Thursday 29 April 2021

COMPOUND NOUNS

 

PARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

HS 8251 TECHNICAL ENGLISH

COMPOUND NOUNS

COMPOUND NOUNS:

Look at the following terms:

                Research station

                Heat transfer

                Computer science

These three terms have more than one noun. Groups of nouns like these are called compound nouns. You will come across such compound nouns in your professional and daily life. Read them carefully and understand their meanings. 'For example, ‘computer science’ can be explained as ‘a science of computers’.

Compound nouns may have more than two nouns:

Examples:

Software Technology Park

File transfer protocol

 

Compound nouns mostly consist of two elements, the second of which is usually a noun

The first element may be:

A noun (noun+noun)

Gold smith          night club            head ache           house keeper    wine glass           man-servant

An adjective (adjective+noun)

Blackboard          blackbird              bluebell                green room        highway               first night

A pronoun(pronoun+ noun)

She-dog               He-goat

·         A verb( verb+noun)

Play ground        treadmill              draw bridge        passport

·         An adverb( adverb+noun)

After thought    outpost                                overcoat              downpour

Note:

The first element of a compound noun may itself be compound.

Examples:          

Dead-letter office            dirty- cloths basket

 

How compound nouns are written:

1. Closed: as one word: undoubled compounds

Undoubled compounds are written as a single word or as one word.

Examples:

Goldsmith           policeman           boyfriend            baseball               keyboard             notebook

Bedroom             flashlight

 

2. Hyphenated: as two words joined with a hyphen

Examples:

She-wolf         dining-table     fifty-five         sky-scraper      editor-in-chief great-grandfather

 

A hyphen should be used when two elements are occasionally combined and therefore, to some extend preserve their individuality in combination.

 

3. open-spaced: as two separate words:

Examples:

Fish tank         tennis shoe      police officer   seat belt           high school      post office

 

4. When in doubt: consult a good dictionary

 

More about hyphenated words:

Hyphens are short lines (-) that we put between words in expressions like , ticket- office or ex- husband. Hyphen is essentially a combining mark.

Hyphens are most common in the following cases:

            a) Compound nouns

                        Compound nouns where the second part ends in –er

                                    Examples:        Lorry-driver    bottle-opener

                        Compound nouns where the first part ends in –ing

                                    Examples:        waiting- room  writing-pad

                        Compound nouns with prepositions and adverb particles:

                                    Examples:        sister-in-law     make-up

                        Many compounds of two nouns, where the first noun has the main stress

                                    Examples:        water-bottle     or         water bottle

                                                            Apple-tree       or         apple tree

                        Note: hyphens are becoming less common in these cases

            b) Compound adjectives

                                    Examples:        red-hot                        blue-eyed        nice-looking

            c) Compound verbs beginning with a noun

                                    Example:         baby-sit           house-hunt

            d) Prefixes

                                    Example:         mid-term         self-study        non-violence

            e) Numbers: fractions:

                                    Example:         twenty-one      thirty-six          two-thirds

Some combinations can be found written in all the three ways.

            Examples:

                                    (One-word)                 bookshop                     motorcar

                                    (Hyphenated)              book-shop                   motor-car

                                    (Separate words)         book shop                    motor car

Some hints for expanding compound nouns:

·         Use appropriate prepositions to expand compound nouns

·         Start with, ‘A” if the compound noun is singular

·         Start with, ”THE” if the compound noun is plural

·         Try to make the last word of the compound noun as the base word.

Example: 1. car battery- the battery of a car   2. Battery car-A car that runs on battery       

 

The compound noun structure is extremely varied in the types of meaning relations it can indicate.

It can be used to indicate:

1. What someone does                                    language teacher

2. What something is for                                 grind stone

3. What the quality of something is                white board

4. How something works                                immersion heater

5. When something happens                           night frost

6. Where something is                                     door mate

7. What something is made of                                    wood pile

Example  1

            Expand the following compound nouns:

            1. petrol engine                       Engine that runs on petrol

            2. wooden box                                    Box made of wood

            3. dam construction                Construction of dam

            4. computer memory               Memory of a computer

            5. air supply                             Supply of air

            6. water source                        a source of water

            7. circuit diagram                    A diagram that shows a circuit

            8. computer language              language used for computer operation

            9. control tower                       Tower that controls

            10. car battery                         Battery  of a car

            11. battery car                         car that runs on battery

            12. concrete structure              structure made of concrete

            13. water truck                        Truck containing water

            14. space travel                       Travel in air ( or) travel to space

            15. spark plug                          Plug that emits spark

            16. steel box/chair                   Box/ Chair  made of  box/ chair

            17. stop valve                          Valve that stops flow

            18. diesel engineer                  An engine that runs on diesel

            19. copper wire                       Wire made of copper

            20. aluminum extraction         The extraction of aluminum   

            21. information centre             Centre for providing information

            22. Solar power                       Power from the sun

            23. research centre                  Centre for research

            24. silver extraction                 Extraction of silver

            25. data input                          input of data

Example 2:

            Suggest compound nouns for the following descriptions:

            1. a tap for measuring :           measuring tap

            2. reduction in cost     :           cost reduction

            3. plug with three pins            :           a three pin plug

            4. electricity from mains:        mains electricity

            5. a room for stores:                a store room

            6. a station for express trains: express train station

Example3:

            Change the following phrases into compound nouns:

            1. A branch of engineering that deals with transportation:    transportation engineering

            2. A branch of science that is concerned with information:   information science

            3. A field of engineering that deals with software:                software engineering

            4. A technology that is devoted to textiles:                            textile technology

            5. A science about polymer:                                                    polymer science

 

ASSIGNMENT:

            Expand the following compound nouns:

            1. A shoe shop                        2. A tooth brush          3. Trouser pockets       4.  A ticket office

            5. An oil well              6. A sheep dog                        7. A milk man             8. A post man

            9. A program organizer                                   10. A power corporation        

                         

 

 

 

                                   

           

                                                             

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 27 April 2021

WRITING CHECK LISTS

 

PARK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

HS8251 TECHNICAL ENGLISH

CHECKLIST

What is a checklist?

A checklist is a list of items that people use to make sure that everything is in order before any activity is taken up.

A checklist is a list of things that one must remember to do. It adds one’s memory and ensures that what you need to do is done without omission.

The purpose of a checklist is to ensure that everything is properly done before any important activity.

How to write a checklist?

In writing a checklist, interrogative form is used. After each question, boxes for yes or no are placed.

Begin the questions with the auxiliaries such as is, are, do, does, and has/have

Put a tick mark in the ‘yes’ box when the item in question is made complete

 

CHECKLIST FOR WRITING A CHECKLIST                       YES  NO

1.     Have I given a suitable title for the checklist        ?                            

 

2.     Have I used the interrogative form for writing the checklist?   

 

3.     Have I provided yes/no boxes for each question?

 

4.     Have I ticked the yes box in every list?

 

5.     Have I inserted the question mark at the end of each interrogative statement?

 

6.     Have I begun each question either with ‘do’ verb or with ‘have’ verb or with ‘be’ verb?

 

7.     Have I numbered my checklist items?

 

8.     Have I checked whether all the points are brought out in the checklist?

 

         

EXAMPLE 1

Write down a checklist containing at least eight items to avert fire accidents in public functions conducted in   temporary structures.

Checklist for the safety of temporary structure.

 

 

YES

NO

01

Have I kept fire extinguishers ready?

 

02

Have I instructed the inmates not to burn anything inside the structure?

 

03

Have I checked the stability of the structure?

 

04

Have I checked the electrical connections?

 

05

Have I displayed ‘No smoking’ boards inside the structure?

 

06

Have I arranged for fire-engines to stand nearby?

 

07

Have I stored enough water to put out fire in the time of emergency?

 

08

Have I checked all other safety arrangements?

 

 

Example 2:

Imagine that you have to attend an interview in a core/ software company in Delhi. Make eight- item checklist with a proper title.

Check list for attending an interview

 

 

YES

NO

01

Have I booked the ticket?

 

02

Have I taken all the certificates and testimonials?

 

03

Do I have the call letter with me?

 

04

Are all my certificates properly arranged for an easy reference?

 

05

Do I have a set of formal dress neatly packed?

 

06

Have I taken my project report with me?

 

07

Do I have enough money?

 

08

Have I taken my mobile and other items that are required for my travel?

 

 

Example 3

You are going to travel long distance by car. Help yourself with a checklist so that your journey is trouble free and comfortable.

Checklist for a long-distance travel in a car

 

 

YES

NO

01

Is there water in the radiator?

 

02

Is there enough petrol/diesel incar? the

 

03

Are the brakes in good condition?

 

04

Are the tyres properly inflated?

 

05

Do the wipers function properly?

 

06

Is the battery in good condition?

 

07

Do the headlights and other lights function properly?

 

08

Have I inflated the reserve- tyre?

 

 

Example 4:

Imagine that you are the student- secretary of English-club association. You have to organize the inaugural function of the association, Prepare a checklist of 8 items for the successful conduct of the function.

Checklist for conducting the inaugural function of the English club association.

 

 

YES

NO

01

Have I decorated the auditorium?

 

02

Are the banners and posters displayed properly?

 

03

Have I assigned students to receive the chief guest?

 

04

Have I made the seating arrangement on the dais?

 

05

Have I checked the functioning of the  PA system?

 

06

Have I prepared the order of events?

 

07

Are the student- volunteers informed of their duties?

 

08

Have I kept water bottles on the stage?

 

 

 

ASSIGNMENT

1. Prepare an eight item checklist for organizing a conference.

2. Write a checklist of at least eight- items to conduct the Anna university examination in your college.

3. Prepare a checklist for conducting sports day in your college.

4. Prepare an eight-item checklist to organize the Independence day celebrations in your college.