COMPOUND NOUNS 1 (ESL)

level: Intermediate (B1/B2)

✓ Useful for Cambridge FCE/CAE

Compound nouns are two or more words that combine to form a single noun with its own distinct meaning. They are one of the most productive word-formation patterns in English. This is exercise 1 of 2.

READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!

1. My mother grows all her plants in a (green house, greenhouse).✓

2. Don't forget to put the dirty laundry in the (washing machine, washingmachine).✓

3. He got a (haircut, hair cut) last week.✓

4. You'll need to update your (software, soft ware).✓

5. It has been a very dry summer, with hardly any (rain fall, rainfall).✓

6. I need to buy some new (tennisshoes, tennis shoes).✓

7. Would you like to learn how to play (beach volleyball, beachvolleyball)?✓

8. I'll wait for you at the (bus stop, busstop).✓

9. Do you know how to play (base ball, baseball)?✓

10. Your plan has a lot of (draw backs, drawbacks).
✓

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Compound Nouns Conversation Questions 1. How many compound nouns can you think of that relate to your workplace or daily routine?
2. Do you find compound nouns easy or difficult to learn? Why?
3. Are there compound nouns in your language? How do they compare to English ones?
4. Can you think of any compound nouns that mean different things in British and American English?
5. What is the most unusual or interesting compound noun you know in English?

More English grammar exercises Compound nouns 1
Compound nouns 2
Compound adjectives 1
Compound adjectives 2