Editing Noun phrase (section)

==Syntactic function==
Noun phrases typically bear [[argument (linguistics)|argument]] functions.<ref>Concerning how noun phrases function, see for instance Stockwell (1977:55ff.).</ref> That is, the [[grammatical relation|syntactic function]]s that they fulfill are those of the arguments of the main clause [[predicate (grammar)|predicate]], particularly those of [[subject (grammar)|subject]], [[object (grammar)|object]] and [[predicative expression]]. They also function as arguments in such constructs as [[participial phrase]]s and [[prepositional phrase]]s. For example:

::For us <u>the news</u> is a concern. <small>– ''the news'' is the subject argument</small>

::Have you heard <u>the news</u>? <small>– ''the news'' is the object argument</small>

::That is <u>the news</u>. <small>– ''the news'' is the predicative expression following the copula ''is''</small>

::They are talking about <u>the news</u>. <small>– ''the news'' is the argument in the prepositional phrase ''about the news''</small>

::The man reading <u>the news</u> is very tall. <small>– ''the news'' is the object argument in the participial phrase ''reading the news''</small>

Sometimes a noun phrase can also function as an [[Adjunct (grammar)|adjunct]] of the main clause predicate, thus taking on an [[adverb]]ial function, e.g.

::<u>Most days</u> I read the newspaper.

::She has been studying <u>all night</u>.