use strict;
my $str = '(S (NP cured/VBN ham/NN))
(S (NP cured/VBN smoked/VBD beef/NN))
(S (NP curry/NN powder/NN))
(S (NP custard/NN))
(S (NP custard/NN) (NP puerto/JJ rican/JJ style/NN))
(S (NP custard-apple/NN))
(S (NP cytosport/NN muscle/NN milk/NN ready-to-drink/NN))
(S (NP daiquiri/NN))
(S (NP daiquiri/NN) (NP prepared/VBN) --/: (NP recipe/VB))
(S (NP dandelion/NN) greens/NNS)
(S (NP dandelion/NN) greens/NNS (NP cooked/VBD butter/NN))
(S (NP dandelion/NN) greens/NNS (NP cooked/VBD margarine/NN))
(S (NP dandelion/NN) greens/NNS (NP cooked/VBD oil/NN))
(S
(NP dandelion/NN)
greens/NNS
(NP cooked/VBD boiled/VBN drained/JJ salt/NN))
(S
(NP dandelion/NN)
greens/NNS
(NP cooked/VBD fat/NN)
(NP added/VBD cooking/NN ns/NN type/NN fat/NN))
(S
(NP dandelion/NN)
greens/NNS
(NP cooked/VBD fat/NN)
(NP added/VBD cooking/NN))
(S
(NP dandelion/NN)
greens/NNS
(NP cooked/VBD ns/JJ fat/NN)
(NP added/VBD cooking/NN))
(S (NP danish/JJ dessert/NN pudding/NN))
(S (NP danish/JJ pastry/NN cheese/NN))
(S (NP danish/JJ pastry/NN cinnamon/NN) (NP enriched/VBD))
(S (NP danish/JJ pastry/NN cinnamon/NN) (NP unenriched/VBD))
(S
(NP danish/JJ pastry/NN fruit/NN)
(NP
enriched/VBD
includes/VBZ
apple/NN
cinnamon/NN
raisin/NN
lemon/NN
raspberry/NN
strawberry/NN))
(S
(NP danish/JJ pastry/NN fruit/NN)
(NP
unenriched/VBD
includes/VBZ
apple/NN
cinnamon/NN
raisin/NN
strawberry/NN))
(S (NP danish/JJ pastry/NN lemon/NN) (NP unenriched/VBD))
(S (NP danish/JJ pastry/NN raspberry/NN) (NP unenriched/VBD))
(S (NP dark/JJ) (NP chocolate/VB 45-59/JJ %/NN cocoa/NN))
(S (NP dark/JJ) (NP chocolate/VB 60-69/JJ %/NN cocoa/NN))
(S (NP dark/JJ) (NP chocolate/VB 70-85/JJ %/NN cocoa/NN))
(S (NP dark/JJ chocolate/NN) (NP coated/VBD coffee/NN) beans/NNS)
(S (NP dasheen/NN) (NP boiled/VBD))
(S (NP dasheen/NN) (NP fried/VBD))
(S (NP date/NN candy/NN))
(S dates/NNS (NP deglet/VBP noor/JJ))
(S (NP decaf/NN coffee/NN))
(S (NP deer/NN chop/NN) (NP cooked/VBD))
(S (NP dehydrated/VBN milk/NN))
(S (NP dessert/NN dip/NN))
(S (NP dessert/NN pizza/NN))
(S (NP dessert/NN sauce/NN))
(S (NP dessert/NN topping/NN) (NP powdered/VBD))
(S
(NP dessert/NN topping/NN)
(NP powdered/VBD 1.5/CD)
(NP ounce/NN)
(NP prepared/VBD 1/2/CD)
cup/NNS
(NP milk/NN))';
my $regex = qr/(\w+(?=\/NN.?|JJ))/mp;
if ( $str =~ /$regex/g ) {
print "Whole match is ${^MATCH} and its start/end positions can be obtained via \$-[0] and \$+[0]\n";
# print "Capture Group 1 is $1 and its start/end positions can be obtained via \$-[1] and \$+[1]\n";
# print "Capture Group 2 is $2 ... and so on\n";
}
# ${^POSTMATCH} and ${^PREMATCH} are also available with the use of '/p'
# Named capture groups can be called via $+{name}
Please keep in mind that these code samples are automatically generated and are not guaranteed to work. If you find any syntax errors, feel free to submit a bug report. For a full regex reference for Perl, please visit: http://perldoc.perl.org/perlre.html