Compound nouns
Definition A compound noun is a noun that is made of two (or more) parts:
a toothbrush / a tin-opener
Form
1.
Many compound nouns are formed by using one noun (as an adjective) in front of another always singular (even if the meaning is plural)
a toothbrush (a brush for cleaning teeth)
a shoe shop (a shop which sells shoes)
a taxi driver (a person who drives a taxi)
There are a few exceptions e.g.: clothes, sports, men. Women.
Some compound nouns are written as one word e.g.: toothbrush, some are written with a hyphen (-) e.g.: tin-opener, and some are written as two words e.g. shoe shop.
Some compound nouns can be written as one word, or with a hyphen, or as two words e.g.: babysitter, baby-sitter (but there are no clear rules about this).
Some compound nouns are formed with an –ingform + noun, or an adjective + noun.
a shopping bag a waiting room drinking water a greenhouse (= a building made of glass, uses for growing plants).
2. We normally form plurals of compound nouns by adding –(e)s to the second world.
a shoe shop / shoe shops
a toothbrush / two toothbrushes
But not that compounds ending in –in-law add –s to the second world.
one brother –in-law / two brothers –in-law
my mother –in-law / some mothers –in-law
A few other compound nouns also add –s to the first word e.g. passer-by / person who happens ‘by chance’ to pass by a place
a passer-by / some passers-by
Exercise 1
Complete the sentences using the plurals of the nouns in brackets.
Example:
I like oranges, apples, peaches and strawberries. (orange / apple / peach / strawberry).
They’ve got five ________, three ______ and two ______, (child / girl / boy).
London has many different ______, _________, ________ and ________ . (restaurant / theatre / cinema / disco).
When he fell over, he broke two of his _______. (tooth).
We’ve got enough ______, but we need some more _____ and ______ (plate / knife / fork).
On their tour of Europe, they visited seven ____ in six _____. (country / day).
_______ hunt _______. (cat / mouse).
Do you know those _____ over there? (person).
These ______ are too small for me. They hurt my ______. (shoe / foot).
We’ve got some _______ and ________, but we haven’t got any. (egg / tomato / potato).
Autumn is coming. The _______ are starting to all from the _____. (leaf / tree).
Exercise 2
Choose the correct form. In one sentence either answer is possible.
Example:
There were / was a lot of people
at the party.
Economics is / are an interesting subject.
My trousers have / has got a hole in it / them.
Rabies isn’t / aren’t a very common disease in Britain.
My family lives / live in the North of England.
The news was / were quite surprising.
‘It this / Are these your scissors?’ ‘Yes, they are / it is’.
Two weeks isn’t / aren’t a very long time, is it / are they?
My hair is / are quite greasy. It needs / They need washing.
Exercise 3
You have to choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural.
Sometimes either a singular or a plural verb is possible.
Example:
Gymnastics is / are my favourite
sport. (‘is’ is correct).
The trousers you bought for me doesn’t / don’t fit me.
Physics was / were me best subject at school.
Fortunately the news wasn’t / weren’t as bad as we had expected.
The police wants / want to interview Fred about a robbery.
Three days isn’t / aren’t long enough for a good holiday.
Where does / do your family live?
England has / have lost all their football matches this season.
Does / Do the police know about the stolen money?
Can I borrow your scissors? Mine isn’t / aren’t sharp enough.
I’m going to take a taxi. Six miles is / are too far for me to walk.
Exercise 4
Put the word into plural forms:
Pen, window, wall, week, clock, ship, library, watch, dress, country, glass, day, party, play, leaf, life, colony, hero, fox, half, Negro, mass, eye, language, place, shelf, key, roof, thief, ray, bush, mouth, journey.
Man, woman, tooth, foot, goose, child, mouse.
Postman, son-in-law, fisherman, fisherman, schoolgirl, sister-in-law, text-book, pocket-knife, passer-by, statesman, editor-in-chief.
Exercise 5
Put the words into plural forms, changing the grammar structure of a sentence, where it is necessary:
1) Put the box on the shelf.
I have hurt my foot.
This is an English dictionary.
Where is the knife?
This factory has a good laboratory.
The last leaf fell from the tree.
This story is very long.
The speech was very interesting.
He left the key on the table.
Where is the brush?
I like his new play.
The roof of the house was covered with snow.
The wife of the sailor stood on the shore.
A copy of the contract was sent to Leningrad.
The cargo of the steamer consists of various raw materials.
Exercise 6
* Put the words into singular forms:
Women and children sat on the shore.
The keys to the boxes were lost.
The wolves have been shot.
The mice were caught.
These factories produce furniture.
Copies of these letters will be sent to Leningrad.
The cargoes will be discharged tomorrow.
Exercise 7
Translate into English:
Вона має 3 дітей: 1 хлопчик і 2 дівчинки.
На цій фірмі працюють лише чоловіки.
Ми продаємо наше обладнання різним фірмам.
Який кофе ви п’єте? – Я п’ю кофе тільки з молоком.
Поліція в Британії носить блакитну уніформу.
Моя сім’я завжди збирається в цей день, щоб відсвяткувати день народження мами.
Ваші ключі в аудиторії 112.
Наш будинок знаходиться п’ять кілометрів звідси.
Риба гаряча. Почекай трохи.
Мені потрібен 40 розмір. Туфлі вашого розміру ось там.
Уряд вирішує різні соціальні питання.
Біля 6 мільярдів людей живе на нашій планеті.
Exercise 8
Make compound nouns from the words in the box.
1. alarm dock 2. T-shirts 3. Crossroads
