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My notes tell me that prepositional phrases are noun phrase preceeded by a preposition. So my doubt is... If you consider this sentence

the flower in the pot Is it also a prepositional phrase when a noun phrase precedes the preposition itself?

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    No: your example the flower in the pot, is a noun phrase where the noun "flower" is modified by the preposition phrase "in the pot".
    – BillJ
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:15
  • Thankyou so much for answering. So is it always accepted as noun phrase if a noun precedes a preposition?
    – Shonima Nandakumar
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:18
  • Yes, because the preposition phrase is part of the noun phrase; it modifies the head noun, and is thus a dependent of it. When the noun follows the preposition, the reverse is true - it is a preposition phrase where the noun is a complement of the preposition, a dependent of it.
    – BillJ
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:25

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In this case the preposition phrase in the pot acts as a modifier to the noun flower, just as an adjective does: it tells you where the flower is.

So what you have here is a noun phrase (NP the pot) inside a preposition phrase (PP in the pot) inside a noun phrase (NP the flower in the pot)!

enter image description here

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    Thankyou so much... I'm glad you know IC Analysis... Would you please tell me what "have been cursing my luck" would be? I can't mark it verb group since an NP also is involved. So is there a specific name?
    – Shonima Nandakumar
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:25
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    @ShonimaNandakumar It depends on what 'flavor' of grammar you're using; terminology is very fluid these days. I'd call that a predicate, which would be paired with a subject, but many (perhaps most) grammarians call it a VP. That name is derived from "verb phrase" but it's pronounced "Vee-Pee" and it represents verb-with-its-internal-dependents.
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:35
  • Go on @StoneyB, step up to the plate and give the OP the full catenative analysis (à la CGEL) !!. Btw, like you, I'd call it a VP (or part of one).
    – BillJ
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:38
  • Remain steadfast, SB, and refuse to bow down to CGELism. Only give the complete CGEL treatment if you add other flavours for balance.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:43
  • Okay I'll impart this knowledge to my teacher because she wasn't sure about it either. Thanks for that. Do you know about Phrase Structure Analysis? I kinda have a doubt but I know I'm asking too much :)
    – Shonima Nandakumar
    Aug 18, 2016 at 16:44

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