This volume deals with the structure and acquisition of the English noun phrase. It is based on recent generative theories regarding the structure of phrases, particularly Steven Abney's DP analysis and Noam Chomsky's minimalist program. The focus of the work is on the status of functional elements within the noun phrase, especially the status of articles, demonstratives, and quantifiers. The work examines hypotheses regarding lexical and functional categories and the structure of the noun phrase, investigating which functional categories project their own phrases. As a result, a model for the structure of the English noun phrase is presented, along with definitions of the categories 'determiner' and 'quantifier.' Subsequently, the insights gained from the work are reviewed and supplemented by examining language acquisition.