Here are some examples of noun phrases, along with the signal words that indicate they are the subject or object of the verb:
Subject:
* The cat sat on the mat. (*"The cat"* is the noun phrase acting as the subject)
* A beautiful, sunny day dawned on the horizon. (*"A beautiful, sunny day"* is the noun phrase acting as the subject)
* The big, red house was built last year. (*"The big, red house"* is the noun phrase acting as the subject)
Object:
* The children saw a beautiful bird in the tree. (*"A beautiful bird"* is the noun phrase acting as the direct object)
* She gave her friend a book. (*"Her friend"* is the noun phrase acting as the indirect object)
* I bought a new phone last week. (*"A new phone"* is the noun phrase acting as the direct object)
Other examples:
* The old man with the white beard smiled at the children. (*"The old man with the white beard"* is the noun phrase acting as the subject)
* He walked through the tall, green forest. (*"The tall, green forest"* is the noun phrase acting as the object of the preposition "through")
Signal Words:
While there aren't specific "noun signals" like there are for verbs or adjectives, certain words can be used to indicate the start or end of a noun phrase. Some common ones include:
* Articles: *the, a, an*
* Possessive Adjectives: *my, your, his, her, its, our, their*
* Demonstrative Adjectives: *this, that, these, those*
* Quantifiers: *some, any, many, few, much, little, all, most*
* Prepositions: *of, to, from, in, on, at, by, with, for*
Important Note:
While these words can often be used to identify a noun phrase, they are not always present. A noun phrase can be a single word or it can consist of several words without any of these signal words.
If you're still unsure about identifying noun phrases, it might be helpful to consult a grammar textbook or online resource for a more detailed explanation.