oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

PAGE 187
147 Two nouns together
147 Two nouns together
1 We often use one noun before another.
a tennis club money problems a microwave oven
The first noun modifies the second, tells us something about it, what kind it is or
what it is for.
a tennis club = a club for playing tennis
vitamin pills = pills containing vitamins
a train journey = a journey by train
a phone bill = a bill for using the phone
NOTE
When two nouns are regularly used together, they often form a compound noun; • 283. But
it is often difficult to tell the difference between two separate nouns and one compound
noun, and the difference is not important for the learner of English.
2 Sometimes there is a hyphen (e.g. waste-bin), and sometimes the two nouns are
written as one (e.g. armchair). There are no exact rules about whether we join the
words or not. • 56(5c)
3 The stress is more often on the first noun.
'tennis club ma'chine-gun 'car park 'fire alarm
But sometimes the main stress comes on the second noun.
cardboard 'box microwave 'oven town 'hall
There are no exact rules about stress, but for more details, • (5).
4 The first noun is not normally plural.
The Sock Shop a picture gallery an eye test a book case
NOTE
Some exceptions are a sports shop, careers information, customs regulations, a clothes rack,
a goods train, systems management, an arms dealer. For American English, • 304(2).
5 Here are some examples of the different kinds of noun + noun pattern.
a a coffee table (= a table for coffee) a car park security cameras
a cricket ball an oil can (= a can for holding oil) • (6)
NOTE
a The stress is on the first noun: a 'coffee table.
b We can use a gerund, e.g. a sewing-machine (= a machine for sewing). • 283(2)
b a war film (= a film about war) a crime story pay talks
a gardening book a computer magazine
NOTE The stress is on the first noun: a 'war film.
c a chess player (= someone who plays chess) a lorry driver music lovers
a concrete mixer (= a machine that mixes concrete) a potato peeler
a food blender a sweet shop (= a shop that sells sweets) a biscuit factory
steel production (= the production of steel) life insurance car theft
NOTE
The stress is usually on the first noun: a 'chess player. Compare these two phrases.
Noun + noun: an 'English teacher (= someone who teaches English)
Adjective + noun: an English 'teacher (= a teacher who is English)