Language focus 3: Nouns in

groups
There are several different ways of putting words together into a
phrase that functions as a whole. Here phrases that are formed around
a noun are considered.
When putting several nouns together, it is common to

use possessive s (e.g. his colleague's desk)

or noun + of + noun structure (e.g. the size of the hard disk,

the history of telecommunications)

It is also possible to use nouns to make compounds,

either by combining them with other nouns (multiple nouns)

or other word categories (multiple-word compounds).

1. Multiple nouns (noun + noun)

_______________________________________________________________________
Compounds are commonly formed by placing two or three nouns
together, one of which is the head of the phrase. The first noun
classifies the second, i.e. it is used attributively in other words, like
an adjective:
a credit card

a bank account

Sales

Department
a time limit

an information system

discount price
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Put these words into the right order to make acceptable noun phrases.
Find the head of the phrase first!
*trade *world
*centre

*consuming *procedure
*time

*users'
*habits

*making *decision
*process

*safety *built *features

*in

*relationship *effect
*and *cause

Handout 2b, Engleski jezik 1 PITUP (NP)

*PC

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2. Multiple-word compounds
______________________________________________________________________
a. Coming before a noun, other word categories and forms can be used
to classify the
noun.
verbs:

Recycle Bin

past participles:
-ing form:

sophisticated technology
call handling costs

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b.
Various multiple-word combinations of the above are common,
for example:
user-friendly interface

laboratory-tested product

five-

year contract
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3. On translating compounds
Note the order of elements in multiple nouns when compared to
Croatian:
informa
tion
1

technology

IT

developmen
t
1

inflatio
n
2

rate

databas
e
3

managemen
t
2

Handout 2b, Engleski jezik 1 PITUP (NP)

system
1

24

always look for the head of the noun phrase

break the expression into segments and find the head noun first.

sometimes you need to read the expression from the back towards
the front
the noun used attributively in front of another noun can be
translated as an
adjective (like in Croatian):
Information and Communications
Technology

3.1. Translating acronyms

In the acronyms below, the underlined word in each example is the
head (or keyword) of the phrase and as such also needs to be
stressed in pronunciation.
ISP Internet Service Provider
Processing Unit

CPU Central

URL Uniform Resource Locator

Management System

LMS Learning

In translating noun phrases, pay attention to the position of the head

of the phrase. In the Croatian version, you will often find the head at
the beginning of a phrase, although this is not necessarily the case.
Notice the position of the head of each of the English phrases below.

Complete the phrases below and translate them.

Example: Total Quality Management - TQM Potpuno upravljanje
kvalitetom

Phrase:

Acronym:

Total Quality Management

TQM

Strengths W______________ Opportunities

Threats analysis

SWOT analysis

Hypertext _____________ Protocol

HTTP

Break E_________ Point

BEP

North American Free T____________ Agreement

NAFTA

Handout 2b, Engleski jezik 1 PITUP (NP)

25

Organization for Economic C____________ and

Development

OECD

Initial P____________Offering

IPO

4. Practice multiple nouns and

compounds

Translate the following phrases into Croatian. Remember: look for

the head first!

a. on-site maintenance
b. PC-to-PC calls
c. MS-DOS based software
d. day-to-day decision making
e. fast-changing world of information technology
f.

random-access memory

g. top-secret military weapons development network

h. decision-making process
i.

the 1880 United States census

j.

client reservation times

k. information society
l.

knowledge society

m. cost-reduction results
n. European Credit Transfer System

Handout 2b, Engleski jezik 1 PITUP (NP)

26

Find 5 examples of multiple nouns or multiple word compounds

based on nouns in the passage below:
Automation does not only give flexibility to production, but it
can also cut down costly lead times in changing from one
production model to another, and it can control inventories to
provide a continuous flow of materials without expensive
storage requirements or investment in spare parts. Such
efficiencies

lower

production

costs

and

help

explain the

growing strength in world markets of the Japanese, who first

introduced the practice.

Handout 2b, Engleski jezik 1 PITUP (NP)

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