some juicy insects that were living inside a strange-looking bromeliad plant.
Did you know?
Female golden-headed lion tamarins usually give birth to twins. All the members of her group will help her to take care of the babies, but it is the dad who helps the most.