http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/nouns-compound.

htm

Compound Nouns
A compound noun is a noun that is made with two or more words. A compound noun is usually [noun + noun] or [adjective + noun], but there are other combinations (see below). It is important to understand and recogni e compound nouns. !ach compound noun acts as a single unit and can be modi"ied by adjectives and other nouns. #here are three "orms "or compound nouns$

1. open or spaced % space between words (tennis shoe) 2. hyphenated % hyphen between words (six-pack) 3. closed or solid % no space or hyphen between words (bedroom)
&ere are some e'amples o" compound nouns$ noun + noun bus stop "ire%"ly "ootball adjective + noun "ull moon blac,board so"tware verb(%ing) + noun brea,"ast washing machine swimming pool noun + verb(%ing) sunrise haircut verb noun + preposition + prepositional phrase chec,%out mother%in% law underworld truc,"ul Is this the bus stop "or the number () bus* In the tropics you can see fire-flies at night. +hall we play football today* I always "eel cra y at full moon. -lean the blackboard please. I can.t install this software on my /-. 0e always eat breakfast at 1am. /ut the clothes in the red washing machine. 0hat a beauti"ul swimming pool2 I li,e to get up at sunrise. 3ou need a haircut. /lease remember that check-out is at () noon. 4y mother-in-law lives with us. 5o you thin, the police accept money "rom theunderworld* 0e need (6 truc,"uls o" bric,s.

train%spotting &is hobby is train-spotting.

preposition + noun noun + adjective

Pronunciation -ompound nouns tend to have more stress on the "irst word. In the phrase 7pin, ball7, both words are e8ually stressed (as you ,now, adjectives and nouns are always stressed). In the compound noun 7gol" ball7, the "irst word is stressed more (even though both words are nouns, and nouns are always stressed). +ince

7gol" ball7 is a compound noun we consider it as a single noun and so it has a single main stress % on the "irst word. +tress is important in compound nouns. 9or e'ample, it helps us ,now i" somebody said 7a :;!!< &=>+!7 (a house which is painted green) or 7a :;!!<house7 (a building made o" glass "or growing plants inside). British/American differences 5i""erent varieties o" !nglish, and even di""erent writers, may use the open, hyphenated or closed "orm "or the same compound noun. It is partly a matter o" style. #here are no de"inite rules. 9or e'ample we can "ind$

container ship container-ship containership

I" you are not sure which "orm to use, please chec, in a good dictionary. Plural forms of compound nouns In general we ma,e the plural o" a compound noun by adding %s to the 7base word7 (the most 7signi"icant7 word). ?oo, at these e'amples$ singular a tennis shoe one assistant headmaster the sergeant major a mother%in%law my toothbrush a woman%doctor a doctor o" philosophy a passerby, a passer%by plural three tennis shoes "ive assistant headmasters some sergeants major two mothers-in-law our toothbrushes "our women-doctors two doctors of philosophy two passersby, two passers-by

an assistant secretary o" state three assistant secretaries of state

<ote that there is some variation with words li,e spoon"ul or truc,"ul. #he old style was to say spoons"ul or truc,s"ul "or the plural. #oday it is more usual to say spoon"uls or truc,"uls. @oth the old style (spoons"ul) and the new style (spoon"uls) are normally acceptable, but you should be consistent in your choice. &ere are some e'amples$ old style plural !ery formal" truc,"ul buc,et"ul cup"ul B trucksful o" sand ) bucketsful o" water C cupsful o" rice new style plural

teaspoon"ul A teaspoonsful o" sugar A teasponfuls o" sugar B truckfuls o" sand ) bucketfuls o" water C cupfuls o" rice

+ome compound nouns have no obvious base word and you may need to consult a dictionary to "ind the plural$

higher-ups

also-rans go-betweens has-beens good-for-nothings grown-ups

<ote that with compound nouns made o" [noun + noun] the "irst noun is li,e an adjective and there"ore does not usually ta,e an %s. A tree that has apples has many apples, but we say an apple tree, notapples treeD matchbox not matchesbo'D toothbrush not teethbrush. 0ith compound nouns made o" [noun + noun] the second noun ta,es an %s "or plural. #he "irst noun acts li,e an adjective and as you ,now, adjectives in !nglish are invariable. ?oo, at these e'amples$ long plural form becomes # plural compound noun $noun % noun& (66 trees with apples (,666 cables "or telephones )6 bo'es "or tools (6 stops "or buses C,666 wheels "or cars (66 apple trees (,666 telephone cables )6 tool boxes (6 bus stops C,666 car wheels