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Unit 80 · Articles and nouns

Noun + noun (a bus driver / a headache)

Study

A

You can use two nouns together (noun + noun) to mean one thing/person/idea etc. :

›

a bus driver

›

income tax

›

the city centre

›

an apple tree

The first noun is like an adjective. It tells us what kind of thing/person/idea etc. :

a bus driver = the driver of a bus

income tax = tax that you pay on your income

the city centre = the centre of the city

an apple tree = a tree that has apples

a Paris hotel = a hotel in Paris

my life story = the story of my life

So you can say:

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a television camera

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a television programme

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a television studio

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a television producer

(things or people to do with television)

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language problems

›

marriage problems

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health problems

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work problems

(different kinds of problems)

Sometimes the first word ends in -ing:

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a frying pan (= a pan for frying)

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a washing machine

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a swimming pool

B

Sometimes there are more than two nouns together:

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I waited at the hotel reception desk.

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We watched the World Swimming Championships on TV.

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If you want to play table tennis (= a game), you need a table tennis table (= a table).

C

When two nouns are together like this, sometimes we write them as one word and sometimes as two separate words. For example:

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a headache

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toothpaste

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a weekend

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a car park

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a road sign

There are no clear rules for this. If you are not sure, write two words.

D

Note the difference between:

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a coffee cup (maybe empty) and a cup of coffee (= a cup with coffee in it)

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a shopping bag (maybe empty) and a bag of shopping (= a bag full of shopping)

E

When we use noun + noun, the first noun is like an adjective. It is normally singular, but the meaning is often plural.

›

For example: a car park is a place to park cars, an apple tree is a tree that has apples.

In the same way we say:

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a three-hour journey (= a journey that takes three hours)

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a ten-pound note (= a note with the value of ten pounds)

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a four-week course

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a six-mile walk

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two 14-year-old girls

Compare:

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It was a four-week course. (not a four weeks course)

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but The course lasted four weeks.

Exercises (4)

0/4 exercises checked
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80.1

What do we call these things and people?

  1. 1
    Someone who drives a bus is a .example
  2. 2
    Problems concerning health are .example
  3. 3
    A ticket to travel by train is a .
  4. 4
    A machine you use to get a ticket is a .
  5. 5
    The staff at a hotel are the .
  6. 6
    The results of your exams are your .
  7. 7
    A horse that runs in races is a .
  8. 8
    A race for horses is a .
  9. 9
    Shoes for running are .
  10. 10
    A shop that sells shoes is a .
  11. 11
    The window of a shop is a .
  12. 12
    A person who cleans windows is a .
  13. 13
    A scandal involving a construction company is .
  14. 14
    Workers at a car factory are .
  15. 15
    A scheme for the improvement of a road is a .
  16. 16
    A department store in New York is a .
80.2

Answer the questions using two of the following words each time:

accidentbeltbirthdaycardcreditdriverforecastmachinenumberpartyringroadroomseatwashingweatherwedding
  1. 1
    This could be caused by bad driving. a example
  2. 2
    You should wear this when you’re driving. a
  3. 3
    You can use this to pay for things. a
  4. 4
    This will tell you if it’s going to rain or not. the
  5. 5
    This is useful if you have a lot of dirty clothes. a
  6. 6
    This is something you might wear if you’re married. a
  7. 7
    If you’re staying at a hotel, you need to remember this. your
  8. 8
    This is a way to celebrate getting older. a
  9. 9
    This person transports things by road. a
80.3

Put the words in the right order.

  1. 1
    I spilt coffee on the (room / carpet / living)example
  2. 2
    Jack likes sport. He plays for his (team / school / football)
  3. 3
    Anna works for a (company / production / film)
  4. 4
    Many people invest in a (life / policy / insurance)
  5. 5
    You can get a map at the (information / office / tourist)
80.4

Which is correct?

  1. 1
    It’s quite a big book. There are more than (500 page / 500 pages).example
  2. 2
    It’s only a flight from London to Madrid. (two-hour / two hours)
  3. 3
    It took only to fly to Madrid. (two hour / two hours)
  4. 4
    I don’t have any change. I only have a note. (twenty-pound / twenty pounds)
  5. 5
    I looked down and there were two notes on the ground. (ten-pound / ten pounds)
  6. 6
    At work in the morning we usually have a break for coffee. (15-minute / 15 minutes)
  7. 7
    There are in an hour. (60-minute / 60 minutes)
  8. 8
    My office is on the tenth floor of a building. (twelve-storey / twelve storeys)
  9. 9
    I work . Saturday and Sunday are free. (five-day / five days)
  10. 10
    hotels are the most expensive. (Five-star / Five stars)
  11. 11
    Sam’s daughter is . (six-year-old / six years old)
  12. 12
    Sam has a daughter. (six-year-old / six-years-old)