Adjuncts can appear before the Head of a phrase, as well as after the Head. For example, in the following NP, the Adjunct sudden is part of what we have been calling the pre-Head string:
? | Adjunct | Head | Complement |
the | sudden | realisation | that nothing has changed |
In this section we will look at the function of the remaining part of the pre-Head string. In this example, what is the function of the in the phrase as a whole?
We refer to this part of the phrase as the SPECIFIER of the phrase. Again, Specifiers may occur in all the major phrase types, and we exemplify them in the following table:
Phrase Type | Head | Typical Specifiers | Examples |
| Noun Phrase (NP) | noun | determiners | the vehicle an objection some people |
| Verb Phrase (VP) | verb | `negative' elements | not arrive never plays the piano |
| Adjective Phrase (AP) | adjective | AdvP | quite remarkable very fond of animals |
| Prepositional Phrase (PP) | preposition | AdvP | just across the street |
An important point about Specifiers is that they relate to the Head + Complement sequence, and not to the Head alone. For example, in the AP very fond of animals , the Specifier very relates to fond of animals, not just to fond:
Amy is very fond of animals
Q. Amy is very what?
A. *Fond
A. Fond of animals
In functional terms, then, the three-part structure of a phrase can be summarised as:
(Specifier) -- [Head -- (Complement)]
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