Collins Cobuild English Grammar (17 page)
Read Collins Cobuild English Grammar Online
Authors: Collins
Here is a list of frequent nouns based on phrasal verbs. They are shown in this list in the form in which they are most frequently written, either with a hyphen or as one word.
backup
bailout
blackout
breakaway
breakdown
break-in
breakout
break-up
build-up
buyout
check-in
checkout
check-up
comeback
countdown
cover-up
crackdown
cutbacks
drawback
feedback
follow-up
giveaway
handout
kick-off
lead-up
lookout
make-up
meltdown
mix-up
passer-by
run-in
runner-up
run-off
run-up
sell-out
setback
set-up
show-off
slowdown
takeaway
take-off
turnover
warm-up
For more information about phrasal verbs, see paragraphs
3.83
to
3.116
.
USAGE NOTE
1.90
In some cases, the meaning of a compound noun is not obvious from the words it consists of.
For example, someone’s
mother tongue
is not the tongue of their mother but the language they learn as a child, and an
old hand
is not a hand that is old but a person who is experienced at doing a particular job.
In other cases, the compound noun consists of words that do not occur on their own, for example
hanky-panky
,
hodge-podge
, and
argy-bargy
. These nouns are usually used in informal conversation rather than formal writing.
Most of what he said was a load of
hocus-pocus
.
She is usually involved in some sort of
jiggery-pokery
.
plural forms
1.91
The plural forms of compound nouns vary according to the type of words that they consist of. If the final word of a compound noun is a countable noun, the plural form of the countable noun is used when the compound noun is plural.
Air raids
were taking place every night.
…
health centres
, banks,
post offices
, and
police stations
.
Loud voices could be heard through
letter boxes
.
…the refusal of dockers to use
fork-lift trucks
.
For full information about the plural forms of countable nouns, see the Reference Section.
Compound nouns that are directly related to phrasal verbs usually have a plural form ending in
-s
.
Nobody seems disturbed about
cover-ups
when they are essential to the conduct of a war.
Naturally, I think people who drive smarter, faster cars than mine are
show-offs
.
A few compound nouns are less directly related to phrasal verbs, and consist of a countable noun and an adverb. In these cases, the plural form of the countable noun is used before the adverb when the compound noun is plural.
For example, the plural of
runner-up
is
runners-up
, and the plural of
summing-up
is
summings-up
.
Passers-by
helped the victim, who was unconscious.
Compound nouns that consist of two nouns linked by the prepositions
of
or
in
, or a noun followed by
to-be
, have a plural form in which the first noun in the compound is plural.
I like
birds of prey
and hawks particularly.
She was treated with contempt by her
sisters-in-law
.
Most
mothers-to-be
in their forties opt for this test.
Some compound nouns have been borrowed from other languages, mainly French and Latin, and therefore do not have normal English plural forms.
Agents provocateurs
were sent to cause trouble.
The
nouveaux riches
of younger states are building palatial mansions for themselves.
1.92
Compound nouns are fixed expressions. However, nouns can always be used in front of other nouns in order to refer to something in a more specific way. For the use of nouns as
modifiers
, see paragraphs
2.169
to
2.174
.
Talking about people and things without naming them: pronouns
1.93
When you use language, both in speech and writing, you constantly refer to things you have already mentioned or are about to mention.
You can do this by repeating the noun phrase, but unless there is a special reason to do so, you are more likely to use a
pronoun
instead.
Pronouns make statements less repetitive.
John took the book and opened
it
.
Deborah recognized the knife as
hers
.
Shilton was pleased with
himself
.
This
is a very busy place.
However, if you have mentioned two or more different things, you usually have to repeat the noun phrase to make it clear which thing you are now talking about.
Leaflets and scraps of papers were scattered all over the floor. I started to pick up
the leaflets
.
I could see a lorry and a car.
The lorry
stopped.
For other ways of talking about things that have already been mentioned, see paragraphs
10.2
to
10.39
.
types of pronoun
1.94
There are several different types of pronoun:
personal pronouns
. See paragraphs
1.95
to
1.106
.
possessive pronouns
. See paragraphs
1.107
to
1.110
.
