Question

What is a noun formed by two or more words called?

• A. Collective Noun
• B. Compound Noun
• C. Abstract Noun
• D. Material Noun

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Compound Noun

Compound Nouns

Definition and Formation

• A Compound Noun is a noun that is made up of two or more words. These words function together as a single unit to name a person, place, thing, or idea.
• The individual words within a compound noun retain their original meaning but contribute to a new, combined meaning.

Types of Compound Nouns

Compound nouns can be written in three ways:

1. Closed (Solid) Compound Nouns: The words are joined together to form a single word. For example: bedroom, sunflower, keyboard.
2. Hyphenated Compound Nouns: The words are joined by a hyphen. For example: mother-in-law, well-being, twenty-one.
3. Open (Spaced) Compound Nouns: The words are written as separate words but function as a single noun. For example: post office, high school, living room.

Identifying Compound Nouns

• The meaning of a compound noun is often different from the meanings of its individual parts. For example, a blackboard is not just any board that is black; it is a specific type of board used for writing.
• To determine if words form an open compound noun, try putting an adjective between them. If the meaning changes significantly or becomes nonsensical, they are likely a compound noun. For example, in "post office", "bright post office" doesn't make sense in the same way as "bright post" or "bright office" would.

Exam Relevance

• Questions on compound nouns in competitive exams often test the ability to identify them, understand their structure (closed, hyphenated, open), and sometimes their pluralization.
• Be aware that the plural form of compound nouns depends on how they are written. For closed and open compounds, the 's' is usually added to the last word (e.g., bedrooms, post offices). For hyphenated compounds, the 's' is typically added to the most significant word, often the first element (e.g., mothers-in-law).