Blog about English
Using one noun to modify another noun.
English frequently uses one noun to modify another noun.
The first noun functions like an adjective by describing the type, purpose or category of the second noun.
I left my coffee cup on the table.
Я оставил чашку кофе на столе.
"Coffee" modifies "cup" and describes the type or purpose of the cup.
The school bus arrived at eight.
Школьный автобус приехал в восемь.
"School" modifies "bus" and describes the type of bus.
The office chair is very comfortable.
Офисное кресло очень удобное.
"Office" modifies "chair" and describes its purpose.
We walked along a stone wall.
Мы шли вдоль каменной стены.
"Stone" describes the material of the wall.
She bought a birthday card.
Она купила открытку ко дню рождения.
"Birthday" modifies "card" and identifies its purpose.
The kitchen table is near the window.
Кухонный стол находится возле окна.
"Kitchen" describes the location or type of the table.
He works for a software company.
Он работает в компании-разработчике программного обеспечения.
"Software" modifies "company" and identifies its type.
The city opened a new recycling center.
Город открыл новый центр переработки отходов.
"Recycling" modifies "center" and describes its function.
The first noun usually describes purpose, material, location, content, source or type rather than possession.
Examples include coffee cup, school bus, stone wall and office chair.
I need a coffee cup.
Мне нужна чашка для кофе.
"Coffee" describes the purpose of the cup, not ownership.
She drives a school bus.
Она водит школьный автобус.
"School" describes the type or purpose of the bus.
The store sells leather shoes.
Магазин продает кожаную обувь.
"Leather" describes the material of the shoes.
The hotel has a rooftop pool.
В отеле есть бассейн на крыше.
"Rooftop" describes the location of the pool.
The grocery store is closed.
Продуктовый магазин закрыт.
"Grocery" identifies the type of store.
I bought a glass door for the office.
Я купил стеклянную дверь для офиса.
"Glass" describes the material of the door.
She opened a bank account.
Она открыла банковский счет.
"Bank" identifies the type of account.
The company needs a customer service manager.
Компании нужен менеджер по обслуживанию клиентов.
"Customer service" describes the area or function of the manager.
The modifying noun is usually singular, even when the meaning is plural.
Examples include shoe shop, apple tree, toothbrush and computer program.
There is a shoe shop near my house.
Возле моего дома есть обувной магазин.
"Shoe" remains singular even though the shop sells many shoes.
We planted an apple tree in the backyard.
Мы посадили яблоню во дворе.
"Apple" is singular because it modifies "tree".
I need a toothbrush.
Мне нужна зубная щетка.
"Tooth" remains singular in the compound "toothbrush".
The company develops computer software.
Компания разрабатывает компьютерное программное обеспечение.
"Computer" is singular even though software can refer to many programs.
She works at a car dealership.
Она работает в автосалоне.
"Car" remains singular in "car dealership".
He bought a kitchen table.
Он купил кухонный стол.
"Kitchen" is singular even though many kitchens may contain such tables.
The company opened a customer service center.
Компания открыла центр обслуживания клиентов.
"Customer" is singular in the noun combination "customer service".
The city built a new bus station.
Город построил новый автовокзал.
"Bus" remains singular even though many buses use the station.
Some modifier nouns remain plural because they exist mainly or only in the plural form.
Examples include sports car, arms race, clothes shop and customs officer.
He bought a sports car.
Он купил спортивный автомобиль.
"Sports" remains plural because it is established in this expression.
The country is involved in an arms race.
Страна участвует в гонке вооружений.
"Arms" remains plural in the established expression "arms race".
She works at a clothes store.
Она работает в магазине одежды.
"Clothes" is normally plural and remains plural when it modifies "store".
The customs officer checked my passport.
Таможенник проверил мой паспорт.
"Customs" is an established plural-form noun and remains plural in "customs officer".
The company sells sports equipment.
Компания продает спортивное оборудование.
"Sports" remains plural in "sports equipment".
The city opened a new public records office.
Город открыл новый офис государственных архивов.
"Records" remains plural because it refers to multiple official records.
The store has a large savings account section.
В магазине есть большой отдел сберегательных счетов.
"Savings" remains plural in the established expression "savings account".
He works in the human resources department.
Он работает в отделе кадров.
"Resources" remains plural in the established term "human resources".
Nouns expressing measurement often modify another noun.
Examples include a five-kilometer race, a ten-dollar bill and a two-hour meeting.
We ran a five-mile race.
Мы участвовали в забеге на пять миль.
"Five-mile" is a compound measurement used before the noun "race"; "mile" stays singular.
I bought a ten-dollar bill.
Я получил десятидолларовую купюру.
"Ten-dollar" functions as a modifier, so "dollar" is singular.
We had a two-hour meeting.
У нас было двухчасовое собрание.
"Two-hour" modifies "meeting", so "hour" remains singular.
The hotel is a fifteen-minute drive from the airport.
Отель находится в пятнадцати минутах езды от аэропорта.
"Fifteen-minute" is a measurement modifier with singular "minute".
She bought a six-foot table.
Она купила стол длиной шесть футов.
"Six-foot" is a measurement modifier; "foot" remains singular.
The company built a three-story office building.
Компания построила трехэтажное офисное здание.
"Three-story" is a compound modifier with singular "story".
We bought a twenty-pound bag of dog food.
Мы купили двадцатифунтовый пакет корма для собак.
"Twenty-pound" functions as a modifier, so "pound" is singular.
The project requires a six-month schedule.
Для проекта нужен график на шесть месяцев.
"Six-month" is a compound modifier, so "month" remains singular.
English allows several nouns to appear before the head noun.
Examples include computer software development company and city transport planning committee. Long noun strings should be used carefully to maintain clarity.
She works for a software development company.
Она работает в компании по разработке программного обеспечения.
"Software development company" contains several nouns before the head noun "company".
The city approved a new public transportation plan.
Город утвердил новый план общественного транспорта.
"Public transportation plan" contains multiple modifiers before the head noun "plan".
The company hired a customer support team manager.
Компания наняла менеджера команды поддержки клиентов.
"Customer support team manager" contains several modifiers and can require context to interpret clearly.
We need a new product quality control system.
Нам нужна новая система контроля качества продукции.
"Product quality control system" contains several nouns before the head noun "system".
The university created a student housing development plan.
Университет разработал план развития студенческого жилья.
"Student housing development plan" contains several noun modifiers.
The company announced a new employee benefits program.
Компания объявила о новой программе льгот для сотрудников.
"Employee benefits program" contains two noun modifiers before "program".
The city transport planning committee met yesterday.
Вчера собрался комитет по планированию городского транспорта.
"City transport planning committee" contains several modifiers before the head noun "committee".
The software security testing process takes several weeks.
Процесс тестирования безопасности программного обеспечения занимает несколько недель.
"Software security testing process" is a long noun string and is best understood by identifying the head noun "process".
A noun modifier describes a type or category, while a possessive noun expresses ownership or relationship.
Compare children's hospital (hospital for children) with the children's hospital (hospital belonging to the children).
She works at a children's hospital.
Она работает в детской больнице.
"Children's hospital" is a classification: a hospital intended for children.
The children's hospital was built in 1995.
Детская больница была построена в 1995 году.
Here "children's" identifies the people the hospital serves; it does not normally mean ownership.
The children's toys are on the floor.
Игрушки детей лежат на полу.
"Children's toys" expresses possession or association with the children.
She bought a women's magazine.
Она купила женский журнал.
"Women's magazine" describes the intended readership rather than literal ownership.
The women's bags were left in the room.
Сумки женщин остались в комнате.
"Women's bags" can express possession because the bags belong to the women.
The company has a customer service department.
В компании есть отдел обслуживания клиентов.
"Customer service department" classifies the department by its function.
The customer's complaint was recorded.
Жалоба клиента была зарегистрирована.
"Customer's complaint" expresses possession or association with one specific customer.
We visited a teachers' college.
Мы посетили педагогический колледж.
"Teachers' college" is a classification naming the type or purpose of the college.
Nouns and adjectives may both modify nouns, but they have different grammatical functions.
Compare stone wall with strong wall and history teacher with historical teacher.
The house has a stone wall.
У дома каменная стена.
"Stone" is a noun used as a modifier describing the material.
The house has a strong wall.
У дома прочная стена.
"Strong" is an adjective describing a quality of the wall.
She is a history teacher.
Она учитель истории.
"History" is a noun modifying "teacher" and identifies the subject taught.
She is a historical researcher.
Она исторический исследователь.
"Historical" is an adjective describing the researcher.
He bought a leather jacket.
Он купил кожаную куртку.
"Leather" is a noun modifier describing the material.
He bought a warm jacket.
Он купил теплую куртку.
"Warm" is an adjective describing a quality of the jacket.
She works in the computer industry.
Она работает в компьютерной индустрии.
"Computer" is a noun used as a modifier.
She bought a new computer.
Она купила новый компьютер.
"New" is an adjective describing the computer.
Noun + noun combinations usually receive primary stress on the first noun.
Compare GREENhouse (building) with green HOUSE (a house that is green).
The GREENhouse is full of plants.
Теплица заполнена растениями.
"Greenhouse" normally has the main stress on the first element because it is a compound noun.
The house is GREEN.
Дом зеленый.
"Green house" in this meaning is an adjective + noun combination, with stress depending on the intended contrast.
I parked near the BUS stop.
Я припарковался возле автобусной остановки.
"Bus stop" normally receives stronger stress on "bus".
The POST office closes at five.
Почта закрывается в пять.
"Post office" normally has main stress on the first noun.
She bought a BLACKbird book for her child.
Она купила книгу о черных дроздах для ребенка.
"Blackbird" has compound stress because it refers to the established bird name.
The artist painted a BLACK bird.
Художник нарисовал черную птицу.
"Black bird" is a descriptive phrase rather than the compound noun "blackbird".
The software UPDATE caused a problem.
Обновление программного обеспечения вызвало проблему.
"Software update" normally has the strongest stress on the first noun.
The wall is made of RED brick.
Стена сделана из красного кирпича.
"Red brick" is not the same kind of lexicalized compound as a fixed noun+noun expression.
Some noun combinations become fixed vocabulary items with meanings that are not entirely predictable.
Examples include blackboard, football and breakfast.
The teacher wrote on the blackboard.
Учитель писал на доске.
"Blackboard" is a fixed compound noun with an established meaning.
They played football after school.
Они играли в футбол после школы.
"Football" is a lexicalized compound noun.
Breakfast is at seven tomorrow.
Завтрак завтра в семь.
"Breakfast" is a lexicalized compound whose meaning is not simply the sum of "break" and "fast".
The children are playing in the backyard.
Дети играют во дворе.
"Backyard" is a fixed compound noun.
We missed the deadline.
Мы пропустили крайний срок.
"Deadline" has an established meaning as a fixed compound.
She gave me a haircut yesterday.
Она вчера подстригла меня.
"Haircut" is a fixed compound noun.
The newspaper arrived this morning.
Газета пришла сегодня утром.
"Newspaper" is a lexicalized compound noun.
He put the suitcase in the bedroom.
Он поставил чемодан в спальню.
"Bedroom" is a fixed compound noun with an established meaning.
Keep the modifier noun singular in most noun+noun combinations and distinguish classification from possession.
Common mistakes include using unnecessary plural modifiers, confusing possessives with noun modifiers and placing stress on the wrong word.
She works at a shoe store.
Она работает в обувном магазине.
Use the singular modifier "shoe", not "shoes", in the normal noun+noun combination.
He drives a school bus.
Он водит школьный автобус.
Use the singular modifier "school", not "schools".
We had a two-hour meeting.
У нас было двухчасовое собрание.
In a measurement modifier, keep the unit singular: "two-hour", not "two-hours".
The children's hospital opened last year.
Детская больница открылась в прошлом году.
"Children's" here identifies the purpose of the hospital, not necessarily ownership.
The children's toys are on the floor.
Игрушки детей лежат на полу.
"Children's toys" expresses possession or association with the children.
She is a history teacher.
Она учитель истории.
"History" is a noun modifier; do not automatically replace it with the adjective "historical".
He bought a three-story house.
Он купил трехэтажный дом.
"Three-story" uses singular "story" because the measurement is functioning as a modifier.
The sports car is parked outside.
Спортивный автомобиль припаркован снаружи.
"Sports" is an established plural modifier and should not be changed to "sport" in this expression.