Compound nouns
A compound noun is a noun is made up of two or more words. The meaning of the whole
compound is often different from the meaning of the two words on their own. So you take two
words, you put them together, to create a new noun.
full moon = ‘Full’ is the adjective describing the moon.
toothpaste = tooth and paste are each nouns
blackboard = word black is an adjective and board is a noun
They normally have two parts. The first part tells us what kind of object or person it is, or what
its purpose is (police, boy, water, dining, bed): The second part identifies the object or person in
question (man, friend, tank, table, room).
What type / what purpose What or who
police Man
Boy friend
water tank
Dining table
Bed room
Compound nouns are commonly formed from the following word combinations:
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)
Forms of Compound words
1. Closed form compound words:
Two (or more) individual words combined together that make a new word.
Examples: notebook , bookstore , fireman
2. Open form compound words:
Open compound words are formed when two words remain separate on the page but are used
together to create a new idea with a specific meaning. An open compound word is created in
cases when the modifying adjective is used with its noun to create a new noun.
Examples: dinner table , real estate , coffee mug
3. Hyphenated form compound words:
Two or more words that go together and are connected by a hyphen.
Examples: over-the-counter, mother-in-law , check-in
One important rule of thumb to remember is that in most cases, a compound adjective is
hyphenated if placed before the noun it modifies, but not if placed after the noun.
Ex: family-run business , full-time worker , on-campus housing
TYPES OF COMPOUND NOUNS
Compound nouns are uncountable and some are countable. Countable compound nouns can
be both singular and plural, although there are very few which are only used in the singular, or
only used in the plural.
Uncountable compound nouns: Further education , do-it-yourself, fast food
Countable compound nouns : bus stop, can opener, post office
PLURAL FORMS OF COMPOUND NOUNS
When a compound noun is a single word, make it plural by adding s to the end. If the compound
noun is hyphenated or composed of two separate words, remember to add s only to the word
that is plural. In general we make the plural of a compound noun by adding -s to the "base
word" (the most "significant" word).
one director general ⇒ two directors general
(There are two directors, not two generals.)
1. Hyphenated
one mother-in-law ⇒ two mothers-in-law (There are two mothers, not two laws.)
2. With PREPOSITION (add -s to the noun) ex: passersby
3. No Noun (Add -s to the end) ex: go-betweens
4. with -ful (Add -s to the end) ex: spoonfuls
Quiz
Possessive Nouns
A possessive noun is a noun that possesses something—i.e., it has something. In most cases,
a possessive noun is formed by adding an apostrophe +s to the noun, or if the noun is plural
and already ends in s, only an apostrophe needs to be added.
Ex: : The boy’s pencil snapped in half.
boy’s is a possessive noun modifying pencil. It is clear that the pencil belongs to the boy;
the ’s signifies ownership.
Ex: The cat’s toy was missing.
The cat possesses the toy, and we denote this by use of an apostrophe + s at the end of
cat.
Forming the possessive
The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and
animals. It shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another. To form the
possessive, add apostrophe + s to the noun. If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add
an apostrophe after the s.
Examples
the car of John = John's car
the room of the girls = the girls' room
clothes for men = men's clothes
the boat of the sailors = the sailors' boat
Possessive Nouns with Inanimate Objects
As you can see from some of the examples above (e.g., "a book's pages," "a day's pay"), it is
possible for inanimate things (e.g. "a book") and even intangible things (e.g. "a day") to possess
objects from a grammatical perspective. However, be aware that some writers like to shy away
from using the possessive form with inanimate objects. In other words, they would prefer:
The pages of a book
the nib of a biro.
to:
A book's pages
A biro's nib
Possessive Nouns in Time Expressions
Possessive nouns are common in time expressions (or "temporal expressions" as they're also
known). For example:
last week's meeting
As you recall at last week's meeting..
year's best movies
Lets' take a look at this year's best movies
Similarly, possessive nouns are used for other measurements unrelated to time. For example:
Five dollars' worth
A stone's throw away
Grammar Rules for Possessive Nouns
It's important to note that possessive nouns are working as adjectives. They're still nouns, but
they're functioning in the capacity of an adjective. Adjectives modify nouns, providing further
detail. For example, "the flower" becomes "the vibrant flower."
The "vibrant flower" tells us about a quality the flower has: it's vibrant. We could also say,
"Jennifer's flower is vibrant." This would provide us with even more information. Not only is the
flower vibrant, but it also belongs to Jennifer. Changing Jennifer into a possessive noun signals
that more information is coming about a person, place, thing, or idea. In these instances,
possession is acting as a modifier.
Rule #1 : Making Singular Nouns Possessive
For most singular and plural nouns that don't end in "s," you can make them possessive by
adding an apostrophe and an "s" to the end of them.
The puppy's collar is red.
Joe's car is hideous.
James' book will be published next month.
Rule #2: Making Plural Nouns Possessive
Add just an apostrophe to the end of plural nouns that already end in "s" to make them
possessive. You don't need to add an extra "s" to plural nouns that already end in "s." Simply
tuck the apostrophe onto the end to indicate that the plural noun is now a plural possessive
noun.
Examples:
The companies' workers went on strike together.
You need to clean out the horses' stalls.
The two countries' armies amassed on the border.
Rule #3: Hyphenated Nouns and Compound Nouns
Compound words and hyphenated words can be tricky. Add the apostrophe + "s" to the end of
the compound words or to the last word in hyphenated nouns. With compound noun
like mother-in-law, the possessive form is created by adding 's to the end, regardless of whether
it is singular or plural.
Examples:
My mother-in-law's recipe for meatloaf is my husband's favorite.
The United States Postal Service's stamps are available in rolls or packets.
She stood before three attorneys general's offices and knew her time was up.
Rule #4: When Multiple Nouns Share Possession
You may be writing about two people, places, or things that share possession of an object. If
two or more nouns share ownership, indicate the possession only once, and on the final noun in
the group. Make sure to add the apostrophe + "s" to the last noun only.
Examples:
Jack and Jill's pail of water is prominently featured in the nursery rhyme.
Abbott and Costello's comedy skit "Who's on First?" is a classic.
Ross, Joey, and Chandler's adventures are hilarious.
Rule #5: Multiple Nouns with Separate Ownership
This is the trickiest rule of all, but you probably won't need to refer to it too often. When two or
more nouns indicate ownership, but the ownership is separate, each noun gets the apostrophe
+ "s" to indicate separate possession. The examples below may help you to understand exactly
what this means.
Examples:
Lucy's and Ricky's dressing rooms were painted pink and blue. (Each person had his or her own
dressing room, and they are different rooms.)
President Obama's and Senator Clinton's educations are outstanding. (Each owns his or her
education, but they attained separate educations.)
You'll find beautiful artwork in David's and Jeffrey's houses. (Each artist has a separate house.)
Quiz
FIND THE POSSESSIVE NOUNS
Passage #1:
My dog’s howl is very loud. Every time he howls, it is an eerie sound. Sometimes, he
jumps on my mom’s couch. Sometimes, he will lay on my dad’s favorite chair. When I
took him for a walk, he ate my neighbor’s food, and everyone laughed when he ate the
girl’s food. I did not know how to control him. When Dad saw him drinking the cat’s
water outside, he yelled for him to stop and get away from there.
My dog got scared and began to run very fast. He ran around the block and across my
friend’s lawn. He leapt over the fence at Ms. Williams’ house. He crept through the alley
behind Mr. Donald’s house too. When I called out to him, he just continued to run.
Faster and faster until he came to a red car. It was Mrs. Jarrell’s car. She was kind
enough to stop and get out of her car. She went over to my dog and walked him back to
me.
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