Compound Nouns
Understanding it better
The definition
There are three forms for compound nouns:
- open or spaced - space between words (tennis shoe)
- hyphenated - hyphen between words (six-pack)
- closed or solid - no space or hyphen between words (bedroom)
Let's check some examples?
noun+noun = bus stop E.g: Is this the bus stop for the number 12 bus?
fire-fly E.g: In the tropics you can see fire-flies at night.
football E.g: Shall we play football today?
adjective+noun = full moon E.g: I always feel crazy at full moon.
blackboard E.g: Clean the blackboard please.
Software E.g: I can't install this software on my PC.
verb(-ing) + noun = breakfast E.g: We always eat breakfast at 8am.
Washing machine E.g: Put the clothes in the red washing machine.
swimming pool E.g: What a beautifu swimming pool!
noun + verb(-ing) = sunrise E.g: like to get up at sunrise.
haircut E.g: You need a haircut.
train-spotting E.g: His hobby is train-spotting.
verb + preposition = check-out E.g: Please remember that check-out is at 12 noon.
noun+ prepositional phrase = mother-in-law E.g: My mother-in-law lives with us.
preposition + noun = underworld E.g: Do you think the police accept money from the underworld?
noun + adjective = truckful E.g: We need 10 truckfuls of bricks.
Vocabulary
EXERCISES
Time to practice
· 1) Match the words in box A with the words in box B to form compound words. Then match them with the definitions.
A -Back / cross / guest / guide / hitch / over / rail / sight / sign / suit
B - Book / case / hike / house / night / pack / post / road / roads / seeing
a) Book that gives information about a place. ________________________
b) Bag with a handle for carrying clothe, etc. ________________________
c) Place where two roads meet and cross each other. ______________________
d) Get free rides by standing next to the road. ___________________________
e) Tracks that trains travel on. _________________________
f) Bag that you carry on your back. ________________________
g) Sign by the road that gives information. _______________________
h) During the night and until the morning. ________________________
i) Small, cheap hotel. ______________________
j) Visiting interesting places. ___________________________
· Now, use the compound words to complete the text:
Next week I’m going to a fantastic journey: across Australia! I’m flying to Darwin, in the north of the country, and I’m going to stay (1) _______________ there. My (2) ______________ says it’s quite an interesting city, so I think I’ll spend the morning doing some (3) ________________. I love travelling by train, so then I’m going to take the new (4) _____________________ to Alice Springs, right in the middle of the country.
I’ll find a hotel or (5) ________________ for the night and the next day I’m going to (6) ____________________ down the main road. I’m taking all my things in a (7) _________________ so that I don’t have to carry a heavy (8) ________________ in y hand. About 200 kilometres south of Alice Springs I’ll reach a (9) __________________ where there’s a (10) _____________ that says ‘Uluru 247 km’. Uluru is also known as ‘Ayers Rocks’- one of the most amazing sights in the word.
Thank you for checking my infogram! :)
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