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1. Expand the noun.

1.You can expand a noun by inserting a relative clause.

    Examples:
    The terrorists were afraid.
    → The terrorists “who were surrounded” were afraid.
    There’s the man.
    → There’s the man “that married the woman”.
    → There’s the man that married the woman “who hated him”.

2. If the relative clause has a progressive (continuing) aspect or passive voice, you can reduce the clause into a simple phrase.

    Examples:
    Look at the boy “who is studying Calculus”.
    → Look at the boy “studying Calculus”.
    The man “who was threatened by drug dealers” is now gone.
    → The man “threatened by drug dealers” is now gone.

3. When a noun phrase is the object of its relative clause, you can reduce the relative clause.

    Examples:
    They had a problem “that they couldn’t solve” yesterday.
    → They had a problem “they couldn’t solve” yesterday.
    She cared about the man “whom she couldn’t help”.
    → She cared about the man “she couldn’t help.”

2. Replace the noun.

1.You can replace a noun with a noun clause.

    Example:
    The biologist believed “the theory of natural selection”.
    → The biologist believed “that most of the traits organisms have withstood countless natural pressures, generation after generation, to survive to this day”.

2.You can replace a noun with a gerund.

    Example:
    The group started “their exercise”.
    → The group started “jogging”.

3. You can replace a noun with an infinitive.

    Example:
    He wanted “this” more than anything else.
    → He wanted “to succeed” more than anything else.

Noun phrases are the objects in your writing. Make them interesting.

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