COMPOUND WORDS
A compound noun is formed
when two words are combined to make a completely new word. This means that the
meaning of the new word must be significantly different than either of its
parts
Compound nouns, like all compound
words, can be formed in three ways:
• CLOSED FORM:
These compound nouns simply
push two words together to form a single word, with no additional punctuation
or spaces between the two words.
Examples: Airport,
Breakfast, Childhood, Downcast, Fast food, Headline, Keyboard, Makeup,
Waterfalls,…
• HYPHENATED FORM:
These compound nouns connect
two or more words with one or more hyphens between them.
Examples:
Commander-in-chief, Five-year-old, Laughing-gas, Over-bridge, Pick-pocket,
Son-in-law etc…
• OPEN FORM:
These are compound nouns
that function as one unique word, but are still written as two or more separate
words, with a space between each component.
Examples: attorney general,
Fishing net, Post office, Middle class, Teaching aids, Writing Desk etc…
These compound words are
formed by various combinations such as,
Noun + Noun, Noun + Verb, Adjective + Noun, etc….
Let us see some examples of
each combinations.
1 NOUN + NOUN
Sunlight, Kitchen garden,
water tank, bed room, tube light, postman, cow-shed
2 NOUN + VERB
mouth wash, Rainfall,
Sunshine, Waterfalls, Bus stop, Day-break
3 VERB + NOUN
Watchman, Swimsuit, Pass
port, Post man, Call taxi, Wash basin
4 GERUND + NOUN
Bleaching powder, Drawing
Room, Drinking Water, Driving Lisence
5 NOUN +
GERUND
Housekeeping,
Air conditioning, Bird watching, Mouth washing, Teacher
training
6 NOUN + ADJECTIVE
Forceful,
Homesick, Life-long, Mercy less, Picture perfect, Water proof
7 ADJECTIVE + NOUN
Blackboard, Full moon, Gentleman,
Highlight, Highway, Superstar, Bluewhale
8 ADJECTIVE + VERB
Clear cut, Dry clean, Safe
guard, Whitewash,
9 ADJECTIVE + ADJECTIVE
Dark brown, Lukewarm, Ready made,
Red hot,
10 ADVERB + NOUN
After-thought, Downfall,
Over-dose, Over time, Under tone
11 VERB + ADVERB
Break-down, Drawback, Run
away, Send off,
12 ADVERB + VERB
Outcome, Outfit, Over take,
Over throw, Under estimate, Under go, upset
13 ADVERB + PARTICIPLE
Down-hearted, Everlasting,
Never ending, Outspoken, Well-deserved,
14 NOUN + PREPOSITION
Hanger on, Love in,
Passer-by
15 PREPOSITION + NOUN
Afternoon, Background, Fore
head, Inbox, Outpatient, Overcoat, Underworld
16 PREPOSITION + VERB
Bypass, Input, Outlook,
Output,
17 VERB + PREPOSITION
check-in, Cutout, Drawback,
Lookout, Make up, Run out, takeout
18 PREPOSITION + PREPOSITION
Into, Onto, Upon, Up to,
Within, Without
19 ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION +
NOUN
good for nothing, happy for
you, all-out competition, Interested in Music, Wise after thought Narrow by
Lane
20 NOUN + PREPOSITION + NOUN
Mother-in-law,
father-in-law, Daughter-in-law, Hands on Training, Country side hut, Sleeveless shirt