Medical English - Compound Nouns 2 1

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1. How many new words can you make? Combine either eye or ear with a word in column B to make
a compound noun. Some compound nouns combine to make a single word, some use a hyphen and
others remain as two separate words. Use your dictionaries to check the spellings.















2. Complete the gaps in the following sentences with compounds from exercise 1.

a. Your , also known as vision, is your ability to see.
b. Its really noisy where I work. I wear to protect my hearing.
c. The is a thin membrane separating the external and middle ear.
d. People who use can damage their hearing if the volumes too high.
e. I suffered from terrible all day. The pain didnt go away until the evening.
f. The is a fold of skin and muscle which covers and protects the eye.
g. In some cultures making is not good while in others its essential.
h. An is a hair on the edge of the eyelid protecting the eye from debris.
i. is secreted in the ear canal and helps with cleaning and protection.
j. The purpose of an is to stop sweat or moisture flowing into the eye.
k. There are two types of , either free or attached.

A B

eye

ear
socket canal plug wash
lobe brow lash ache
patch drum contact lid
phone bath ring piece
sight shot ball wax
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3. Combine the words in column A with the words in column B to make as many new words as you
can. Check the spellings in your dictionaries.




















4. Match compound nouns from exercise 3 to the following definitions.
a. The place you were born =
b. The way in which you live =
c. An allergy caused by pollen =
d. A loss of blood from the nose =
e. Not a mother through adoption =
f. The level of glucose in your blood =
g. A mobile chair for disabled people =
h. The blood circulating through the body =
i. A coloured patch of skin present from birth =
j. Mental illness caused by depression or stress =
k. The period of time people are expected to live =
l. A device for stimulating and regulating the heart =
m. The number of births per thousand people per year =
n. The use of contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancy =
o. A financial policy which pays out money when someone dies =
p. Preserving life when essential body systems are not functioning =
A B


nose wheel
life birth
pace blood
nervous hay
expectancy system control sugar
place right insurance maker
fever stream certificate wreck
cycle style jacket mother
pressure mark chair bleed
rate support breakdown time
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5. Discuss your answers to the following questions with your partner.

1. Do you ever have earache? Do you ever wear earplugs? Why?
2. Do you have good eyesight? Have you ever had your eyes tested?
3. Do you feel comfortable making eye contact with people?
4. Do you have pierced ears? What kind of earlobes do you have free or attached?
5. Do you use eye drops? Have you ever used an eyebath?
6. When was the last time you had a nosebleed? What do you do when you have a nosebleed?
7. Have you ever experienced a sudden change in your lifestyle?
8. What do you hope to achieve in your lifetime?
9. What is the life expectancy in your country? What is the birth rate?
10. Many countries have a falling birth rate. What are the causes and consequences of this?
11. Where were you born? Where do you keep your birth certificate?
12. Do you suffer from hay fever? Do you have any other allergies?
13. Have you ever had your blood sugar level tested? Are you concerned about diabetes?
14. Have you ever been confined to a wheelchair? Have you ever used crutches?

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Vocabulary Compound Nouns (2) - Teachers notes Procedure and Answers
The purpose of this lesson is to present and practice a variety of compound nouns and in particular compound nouns with
eye and ear. Timing = 60+ minutes.

1. Write the title on the whiteboard and give some examples of compound nouns e.g. x-ray machine / backache / walking
stick. Elicit more examples and write these on the board.
2. Exercise 1, Page 1. Students work in pairs to combine eye and ear with the nouns in column B. There are 11
compound nouns with eye and 10 with ear. Students may use dictionaries to look up unfamiliar words and check
spellings.
3. Check the answers as a class in feedback. Practice the nouns as a whole class in a choral drill, focusing on word stress on
the first word and any problematic phonetic features relevant to your students.
4. Exercise 2, Page 1. Individually, students complete the gaps in the sentences using the compound nouns from exercise 1.
Students check their answers in pairs. Conduct class feedback.
5. Exercise 3, Page 2. Students work in pairs to combine the nouns in column A to the nouns in column B, making as many
new compound nouns as they can, then conduct class feedback. Alternatively, this could be done as a class competition.
Split the class into 2 groups. Give a time limit of 5 minutes. Each group must come up with as many compounds as
possible. The group with the most wins.
6. Exercise 4, Page 2. Individually, students match the compound nouns in exercise 3 to the definitions. Students check
their answers in pairs. Conduct class feedback.
7. Tell students to cover or turn over the handout. Nominate a student, read one of the definitions to them, they must tell
you the correct compound noun. Continue this process for several nouns with different students in the class. In pairs,
students continue this by testing each other in the same way.
8. Exercise 5, Page 3. In pairs or small groups, students discuss their answers to the questions. Conduct class feedback and
an error correction session as appropriate.

Answers Exercise 1, Page 1 Exercise 2, Page 1
eye socket a. eyesight
eyewash b. earplugs
eyebrow c. eardrum
eyelash d. earphones
eyepatch e. earache
eyepiece f. eyelid
eye contact g. eye contact
eyelid h. eyelash
eyebath i. earwax
eyesight j. eyebrow
eyeball k. earlobe

Exercise 3, Page 2 Exercise 4, Page 2
nosebleed a. birthplace
wheelchair b. lifestyle
life expectancy c. hay fever
life insurance d. nosebleed
life cycle e. birth mother
lifestyle f. blood sugar
life jacket g. wheelchair
life support h. bloodstream
lifetime i. birthmark
birth control j. nervous breakdown
birthplace k. life expectancy
birthright l. pacemaker
m. birth rate
n. birth control
o. life insurance
p. life support

ear canal
earplug
earlobe
earache
eardrum
earphone
earring
earpiece
earshot
earwax
birth certificate
birth mother
birthmark
birth rate
pacemaker
blood sugar
bloodstream
blood pressure
nervous system
nervous breakdown
nervous wreck
hey fever