Compound nouns
toothbrush or brushtooth? Word order inside compounds.
The rules
- The first noun acts like an adjective and stays singular: "shoe shop".
- Compound adjective before a noun: "a one-way ticket".
- Number compounds before nouns stay singular and hyphenated: "ten-year-old".
- First noun singular: "bus stop", "car park", "coffee cup".
- Container compounds: material/content first, "water bottle".
- Compound = type of object; "of" phrase = contents.
Examples
- a shoe shop
- I booked a one-way ticket to Madrid, no return needed.
- a ten-year-old boy
- Where is the nearest bus stop?
- Where is the water bottle.
- The first is the empty cup type; the second contains coffee.
Quick check
Pick an answer to see the rule behind it.
1.Which compound is correct?
2.I booked a _____ ticket to Madrid, no return needed.
3.Which is correct?
4.Where is the nearest _____ stop?
5."A coffee cup" vs "a cup of coffee", what is the difference?