A word expressing a thing, place, person, quality or state of condition, position or attitude is called a Noun.
In other words a noun is the name of a person, place,thing or a quality. It is generally formed of one word like book, crow or honesty etc.
But sometimes it is formed of more than one words like Bookworm or Armchair etc. Book and worm separately are nouns and have their meanings but these two combined also form a noun which has a different meaning.
A compound noun is also of three words likeFather - in - law.
Besides a noun with another noun, a compound noun is formed of a verb, an adjective and a preposition with a noun.
A compound noun is formed of :-
Noun +Noun
Bathroom, Watermark
Adjective + Noun
Roundtable, Prime- Minister.
Verb + Noun
Playing card, Moving cart.
Preposition + Noun
Underworld, Overtime.
There is no specific way of writing a compound noun. It can be in either way, sometimes by adding hyphen between two words or without a hyphen in between.
Step-son, take-away, classroom, Blackboard.
In case of a noun with more than two words there is a hyphen between words.
For example :
Commander -in- chief, Mother-in-law,
While writing a compound adjective, a particular method has to be observed.
For example
Take the case of
Blackboard and Black board:
These two words have different meanings.
Black Board means any board which is black in colour. But in case of Blackboard it is a board black in colour which a teacher uses for teaching students.
Similarly take away written separately means to snatch away. But take-away has a particular mode of sending things out of the premises where these are stored or are lying. It also means some message.
A particular care has to be taken while changing these compound nouns from singular to plural or vice versa. Of the two or three words forming a compound noun the word giving the sense of a noun or the doer has to be changed.
As in case of Mother-in-law it is mother the main word making a noun and not in-law. So plural will be of mother and not in-law. Its plural will be Mothers - in - law.
But in case of the word only in-law, it will be in-laws.
Some compound words worth studying.
(Singular)
Book- Fair
Boyfriend
Carbon paper
Commander-in-chief
Father- in - law
Firefly
Fishtank
Flower arrangement
Full moon
Lighthouse
Milk-man
Maid-servant
Master copy
On looker
Passer by
Time table
Timeframe
Undercoat
Underpass
underboss
Upturn
Upper class
Uppercase
Water tank
Youngman
Zebra crossing
These words require consideration
while changing their number.
(Plural)
Book- Fairs
Boyfriends
Carbon papers
Commanders-in-chief
Fathers- in - law
Fireflies
Fishtanks
Flower arrangements
Full moons
Lighthouses
Milk-men
Maid-servants
Master copies
On lookers
Passers by
Time tables
Timeframes
Undercoats
Underpasses
underbosses
Upturns
Upper classes
Uppercases
Water tanks
Youngmen
Zebra crossings
Here are some examples of sentences with compound nouns containing errors relating to their number given in an examination.
1. Last year four commander-in-chiefs were promoted.
2. The passer-bys halted and took rest there.
3. The zebras crossing are for the use of padestrians.
4. Four stairs-carpet were spread for drying in the courtyard.
5. All the four walls clock struck four simultaneously.
ANSWER
1. Last year four commanders-in-chief were promoted.
2. The passers-by halted and took rest there.
3. The zebra crossings are for the use of padestrians.
4. Four stair-carpets were spread for drying in the courtyard.
5. All the four wall clocks struck four simultaneously.
EXERCISE FOR PRACTICE
EXERCISE 1.
Find error in the following sentences.Mark the part which contains the error.
1. Those ladies along with/(1) their mother-in-laws have/(2) gone to attend a family function in the city./(3) NE/(4)
2. She was combing her hairs /(1) which had messed up due to /(2) fast moving wind in the ground./(3) NE(4)
3. The company has requisitioned /(1) more troops from its headquarter to /(2) handle the situation in the city./(3) /NE(4)
4. The police is trying to find out /(1)the whereabout of the culprit/(2) who is still at large./(3) /NE(4)
5. This piece of land is a bone of contention/(1) between two brothers and /(2) they are always at loggers-head with each other./(3) /NE(4)
(Answers)
1. (2) 2. ( 1) 3. (2) 4. (2) 5. (3)
EXERCISE 2
Find out error in the following sentences.
1. The world of today is divided into the groups of haves and haves not.
2. Girls students always excel boy students in the examination.
3. Men after men went to the mall to purchase goods.
4. The committee is looking into the criterions required for the new post.
5. Books fairs are organised these days to inculcate habit of reading books among people.
(Answers)
1. haves and have-nots
2 Girl students
3. Man after man
4. Criteria
5. Book fairs
EXERCISE 3
1. The sales-man went doors - to - doors to sell his goods.
2. Soon a five stars hotel will be constructed near this mall.
3. She has gone to attend her sister's-in law marriage.
4. We went to John's and Lucy's house yesterday but it was locked.
5. Trees after trees were felled to construct a housing colony.
6. The mother was feeding the child by putting spoonsful of pudding in its mouth.
7. Two man servants of the hotel were on leave on that day.
8. She gathered some twigs and handsful of rose flowers.
9. Piles after piles of debris were removed from the site.
10. Commander-in-chiefs of all the regiments attended the seminar.
(Answers)
1. door -to -door
2. five star hotel
3. sister in law's
4. John and Lucy's
5. Tree after tree was
6. spoonfuls
7. men servants
8. handfuls
9. Pile after pile ....was
10. Commanders-in-chief
A compound adjective
A word that describes or qualifies a noun or a pronoun is called an adjective. Generally it comprises of one word for example:
This is a stone wall.
In this sentence stone is an adjective qualifying the noun wall.
Sometimes an adjective is formed of two or more than two words for example:
This is a stone-walled building.
In this sentence stone-walled is an adjective formed of two words stone and walled. It qualifies the noun building.
COMBINATION IN AN COMPOUND ADJECTIVE
A compound adjective is formed of two words of parts of speech like noun, adjective , adverb or present and past participles.
For example :
NOUN and NOUN
In this way a teacher-student relationship is established.
In this sentence teacher-student is a compound adjective qualifying the noun relationship.
NOUN and ADJECTIVE
He takes sugar-free tea.
In this sentence, sugar-free is a compound adjective qualifying the noun tea. Sugar is a noun and free is an adjective.
These two words may change their positions, one may precede or follow the other.
ADJECTIVE and NOUN
The guests were accorded a
red-carpet welcome.
In this case, red is an adjective followed by a noun carpet. Red-carpet is a compound adjective qualifying the noun welcome.
NOUN and PARTICIPLE
They served us ice-cooled water.
In this sentence ice is a noun and cooled is a past partciple. Ice-cooled is a compound adjective qualifying the noun water.
ADJECTIVE and PARTICIPLE
She is proud of her good-looking appearance.
In this sentence good-looking is a compound adjective qualifying the noun appearance. It consists of good an adjective and looking a present participle.
ADVERB and PARTICIPLE
A well-dressed man appeared on the stage.
In this sentence well- dressed is a compound adjective and man is a noun. Well is an adverb and dressed is a past participle.
NUMBER and NOUN
One-time exercise.
NUMBER and PARTICIPLE
One-layered surface.
NUMBER and ADVERB
Single-handedly accomplished job.
NOTE: Sometimes both original part of speech or that of a participle both can be used in a sentence. An original noun or a noun of participle both can be used. For example:
Night-patrol/patrolling is urgently required in this area.
In this sentence both the types of nouns are correct.
Fully-packed hall, a closed-door meeting , sugar -free,
EXERCISE
Choose the appropriate option in the following sentences.
1. (1. Scant/ 2. scantily)-clad children were sitting on the foot-path.
2. System-(1.generated/2.generating) statements do not need signatures on them.
3. Mouth-(1.watering/2.watered ) delicacies were served in the party.
4. A (1.hot/2.heated ) water - bottle is required for the patient.
5. She brought for me hand-(1.picked/2. picking) berries from the field.
Contd.......
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