Today we’ll be talking about compound nouns.
A compound noun is a noun that consists of two or more words that function as a single unit. In written form compound nouns may be written in one of three ways. They may be written as separate words, with hyphens or as a single word.
Compound nouns consist of two or more than two words, which may belong to almost any category. Here are some common patterns:
Table of Contents
noun + noun
bus stop
school bus
bus driver
backpack
treetop
adjective + noun
fast lane
rear end
dead end
verb + noun
swimming pool
swimming trunks
drinking water
verb + preposition
drive-through
takeout / carryout
preposition + verb
input
throughput
output
preposition + noun
underworld
overabundance
noun + prepositional phrase
commander in chief
father-in-law
noun + adjective
mouthful
