Nouns As Modifiers, By Dr Shadia [Compatibility Mode]

English Grammar

1. By: Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar
http://www.kau.edu.sa/SBANJER
http://wwwdrshadiabanjar.blogspot.com
1Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar
NOUNS AS MODIFIERSNOUNS AS MODIFIERS

2. Noun can be used to another noun:
Nouns as Modifiers
Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 2
NOUN -NOUN ADJECTIVE -NOUN
•This caris for sports
driving.
•It is a sports car.
•The Jeep has a drive(-
train) that moves all
four wheels .
•It has four-wheel
drive.
(a feature of the car)

3. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 3
InEnglishwecanputtwonounstogether.Thefirstnoun
isusedasanadjectivetomodifythesecondnounandis
calledanounadjunct.Thefirstnounisalmostalways
singularbecauseitfollowstheruleforadjectives,which
donothavepluralformsinEnglish.
N
1N
2can mean that:
1.N
1is a kind of N
2(a grammar book is a kind of book)
2.N
1is an object of an implied verb ( an apple treeis a
tree that produces apples)

4. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 4
It is important to understand that
N
2is the thing and N
1is the
kind or type:
•a rosebush is a bush
•a wrist watch is a watch
•computer paper is paper

5. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 5
When a noun is used as a modifier, it
is in its singular form.
The soup has vegetables in it :
It is vegetable soup.
The building has offices in it :
It is an office building.
office
modifies
building.
vegetable
modifies
soup.

6. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 6
My mother planted a rosebush in the garden.
I bought a new tablelamp.
Bobby takes the schoolbus to school.
The school ordered fifty new grammar books.
That man makes bird cages.
Mrs. Taylor bought some new babyclothes .
Examples :
N
1is singular, even if the phrase is plural.

7. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 7
When a noun used as a modifier is
combined with a number expression,
the noun is singular and a hyphen (-)
is used.
She has a five years old son ..
CORRECTCORRECT
INCORRECTINCORRECT
XXXXXXXX
She has a five-year-old son .
√√√√√√√

8. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 8
We can use a number with N
1to make a compound
adjective. Since the number and noun make one unit,
we use a hyphen to join them. Note that N
1remains
singular because it is being used as an adjective .
Examples:
a three-car garage
a ten-speed bicycle
a twenty-dollar bill

9. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 9
Ifweuseanumbertorefertothesecond
noun(howmany),wedonotuseahyphen:
twogrammar books
fiverose bushes
Examples:

10. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 10
Wecanuseanumbertorefertothesecondnoun
(howmany)andanumberwiththefirstnoun
(compoundadjective).Inthatcase,thereisnohyphen
afterthefirstnumber,butthesecondnumberisstill
usedwithahyphenbecauseitformsacompound
adjective.
Examples:
twoten-dollar bills
fourthree-bedroom homes

11. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 11
two footstoolsvs.two-foot stools
Hyphens are used to avoid ambiguity for the reader.
NO HYPHENHYPHEN
•Two footstools sold
for a half-million dollars.
•Two-foot stools sold
for a half-million dollars.

12. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar
12
It was a two-hour test .
It was a two hours test .
CORRECTCORRECT
INCORRECTINCORRECT
√√√√√√√
XXXXXXXX

13. Dr. Shadia Y. Banjar 13