Compound nouns & dates
Two-word nouns; saying the date.
A compound noun is a noun made from two words put together. The two parts can be written as one word (toothbrush, classroom, football), as two separate words (bus stop, post office, swimming pool), or sometimes with a hyphen (check-in). The first word tells us what kind or what it is used for, and the second word is the main noun: 'tooth' + 'brush' = a brush for teeth. When we talk about dates, we use ordinal numbers: 1st (first), 2nd (second), 3rd (third), 4th (fourth), and so on. We say the ordinal number, then 'of', then the month: 'the fifth of June'. We can also say the month first: 'June the fifth' or write it as 'June 5th'. For years, we usually say them in two pairs of digits: 2005 = 'two thousand and five', 1999 = 'nineteen ninety-nine'. Always use 'the' before the ordinal number when speaking. For example: My birthday is on the third of October, and I keep my diary in my bookcase next to the window.
Rules
- 1A compound noun joins two words; the first word describes or limits the second: tooth + brush = toothbrush (a brush for your teeth).
- 2Compound nouns can be one word (football), two words (bus stop), or hyphenated (check-in); learn the spelling for each.
- 3When saying a date, use an ordinal number (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th…) and say 'of' between the day and month: the first of May.
- 4You can also say the month first, then the ordinal number: May the first; both orders are correct in spoken English.
- 5Years up to 1999 are said in two pairs (nineteen ninety-nine); from 2000, say 'two thousand and' + the rest (two thousand and six).
Practice
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