GELN 102

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Unit 2
Compound Words

Compound words is a compound word is made up of two or more words that come
together to make one new word and new meaning.

There are three forms of compound words:

1.Closed compound words are formed when two unique words are joined together. They
don’t have a space between them and they are the type that generally comes to mind when we
think of compound words. For example:

firework grandmother

baseball sunflower
crosswalk moonlight
basketball railroad
football weatherman

skateboard earthquake

schoolhouse firefly
grasshopper pancake

2.Open compound words have a space between the words but when they are read together a
new meaning is formed:

ice cream grand jury

cave in post office

real estate middle class

full moon attorney general

half sister

3.Hyphenated compound words are connected by a hyphen. To avoid confusion, modifying
compounds are often hyphenated, especially when they precede a noun such as in the case of
part-time teacher, high-speed chase, and fifty-yard dash. When they come after the noun they
are open compounds: a chase that is high speed, a teacher that is part time, etc. Comparative
and superlative adjectives are hyphenated when they are compounded with other modifiers:
the highest-priced computer, the lower-priced car. Adverbs that end in –ly and compounded
with another modifier are not modified: a highly rated restaurant, a publically held meeting.
Here are more examples of hyphenated compound words.

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one-half mother-in-law
eighty-six one-third
merry-go-round well-being
mass-produced over-the-counter
daughter-in-law

There are several ways to form compound words.
Compound nouns

A. Noun + Noun = Noun

police + man policeman

book + shelf book shelf

boy + school boy school

school + boy school boy

book + store book store

tooth + brush toothbrush

flag + pole flagpole

tea + spoon teaspoon

fire + fly firefly

moon + light moonlight

mail +box mailbox

Examples:

Babies drink only a teaspoon medicine.

Mary and John are now in the bookstore.

A firefly buzzed in the night sky.

The ocean was bathed in the moonlight.

B. Noun + Verb (er, or) = Noun

book + seller book-seller

bus + driver bus-driver

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football + player football-player

hair + dryer hair-dryer

pencil + sharpener pencil-sharpener

shop + keeper shop-keeper

match + maker match-maker

Examples:

John works as a book-seller at weekends.

David Beckham is the best football-player.

C. Verb(ing) + Noun = Noun

dining + room dining room

hunting + dog hunting dog

frying + pan frying pan

swimming + pool swimming pool

dancing + girl dancing girl

Examples:

Mary is a dancing girl in that music band.

I like to swim in the swimming pool.

D. Noun + Preposition = Noun

booker + on booker on

passer + by passer by

son + in + law son-in-law

man + of + war man-of-war

Examples:

He was trained in the military school to become a man-of-war.

Mike is Mr. Robinson’s son-in-law.

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E. Adjective or Verb + Preposition = Noun

close + up close-up

grown + up grown-up

pull + over pull over

fly + over fly-over

Examples:

Max has already been a grown-up.

People cross the road by using the fly-over.

Compound Adjectives

A. Adjective + Verb+ed = Adjective

bad + tempered bad-tempered

long + haired long-haired

old + fashioned old-fashioned

one + eyed one-eyed

kind + hearted kind-hearted

Examples:

Every bad-tempered person is always ugly looking.

The kind-hearted man is always helpful.

B. Adjective + Noun = Adjective

five + act five-act

five + star five-star

heavy + weight heavy-weight

Examples:

This is a five-act play.

Five-star hotels are more expensive than other hotels.

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C. Noun or Adjective or Adverb + Past participle = Adjective

hand + written hand-written

well + educated well-educated

newly + crowned newly-crowned

Examples:

This is a hand-written letter.

She is a newly-crowned Miss Universe.

D. Noun or Adjective or Adverb + Present participle = Adjective

night + blooming night-blooming

night + hunting night-hunting

high + flying high-flying

Examples:

A night-blooming flower is smelly at night.

An owl is a night-hunting bird.

E. Phrasal Adjective: group of words work as adjective;

ten + year + old ten-year-old

eight + o’clock eight-o’clock

broken + hearted broken-hearted

two + hour two-hour

one + hour + show one-hour-show

five + minute + walk five-minute-walk

Examples:

Tom is a ten-year-old boy this year.

A broken-hearted girl is always sad.

My school is an eight-o’clock school.

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F. Noun + Noun = Adjective

water + proof water-proof

sun + glass sun-glass

goods + lifter goods-lifter

water + control water-control

cattle + farm cattle-farm

Examples:

These offices look after a water-control gate.

Who wears a water-proof watch?

This sun-glass shop sells cheap sun-glasses.

Compound Verbs

A. Meaning kept phrasal verb

cut out draw back look for

take back throw away fill in

turn over write down give back

Examples:

Nancy cuts out the rope to tie her dog.

Nalinee draws back ten thousand baht from the bank.

Jenny threw away those torn papers she wrote down her note.

B. Meaning change phrasal verb or Idiom

bring up brush up call on

call off call up carry on

catch on get over go over

keep off keep on keep up

look over look out look up

look forward to pick up put off

put out run into succeed in

take on 7 take off
try on turn down
turn in take over turn on
turn out try out work out
turn off
take after

Examples:
Jim called on his parents last month.
Please turn off the light before you leave the room.

Exercise 1: Put ü if the word is a compound word and × if not.

1. ⃞ examination
2. ⃞ bookstore
3. ⃞ understanding
4. ⃞ old-fashioned
5. ⃞ homosexual
6. ⃞ disagree
7. ⃞ moonlight
8. ⃞ grandfather
9. ⃞ hairdresser
10. ⃞ freedom

Exercise 2: Here are root words with numbers of possible compound words, find at least
3 words.

Examples: day: _____daytime daylight__daybreak______________

1. ear: ____________________________________________________________
2. fire: ___________________________________________________________
3. wind: __________________________________________________________
4. head: __________________________________________________________
5. water: __________________________________________________________

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6. work: __________________________________________________________
7. sun: ___________________________________________________________
8. grand: __________________________________________________________
9. sea: __________________________________________________________
10. snow: ___________________________________________________________

Exercise 3: Fill in the appropriate compound word in each blank.

1. John is sixteen years old. He is a ________________________boy.
2. The flight is two hours long. It is a ________________________flight.
3. He drove for three hours. It was a _______________________drive.
4. Judy had blue eyes. She is a ________________________girl.
5. That dog has three legs. It is a ________________________dog.
6. Somsak drives a bus. He is a ________________________.
7. John studies in a university. He is a __________________________.
8. Jane works in a hair-cutting shop for women. She is a _________________________.
9. We call people who pass somebody or something__________________________.
10. We some time call adult people________________________.

Exercise 4: Circle the compound word in each sentence.

1. Rhonda is my half sister.
2. The merry-go-round at the carnival thrilled Ella.
3. Ice cream is my favorite dessert.
4. There must be a full moon out tonight.
5. My mother-in-law is coming for a visit.
6. My dog loves to sleep in the sunshine.
7. Let’s go downtown this evening.
8. The milkman delivers milk to the hospital.
9. The overcoat was too big for John.
10. I ate too many pancakes this morning.

Exercise 5: Write a compound word.

1. + = _________________________

2. + = _________________________

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3. + = _________________________

4. + = __________________________

5. + = __________________________
6. + = __________________________

7. + = ___________________________

8. + = ___________________________

9. + = ___________________________

10. + = ____________________________

Exercise 6: Choose the correct word.

1. toothbrush toothpaste

2. watermelon juicymelon

3. earphones headphones

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4. building skyscraper

5. mailbox lettersbox

6. fireplace firework

7. classboard blackboard

8. scarecrow Halloween

9. lemonade grapefruit

10. motorbike bicycle

Exercise 7: Directions: Underline the compound word in each sentence. Write the
compound word and the two smaller words that form it.

1. I found a pretty seashell while I was walking on the beach.
________________ = ___________________ + ________________

2. My father wears a necktie when he goes to work.
________________ = ___________________ + ________________

3. A greyhound is a kind of dog that can run very fast.
________________ = ___________________ + ________________

4. We always take the freeway to get to the art museum.
________________ = ___________________ + ________________

5. Max was homesick the first time he went away to summer camp.
________________ = ___________________ + ________________

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Exercise 8: Choose the given words in the box to fill in the sentence below.

wait on took after talk over turn down ran into turn out
look out keep off turn off catch on
carry on go over brought up brush up put off try on
look up put out worked out call off
call up got over

look forward to

1. Maria had just ……………………from the flue when she got an accident.
2. Your duty is to……………………the customers when they order the meals.
3. ………………! There a car coming fast!
4. Please………………….the light before you leave the room.
5. Please……………………the grass. The owners of the house and this yard don’t

want anybody to step on the lawn.
6. I’ll try to…………………..what you explain to me.
7. Tell your secretary to…………………….any letters to the customers twice.
8. John has to……………………Martin’s work until he can come back.
9. My grandmom has……………me…………..since I was young.
10. You ‘d better……………….your knowledge of English and try to pass this exam.
11. Do not………………….typing this report for me. I want it tomorrow.
12. Mary will………………this new sweater that you bought for her.
13. We……………………….our old friends from Sydney yesterday.
14. The boss called the meeting to…………………the problem in purchasing

section.
15. Hey, girls, don’t……………….me………..tomorrow .I am visiting my grand pa.

He doesn’t like to hear my long talk on my mobile.
16. Come here, Molly and we’ll……………………this new recipe again.
17. Why did you …………………..his proposal to marry you?
18. Peter……………………….his father as if they are the same man.
19. She has been trying to…………………..her memory about her old boy friend but

she can’t..
20. We are …………………….. visiting the beach of Kamala in Phuket.

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Exercise 9: Fill in the missing word (s) in each of the following sentences.

go takes ran put take

cut get speak looking gets

1. Be careful when you off the bus.

2. I will try to out the truth of the matter.

3. What are you for?

4. It’s cold outside; we should on heavy sweaters.

5. Airplanes off and land all day at this airport.

6. She rapidly over from her illness.

7. We out of rice and I had to get some from the near by shop.

8. A : Did you recognize the charming girl?

B : Why not? She after my mother, in fact, she is my sister.

9. I’ve lost my math books. Can I………over your note?

10. I used to smoke thirty cigarettes a day, but now down to ten.

Exercise 10: Choose the best alternative for each item.

1. To hand in a report is to it.

a. arrange b. prepare

c. correct d. submit

2. To get on the bus is to it.

a. leave b. board

c. descend d. drive

3. To go over the reports is to them.

a. examine b. collect

c. submit d. write

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4. To look out is to .

a. care b. take care

c. watch d. be careful

5. To make up one’s mind is to .

a. deceive b. decide

c. deserve d. dissolve

6. We should the match because of the bad weather.

a. a. call on b. call up

c. call off d. call for

7. He gave up smoking a week ago. The underlined phrase means .

a. started b. stopped.

c. stole d. continued

8. I have to my report by noon.

a. get through b. get on

c. get up d. get over

9. Be sure to the bus before it turns the corner.

a. get off b. get on

c. get out d. get over

10. She didn’t the light in the gas stove, it was still burning.

a. put off b. put out

c. turn off d. turn on

11. Let Somsri our children while we are away.

a. look up b. look after

c. look for d. look at

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12. To meet someone by chance is to .

a. run across b. hold on

c. come d. find out

13. To serve someone is to .

a. wait for b. wait on

c. take after d. keep up with

14. To take after someone is to him.

a. chase b. run after

c. resemble d. help

15. To pick out something is to it.

a. take b. carry

c. remove d. choose

16. To call up someone is to him.

a. meet b. visit

c. phone d. find

17. We will our parents next month.

a. call up b. call at

c. call on d. call out

18. She Joe at the library the other day.

a. ran up b. ran on

c. ran over d. ran into

19. , the truck is coming towards us.

a. Look out b. Looks at

c. look over d. Look back

20. Don’t 15
landlady.
over the plan of moving from here to him, he might tell the
a. say
c. shout b. tell
21. Did Mary and John d. talk
a. break up?
c. borrow b. beat
d. burn

22. You did a lot of mistakes in your exercises. Please go your work before you
hand in next time.

a. on b. over

c. out d. get

23. My father likes to out any problems alone.

a. go b. make

c. work d. succeed

24. Those men on these pairs of jeans but the pair didn’t fit him.

a. rolled b. robbed

c. boiled d. tried

25. John will arrive Don Muang airport at noon

a. in b. at

c. on d. to

26. Does this book belong John?

a. with b. of

c. for d. to

27. I don’t agree you on that point.

a. with b. of

c. for d. to

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28. This box is heavy, but I can lift it.

a. manage in b. manage to

c. succeed to d. succeed in

29. John fell down and hurt his brain. Finally he away .

a. passed b. threw

c. broke d. ran

30. Jane will call me __________________this evening.

a. out. b. off.

c. on. d. in

31. Please wait a minute, I’ll put you___________________.

a. in b. off

c. through d. at

32. They will set a journey next week.

a. on b. off

c. out d. to

33. To take off your hat is to _______________it.

a. remove b. move

c. leave d. get

34. I asked her to marry me but she me .

a. turned, away b. turned, in

c. turned, down d. turned, against

35. Please the radio I want to hear the news.

a. turn, on b. turn, off

c. turn away d. turn to

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36. John succeeded his examination.

a. on b. in

c. to d. for

37. How did the accident ?

a. come b. come about

c. come into d. come out

38. a few minutes. He’s coming.

a. Hang up b. Hang on

c. Hold up d. Hold on

39. I haven’t my mind yet.

a. cashed out b. made up

c. paid out d. made out

40. I heard someone knocking __________ the door a few minutes ago.

a. at b. in

c. out d. by

c. up with d. forward to

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