Understanding Compound Nouns

Basic Rule: Noun + Noun Compounds

In most compound nouns, the second noun indicates the general class of things, while the first noun specifies the type within that class.

The first noun usually has a singular form.

Examples:

∗address book (a book for addresses, not an addresses book)

∗coffee shop (a shop for coffee)

Exceptions to the Singular Form Rule

When the first noun only has a plural form:

∗savings account (an account for savings)

∗customs officer (an officer dealing with customs)

∗clothes shop (a shop selling clothes)

∗arms trade (trade involving arms/weapons)

∗glasses case (a case for spectacles)

When referring to an institution that deals with multiple items or activities:

∗the building materials industry (an industry dealing with various building materials)

∗the publications department (a department handling different forms of publications)

Making Compound Nouns Plural

∗To pluralize compound nouns, typically, only the second noun becomes plural.

Examples:

coal mine → coal mines

office worker → office workers

tea leaf → tea leaves

Noun + -’s + Noun and Noun + Preposition + Noun

In some cases, instead of forming a compound noun, we use noun + -’s + noun or noun + preposition + noun.

Noun + -’s + Noun:

Used when the first noun is the user (person or animal) of the second noun:

baby’s bedroom (a bedroom for a baby)

lion’s den (a den for a lion)

Used when the first noun produces the item in the second noun:

goat’s cheese (cheese made from goat’s milk)

cow’s milk (milk from a cow)

Used when referring to parts of people or animals:

woman’s face (the face of a woman)

boy’s arm (the arm of a boy)

Noun + Preposition + Noun:

Used when talking about a container and its contents:

a cup of tea (a cup containing tea) vs. a tea cup (a cup for drinking tea)

Used when the combination of nouns does not refer to a well-known class of items:

income tax (a recognized type of tax) vs. a tax on children’s clothes (not children’s clothes tax)

Verb + Preposition or Adverb Compounds

Some compound nouns are formed from verbs and prepositions or adverbs, often related to phrasal verbs.

Examples:

break-out (a prison escape)

read-out (the act of reading something aloud)

These compound nouns typically have plural forms ending in -s, though there are exceptions like looker(s)-on and runner(s)-up.

Hyphenated Phrases

Hyphenated phrases are used before nouns to provide more precise descriptions.

Examples:

state-of-the-art tablet PC (a very modern tablet)

up-to-date information (current information)

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

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