Form and use plurals of compound nouns

Key Notes :

What are Compound Nouns?

👉 A compound noun is a noun made up of two or more words joined together to create a single meaning.
Examples: 🎒 school bus, 🦆 mother-in-law, ✈️ airplane ticket

How to Make Plurals of Compound Nouns?

1️⃣ Add “-s” to the main word (the most important word) 📝

• Example:
  • brother-in-law → brothers-in-law 👨‍👨‍👦
  • runner-up → runners-up 🏃

2️⃣ Add “-s” to the last word (if the last word is the main noun) 📦

• Example:
  • bookstore → bookstores 📚
  • toothbrush → toothbrushes 🪥

3️⃣ Change the main word into plural (irregular forms) 🔄

• Example:
  • manservant → menservants 👨‍🔧
  • woman doctor → women doctors 👩‍⚕️

4️⃣ If both words are nouns, sometimes both take plural 👯

• Example:
  • man-child → men-children 👨🧒
  • coat-of-arms → coats-of-arms 🛡️

Tips 💡

✅ Always check which word carries the main meaning of the compound noun.
✅ Add plural to that word, not always the last one.
✅ Some compound nouns just follow regular rules (notebooks → notebooks).

🌟 Examples in Sentences 🌟

📖 My brothers-in-law are very friendly.
🛒 We bought two shopping carts at the store.
👮 The policemen arrested the thieves.
👶 The village has many men-children.

✨📚 Remember: The plural of a compound noun depends on its structure. Always look for the head word (the most important part).

Let’s practice!✒️