GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

17 NOUNS AND NOUN PHRASES
PAGE 188
d a summer holiday (= a holiday in summer) the morning rush
a future date breakfast television
a country cottage (= a cottage in the country) a motorway bridge
Swindon station a hospital doctor a world recession
NOTE
In these examples we usually stress the second noun: a summer 'holiday. But there are many
exceptions, e.g. 'evening classes, a 'Glasgow woman.
e a plastic bag (= a bag made of plastic) a paper cup
a brick wall a glass vase a tin can
NOTE The main stress is on the second noun: a plastic 'bag.
the oven door (= the door of the oven)
factory chimneys the river bank
the town centre
NOTE
a The main stress is usually on the second noun: the town 'centre.
b With top, bottom, side, back and end we normally use the of-pattern.
the bottom of the valley the end of the motorway NOT the motorway end
But we can say roadside, hillside, hilltop and cliff top.
They stood by the roadside/ the side of the road.
6 A milk bottle is a bottle for holding milk. Milk refers to the purpose of the bottle. A
bottle of milk is a bottle full of milk. Milk refers to the contents of the bottle.
a milk bottle
a bottle of milk
Purpose:
Contents:
a wine glass
a glass of wine
a jam jar
a jar of jam
a bookshelf
a shelf of books
7 There are more complex patterns with nouns.
a
We can use more than two nouns.
Eastbourne town centre a plastic shopping-bag
a life insurance policy security video cameras
Somerset County Cricket Club summer activity holiday courses
We can build up phrases like this.
an air accident (= an accident in the air)
an investigation team (= a team for investigating something)
an air accident investigation team
(= a team for investigating accidents in the air)