More about noun compounds

Have a look at the following notes and then do the exercises to test your knowledge!

NOUN PHRASES

We can put nouns together in three ways:

1 Noun + noun: a war film
2 Preposition structure: the top of the hill
3 Possessive structure: Ann’s idea

Noun compounds are very common in business because they are shorter and more convenient than noun phrases.
When we put one noun in front of the other, the first one I like an adjective, and it is usually singular, even if the meaning is plural.
For example: a shoe shop (NOT a shoes shop)
a ten-mile walk (NOT a ten-miles walk)

What's the difference between...
..."chocolate milk" and "milk chocolate"?
..."book case" and "case book"?


Noun + noun or preposition structure?

We use the noun + noun structure for well-known everyday combinations. To talk about things that do not go together so often, we usually prefer a structure with a preposition.


Three of these ideas can naturally be expressed by “noun + noun”. Which are they?

1- A book about history
2- Paste for cleaning teeth
3- Discussions about furniture
4- A book about the moon
5- Chairs for the garden

Noun + noun and Possessive ’S

We use the noun + noun structure to name common kinds of thing. The first noun is like an object (of a verb or preposition).
For example: A war film = a film about war

We use the possessive ‘S structure most often to talk about something that belongs to a particular person, group, organization, country or animal. The first noun is like a subject (usually of the verb have).

Ann’s idea= Ann had an idea.

Choose the correct alternative:


1- A bus’s station or a bus station
2- A toys’ shop or a toy shop
3- The firm’s office or the firm office
4- A teacher trainer or a teachers’ trainer
5- A glass’s factory or a glass factory

Welcome to our blog!

Hi everyone!
I hope you'll find this blog a useful tool to develop more effective learning strategies.
Let's get down to work! Do the following activity to practise prepositions:


www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/231.html