Introducing the Topic
Tell your students that a compound noun is a noun that is made up of two or more nouns. The first noun describes the second noun in some way.
A compound noun can be:
one word: password, website
two words: business school, labor union, market sector
a hyphenated word: fund-raiser
Explain that compound nouns function as a single unit and that the stress is almost always on the first word of the compound noun.
For example:
WEBsite
SAFEty issue
CHILD labor
MARketplace
TAX advantage
Compound Nouns
Go over some compound nouns used in business and point out that the stress is almost always on the first word of the compound noun. Then have students do the practice activity below.
Compound Nouns |
accounting firm advertising agency age discrimination balance sheet bank loan benefits package business ethics business model business school business trip businessman business people businesswoman child labor conference room copyright credit card debit card employee benefits government regulation health care home page human resources human rights internet marketing labor market labor union manufacturing facilities market sector marketplace mission statement operating costs opportunity cost passport password performance review pyramid scheme retirement planning risk management safety issue sales practices shareholders stakeholders stock broker stock exchange stock market tax advantages tax breaks tax payments television commercial time management trademark trade secrets web page website workforce workplace safety |
Practice
Practice saying the sentences below, focusing on putting the stress in the correct place.
1. I struggle with time management, so I’m trying to limit the amount of time I spend on websites that aren’t related to work.
2. I need my passport for my upcoming business trip.
3. Their benefits package includes health insurance and other employee benefits.
4. We’ve redone the homepage on our website.
5. Workplace safety is a big issue for us, and we always try to identify potential safety risks in our manufacturing facilities.
6. The accounting firm has performance reviews in May and December.
7. Thousands of stock brokers work at the New York Stock Exchange.
8. We proudly display our mission statement in all our conference rooms.
9. There is a rumor of new government regulations which might affect our tax advantages.
10. They refuse to do business with any suppliers that use child labor.
11. Is this a credit card or a debit card?