UNIT I

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Dirección de Calidad Educativa

1.1 NOUN-COMPOUNDS AND NOUN PHRASES
 COMPOUND NOUNS
Definition: A compound noun is a noun made up of two o more words. Each Word
makes up part o the meaning of the noun.
Compound nouns can be written three ways:
El primer encu entro
Es trascendental
A single Word Two words Compound noun
Haircut Rain forest Self-esteem
toothpaste Ice cream Brother-in-law
 COMPOUND NOUNS
The first part tells us what kind of object or person it is, or what its purpose is. The
second part identifies the object or person in question. Compound nounds often
have a meaning that is diferrent, or more specific, tan the two separate words
entro
dental
First part: type or purpose Second part: what or who El primer
Compound encu
noun
Police
Boy
man
Friend
Es
Policeman
Boyfriend
trascen
Fish Tank Water tank
dining table Dining-table
 COMPOUND NOUNS
Compound nouns can also be formed using the followind combinations of words:

Compound element Compound noun entro

Noun + noun
Adjective + noun
Toothpaste
dental
Monthly ticket
Verb + noun Swimming pool
Preposition + noun Underground
Noun + verb Haircut
Noun + preposition Hanger on
Adjective + verb Dry-cleaning
Preposition + verb output
 EXERCISES
Match the nouns on the left with the nouns on the rigth and find compunds

1. Shopping Book entro

2. Pencil Case dental
3. Exercise Holidays
4. Orange Juice
5. Birthday List
6. Bedroom Machine
7. Football Map
8. Summer Party
9. Mind Shoes
10. washing windows
 EXERCISES
Check your answer

1. Shopping list entro

2. Pencil case dental
3. Exercise book El primer encu
4. Orange Juice Es trascen
5. Birthday party
6. Bedroom window
7. Football Shoes
8. Summer holidays
9. Mind map
10. washing machine
 NOUN PHRASES
Definition: A noun phrase is a phrase that plays the role of a noun. The head Word
in a noun phrase will be a noun or a pronoun.
1. A noun (also called head)
2. And optionally modifiers.
entro
Examples: dental
• Love is a beautiful feeling. (Love is a noun phrases without modifiers.
However, a beautiful feeling is a noun phrase that includes a noun, feeling,
and the determiner a and the adjective beatutiful)

• My house is over ther. (My house is a noun phrase which consists of the
noun house and a modifier – The possessive adjective my)
 NOUN PHRASES
Possible noun modifiers
A noun phrase may optionally contain noun modifiers. If these modifiers are placed
before the noun they are called pre-modifiers. However, if they are placed after the
noun, they are called post-modifiers. Possible noun modifiers include the following.
entro
1. Determiners:
2. adjectives dental
• Articles (the, a)
• (the delicious food)
• Demonstratives (this, that)
• Numerals (two, five, etc)
3. complements, in the form of a
• Possessives (my, their, etc.)
prepositional phrase (such as: the student
• Quantifiers (some, many, etc)
of physics), or a That-clause (the idea that
In English, determiners are
the world is a small village)
usually placed before the noun
 NOUN PHRASES
Functions of a noun phrase
Noun phrases can function as subjects, objects:

entro
dental
1. That sophisticated woman is beautiful. (That sophisticated woman
is a noun phrase that functions as a subject.)

1. I like the book that you bought. (the book that you bought is a
noun phrase that functions as an object.)
 EXERCISES
Unferline the noun phrases

1. I don´t have a bank account, because I don’t know my mother’s Maiden mane

2. Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I´m not entro
sure
about the former (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)
dental
3. Youth would be an ideal state if it came a Little later in life.

4. The thing that impresses me the most about American is the way parents obey
their children.

5. One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work
of one extraordinary man.
 EXERCISES
Compare yours answers. They are in red.

1. I don´t have a bank account, because I don’t know my mother’s Maiden mane

2. Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I´m not entro
sure
about the former (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)
dental
3. Youth would be an ideal state if it came a Little later in life.

4. The thing that impresses me the most about American is the way parents obey
their children.

5. One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work
of one extraordinary man.
 EXERCISES
Unferline the noun phrases

6. You can tell a lot about a fellow’s carácter by his way of eating jellybens.

7. Has anyone seen an old, big, Brown dog?

8. Let’s go on the long, winding road.

9. Natives were surprised by the early spring thaw

10. The glistening snow covered the field

 EXERCISES
Compare yours answers. They are in red

6. You can tell a lot about a fellow’s carácter by his way of eating jellybens.

7. Has anyone seen an old, big, Brown dog?

8. Let’s go on the long, winding road.

9. Natives were surprised by the early spring thaw

10. The glistening snow covered the field

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