Adjective Phrases - pls. correct me.

[mom17]

Here is a question:

Fill in with adjective phrase

A young girl greeted me at the door.
DS wrote:

A young girl, about ten years old, greeted me at the door.

I think it is correct but teacher thinks otherwise.

Well it describes the girl (as an adjective phrase would), but there isn't actually an adjective in it, so I agree with the teacher.

A young girl cheerily/happily/grumpily/sullenly greeted me at the door.

but it is describing a girl( telling anything about her should be describing ), why not ??

I think it's asking you to describe the action not the girl.

The adjective needs to describe the noun, so girl is the noun. onewith is correct that you could have something like "happily" as an appropriate adjective.

Her age gives additional information about the girl, as in the person, but isn't a descriptor for the noun iyswim?

Surely cheerily is an adjective.

I would interpret it as more:

A young girl, cheerful as always, greeted...

Or

A young girl, strikingly pretty, greeted..

still not convinced, anything describing noun should be acceptable.

An adjective is a describing word, what your son wrote wasn't a describing word.

Cheerily is an adverb.

which category it will fall into ? not noun phrase I guess !!

As above. Cheerily, happily etc are adverbs. They describe the verb.

Although I don't know what an adjective phrase is. Hadn't been invented when I was at school...

Having looked it up, I think your DS's answer was correct.

Lapin - old is an adjective!

Ahh ok, ignore me then! sorry OP I have no idea!

I'm wondering if they have the gap in the wrong place. It sounds like it should be before "girl". Young itself would be the adjective in this sentence really.

In this instance, how the girl did the action (verb) of greeting- isn't a 'how' word an adverb?

Does an adjective phrase have to describe the noun (girl) or can it describe the verb (greeted)?

Surely cheerily is an adjective

Oops, clearly I meant to say adverb here!

As yes allegretto old is an adjective!

I was concentrating on the 'about 10 years' part.
So do you think the original is correct then?

And not as

Shouldn't try to post whilst busy doing other things!

Yes I think it's correct.

Thanks everybody.