Grammar Reference - BECS Unit 1

1. Compound nouns (noun + noun combinations)

Two or more nouns can be combined in a number of ways. Sometimes more than one
combination is possible. This is why it is often considered one of the most difficult areas of
English grammar. Below are some general rules, but you must be aware that there are quite a
few exceptions so best thing to do if you have a doubt is to consult a good monolingual
dictionary.

1. Use of 's (possessive)

1.1. In general, we use 's when the first noun is a person (e.g. an executive) or a group of
people (e.g. an organisation, a committee):
Examples:
the director's office = The director has an office
the firm's strategy = The firm has a strategy
Mr Wilson's assistant = Mr Wilson has a assistant
an engineer's responsibilities = An engineer has certain responsibilities
the committee's decision = The committee decided …
the company's proposal = The company has proposed...

It is also important to remember that no article is used when the first noun is a proper name.
Mr. Smith's decision (NOT the Mr. Smith's decision)
Europe’s leading car manufacturer (NOT the Europe’s leading car manufacturer. Notice that when it is an
adjective, you say: the leading European car manufacturer)

1.2. The ’s possessive is also used when the first word refers to a time or a place + superlative
expression.
next week's meeting the city's oldest monument
today's newspaper Germany's biggest factory

1.3. The 's is used with money + worth:

The company purchased ten thousand dollars' worth of equipment.

Do not confuse this use of ‘worth’ with ‘to be worth’ in the following phrases:
• This cocoa is worth $10 M. = This cocoa has a value of $10 M.
• This painting is worth $500,000. = is valued at
• a building worth 300M pesetas = a three million peseta building (NOT a 300
million worth building)
• a contract worth half a million pounds = a half a million pound contract (NOT
a half a million pound worth contract NOR a worth half a million pound
contract)

1.4. The 's is always added to the word which is immediately before the main noun:
• We’ll finish in an hour or so's time.
• Those are someone else's notes.
2. Noun used as adjective
2.1. Nouns are often used as adjectives by placing them before other nouns. The last noun is the
most important; the first noun tells us something about it and often answers the question 'What
kind of...?' It can refer to what the noun uses, is used for, is made of or contains.
a cold water
a storage tank
a petrol
a glass

Other examples:
an assembly line an insurance company a motor vehicle
an sales manager a control unit a plastic fork
a milk carton a hair dryer the car industry

The noun modifier can refer to: X Y

Type: Y uses/works on X. hot air balloon
Y sells X clothes shop
Y makes X. bicycle factory
Y works in X. university professor
Y is about X. history book
Material: Y is made of X. steel beam
Compound: X + Y sodium (Na) chloride (Cl)
safety helmet
Purpose: Y is used for X. ball bearing
Shape: Y is shaped like X. motor car
Content: Y has X

2.2. The first noun is normally used to refer to common or general classes of things. If it is more
specific, noun + about/on + noun is normally used.
Common class: a physics book BUT Specific: a book about laser applications
Common class: a history book BUT Specific: a book on the history of Greek architecture

2.3. The first noun is nearly always singular (but see exceptions in 2.5 below):
a slide projector (=projector for showing slides)
an instruction manual (= manual which gives instructions)
a car dealership (= a dealership that sells cars)

2.4. A phrase consisting of noun + noun can often be reformulated by using a prepositional
phrase or a relative clause.
a bicycle factory = a factory which manufactures bicycles
a research project = a project which requires research
a water bottle = a bottle for carrying water
a price reduction = a reduction in price

2.5. It is important to remember that numerical adjectives are also singular, e.g.
a ten-dollar bill a five-tonne truck a five-man team
a four-day work week four-wheel drive a three-lane motorway

EXCEPTIONS: There are certain words which are only used in plural form, in which the s is
kept.
a needs analysis a news article arms control a sales manager
 an accounts department the futures market a clothes shop an overseas contract
a savings bank a cosmetics firm a sports car a works supervisor

This is also true when talking about certain school subjects or careers (especially those that end
in -ics).
an Electronics specialist a physics problem a mathematics professor
You can also say : a telecommunications engineer
'a specialist in Electronics'

When describing a market sector, both are used: the soft drinks sector /or/ the soft drink sector

2.6. Sometimes more than two nouns are combined. However, it is not good practice to
combine more than three because it can be difficult to understand the meaning. For example:
‘Research team members’ could refer to:
i) members of a research team OR
ii) team members who are part of research OR
iii) members of research who form a team.
The most likely answer is i) but it is difficult to know without a context.

Other examples of three word compound nouns are:

public relations department
machine tool store
parts replacement guarantee
car production costs
Longer nouns phrases can be made, such as:
a Social Security rebate claim form
aircraft engine turbine blades
a winter sports insurance premium
However, as was said above, it is best to avoid combining so many nouns in order to avoid
giving confusing information.
= department in charge of a company’s public relations
= a store which sells machine tools
= a guarantee for the replacement of spare parts
= costs involved in the production of cars
= a claim form for Social Security rebates
= turbine blades for aircraft engines
= an insurance premium for winter sports

2.7. Sometimes compound nouns are a single word; if you are not sure, check the dictionary.
For example:
workbench workshop workweek
workforce workstation workplace
workman workbook workhorse
Other examples are: spreadsheet, desktop, oilfield, head-hunter, headlight, handlebars, handbook

3. Use of OF
3.1. We tend to use the of structure with inanimate nouns or abstract ideas:
• We received a letter of enquiry.
• It was the beginning of the end.
• He's published a book on the history of lasers.
• He sent us a letter of application for the position we were advertising.

3.2. OF is also used with words that indicate 'a unit', 'a dimension', 'a certain quantity' or 'one of
a group':
• You'll need a piece of copper wire.
• They used a litre of water.
• Please measure the length of the pipe.
• They quoted us a price of $890.
3.3. When NOUN+NOUN is used, it may refer to the container. When OF is used, it refers to
the container and what's inside. Compare the following groups of words.
• a beer bottle vs. a bottle of beer
• a coffee cup vs. a cup of coffee
• a Coke can vs. a can of Coke

4. Use of more than one construction

Sometimes it is possible to use more than one construction to express the same relationship:
a reduction in price = a price reduction
the temperature of the water = the water temperature
the strategy of the company = the company’s strategy
the door of the car = the car door
In other cases, only one structure is possible:
• a disk drive (NOT a drive of disk / a disk's drive)
• an assembly line (NOT a line of assembly / an assembly's line)
• a letter of enquiry (NOT a enquiry's letter / an enquiry letter)
• Mr Wilson's assistant (NOT the assistant of Mr. Wilson/ the Mr. Wilson's
assistant)
• the width of the table (NOT the table width/the table's width)