COMPOUND NOUNS
COMPOUND NOUNS
Formation
Words can be combined to form compound nouns. These are very common, and new combinations are invented almost daily. They normally have two parts. The second part identifies the object or person in question (man, friend, tank, table, room). The first part tells us what kind of object or person it is, or what its purpose is (police, boy, water, dining, bed):
| What type / what purpose | What or who |
| police | man |
| boy | friend |
| water | tank |
| dining | table |
| bed | room |
The two parts may be written in a number of ways :
1. as one word.
Example: policeman, boyfriend
2. as two words joined with a hyphen.
Example: dining-table
3. as two separate words.
Example: fish tank.
There are no clear rules about this – so write the common compounds that you know well as one word, and the others as two words.
| The two parts may be: | Examples: |
| noun + noun | bedroom water tank motorcycle printer cartridge |
| noun + verb | rainfall haircut train-spotting |
| noun + adverb | hanger-on passer-by |
| verb + noun | washing machine driving licence swimming pool |
| verb + adverb* | lookout take-off drawback |
| adjective + noun | greenhouse software redhead |
| adjective + verb | dry-cleaning public speaking |
| adverb + noun | onlooker bystander |
| adverb + verb* | output overthrow upturn input |
Compound nouns often have a meaning that is different from the two separate words.
Stress is important in pronunciation, as it distinguishes between a compound noun (e.g. greenhouse) and an adjective with a noun (e.g. green house).
In compound nouns, the stress usually falls on the first syllable:
a ‘greenhouse = place where we grow plants (compound noun)
a green ‘house = house painted green (adjective and noun)
a ‘bluebird = type of bird (compound noun)
a blue ‘bird = any bird with blue feathers (adjective and noun)
* Many common compound nouns are formed from phrasal verbs (verb + adverb or adverb + verb).
Examples
breakdown, outbreak, outcome, cutback, drive-in, drop-out, feedback, flyover, hold-up, hangover, outlay, outlet, inlet, makeup, output, set-back, stand-in, takeaway, walkover.
where common rules rainfall
haircut
trainspotting
noun this syllable
a setback compound about type output
overthrow
upturn
input
Compound nouns compound often part standin second noun write what with words
The very man
boy tank
dining grow tank diningtable
noun who
police place what parts policeman They NOUNS
Formation
Words words adjective type purpose bed
What words
Stress friend
water What dropout object verb
Examples
breakdown that separate kind flyover room cutback usually noun
a adjective licence
swimming part distinguishes word room
The speaking
adverb from pool
verb normally outlet separate daily with feedback that greenhouse with bluebird stress question compound walkover
falls lookout
takeoff
drawback
adjective verb police noun bird dining washing machine
driving plants noun clear
