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):
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.
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.
NOUNS
COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Countable nouns are for things we can count
Example: dog, horse, man, shop, idea.
They usually have a singular and plural form.
Example: two dogs, ten horses, a man, six men, the shops, a few ideas.
Uncountable nouns are for the things that we cannot count
Example: tea, sugar, water, air, rice.
They are often the names for abstract ideas or qualities.
Example: knowledge, beauty, anger, fear, love.
They are used with a singular verb. They usually do not have a plural form. We cannot say
sugars, angers, knowledges.
Examples of common uncountable nouns:
money, furniture, happiness, sadness, research, evidence, safety, beauty, knowledge.
We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of one of these nouns, use a word
or expression like:
some, a lot of, a piece of, a bit of, a great deal of...
Examples:
l There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease.
l He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.
l They've got a lot of furniture.
l Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns?
Some nouns are countable in other languages but uncountable in English. Some of the most
common of these are:
- accommodation
- advice
- baggage
- behaviour
- bread
- furniture
- information
- luggage
- news
- progress
- traffic
- travel
- trouble
work
BE CAREFUL with the noun 'hair' which is normally uncountable in English:
She has long blonde hair
It can also be countable when referring to individual hairs:
My father's getting a few grey hairs now
