Compound Noun Agreement
Essential Question
How do we make compound nouns and verbs make sense together in our sentences?
Grammar in the World
Created by Mizzou Academy
It's easy to mix up compound nouns all on their own, so things can get even more complicated when you're trying to choose the right form of verb to use along with it. Try the "What Do I Know" section to see how much you already know about compound noun agreement!
What Do I Know?
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What do you already know about how subjects and verbs work together in sentences? Take this quiz to find out.
Look at each pair of sentences. Choose the one that has the correct subject-verb agreement.
Building Blocks
Grammar is a complex system and structure of language. Mizzou Academy Grammar Lab spotlights one skill (or block) at a time, but it’s often helpful to see how a skill works together with other, related blocks to build the language structure as a whole. You may find the following resource topics helpful as context for this lesson:
- Parts of Speech
- Nouns
- Count and Noncount Nouns
- Collective Nouns
- Verbs
- Verb Tenses
- Subject-Verb Agreement (Singular and Plural Nouns)
Learn About Compound Noun Agreement
A compound noun is a noun formed by combining two or more words. Examples of compound nouns are haircut, rainfall, and son-in-law. Usually, the meaning of the compound word is different than the meaning of the two words used by themselves. For example, “hair” and “cut” by themselves have completely different meanings than the word “haircut” as a compound noun.
There are three ways that you can make compound nouns:
|
Single Word |
Two Words |
Hyphenated |
|
homework |
Oprah Winfrey |
father-in-law |
|
bathtub |
Taj Mahal |
twelve-year-old |
|
girlfriend |
bus stop |
right-of-way |
|
sunflower |
high school |
merry-go-round |
Just as with non-compound nouns, the subjects and verbs must match—they are either singular or plural. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. When a compound noun is a single word, we usually make it plural by adding an -s.
- The sunflowers in the field look beautiful.
sunflowers = plural subject
look = plural verb
When a compound noun is hyphenated or is made up of two words, it’s a little trickier. In this case, you only add an -s to the word that is plural.
- Aidan’s two brothers-in-law are going to the game with him this weekend.
There are not two laws going to the game, but there are two brothers.
Brothers-in-law = plural subject
are going = plural verb
More examples of both singular and compound nouns are included in the table below.
|
Singular Compound Noun S-V Agreement |
Plural Compound Noun S-V Agreement |
|
The washing machine is broken. |
The washing machines are broken. |
|
A seashell is easy to find on the beaches of Sanibel Island. |
Seashells are easy to find on the beaches of Sanibel Island. |
|
My sister-in-law is helping me plan an anniversary party for my parents. |
My sisters-in-law are helping me plan an anniversary party for my parents. |
|
An annual health checkup is important for pets. |
Annual health checkups are important for pets. |
|
That fish tank is full of fish. |
Those fish tanks are full of fish. |
Do I Get It?
What have you learned about compound noun agreement? Take this quiz to check your understanding.
Read each sentence and choose the correct verb that agrees in number (singular or plural) with the compound noun subject.