Expanded noun phrases: sparrowhawk
The Grammar Bit!
Read the sentences opposite. They each contain one or more expanded noun phrases. With your talk partner, see if you can identify them. You’ll remember from Year 5 that effective expanded noun phrases should build descriptions of nouns in a concise and precise way.
The most common way to create an expanded noun phrase is to add an adjective before the noun e.g. ‘the aerial assassin …’
You can also build description by adding a relative clause or a prepositional phrase after the noun. e.g. ‘The remarkable sparrowhawk, which had supreme flying abilities, …’ (relative clause), and ‘The remarkable raptor, with rounded wings and a lightweight body, …’ (prepositional phrase).
With your talk partner, read the sentences opposite for a second time and identify how the expanded noun phrases have been created. Can you find any more prepositional phrases or relative clauses?
Scintillating Sentences
1) As it flew close to the ground, the aerial assassin with rounded wings and a lightweight body powerfully scooped up the air.
2) The remarkable raptor, which had supreme flying abilities, flew through the tiniest of gaps.
3) The sparrowhawk, with long, strong legs and a tail that acted like a steering wheel, was able to accelerate and manoeuvre much better than other birds of prey.
Did you know?
Female sparrowhawks can be up to 25% larger than the males – the biggest size difference in any bird. It’s thought that smaller males are more agile when hunting their small-bird prey.