Although this might not count an answer directly concerning your question, I think some nouns

perform as adjectives when collocating suitably with a second noun. In this case the first noun is
called an attributive noun. The following is the way my Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
[11th edition] briefly puts it:
[Some nouns are] often used as an adjective equivalent in attributive position before another noun:

1 bottle ... noun, often attrib.

business ... noun, often attrib.
Examples of attributive use of these nouns are bottle opener and business ethics.
Similarly some attributive collocations of the words you mentioned can be:

earning: earning power/capacity

teacher: teacher appraisal
With that said, the following is what I could find from concise oxford dictionary [10th edition]. [to
my eye most of them seem rare/odd/awkward like teacherly]
father: fatherly fatherlike, fatherless.
wife: wifeless, wifely.
teacher: teacherly.
Note, too, that in some instances the conversion of a noun to an adjective may not use the original
noun. For example, needing an adjective for "wife", some would choose to use the word spousal.
Similarly, referring to a teacher, one might use the term didactic. If "country" is used to refer to a
nation state, the word national might be used; but if it "country" is used to mean "non-urban", the
adjective rural might be used.
The bottom line is, a word doesn't necessarily need to be in adjective form to act as an adjective.

[waiting for natives!]

Some adjectives can be identified by their endings. Typical adjective endings include:

1. -able/-ible understandable, capable, readable, incredible

2. -al mathematical, functional, influential, chemical
3. -ful beautiful, bashful, helpful, harmful
4. -ic artistic, manic, rustic, terrific
5. -ive submissive, intuitive, inventive, attractive
6. -less sleeveless, hopeless, groundless, restless
7. -ous gorgeous, dangerous, adventurous, fabulous
Sometimes when adding these endings changes have to be made. Here are some rules for forming
adjectives and their exceptions:

Add Exceptions Word Adjective

Nature Natural
-al If ending with an ‘e‘, drop it
Function Functional

Ice Icy
-y If ending with an ‘e‘, drop it
Oil Oily

Beauty Beautiful
-ful If ending with a ‘y‘, replace with an ‘i‘
Peace Peaceful

Mystery Mysterious
-ous/-ious If ending with a ‘y‘, drop it
Danger Dangerous

History Historic
-ic If ending with a ‘y‘, drop it
Rust Rustic

Forming adjectives from nouns and verbs

Adjectives can be formed from different words. They can be formed from nouns:
Noun Adjective

accident accidental

danger dangerous
Noun Adjective

length long

star starry

wind windy

From verbs:
Verb Adjective

enjoy enjoyable

help helpful

obey obedient

play playful

talk talkative

Or even from other adjectives:

Adjective Adjective
Adjective Adjective

comic comical

correct corrective

elder elderly

red reddish

sick sickly

Examples of forming adjectives

1. Our house color is a kind of yellow. → We live in a yellowish house.
2. He often acts like a child. → He often acts in a childish way.
3. The event was a big success. → We enjoyed a successful event.
4. We enjoyed the sound of the drum’s rhythm. → We enjoyed the drum’s rhythmic sound.
5. She adopted a dog without a home. → She adopted a homeless dog.
6. Look out, that plant is poison. → Look out for that poisonous plant.
7. It looks like it will rain today. → It looks like we’ll have rainy weather today.
8. She always acts with courtesy. → She always behaves in a courteous manner.
9. Her hair is pretty. → She has the prettiest hair.
10. We go for a walk each day. → We go for a daily walk.
What are Compound Words?
Compound words are formed when two or more words are put together to form a new
word with a new meaning. They can function as different parts of speech, which can
dictate what form the compound takes on. For example, the word carry over is an open
compound word when it’s used as a verb but it is closed when used as a noun and an a
adjective.

This surplus will carry over to next season.

The extra supplies were part of the carryover from the budget.

Compound words are so prevalent in the English language we don’t think much about
them – until it’s time to write them. Then we often have to stop and think about how
they’re put together.

Examples of Compound Words

Compound words fall within three categories and it’s not unusual to find the same word
in more than one group. Here are the three types of compound words with an
explanation and examples of each:

Closed compound words are formed when two unique words are joined together.
They don’t have a space between them and they are the type that generally comes to
mind when we think of compound words. For example:

Cannot Baseball

Fireworks Grandmother

Elsewhere Upside

Together Sunflower

Crosswalk Become

Basketball Moonlight

Football Railroad
Anybody Weatherman

Skateboard Earthquake

Everything Sometimes

Schoolhouse Upstream

Fireflies Grasshopper

Inside Playthings

I love the fireworks on the fourth of July.

Make sure you hold hands when you come to the crosswalk.

The ocean was bathed in moonlight.

Did you hear amount the terrible earthquake?

The fireflies buzzed in the night sky.

Open compound words have a space between the words but when they are read
together a new meaning is formed:

Ice cream Grand jury

Cave in Post office

Real estate Middle class

Full moon Attorney general

Half sister

Ice cream is my favorite dessert.

The line at the post office snaked all the way out the door and around the corner.

Rhonda is my half sister.

There must be a full moon out tonight.

Hyphenated compound words are connected by a hyphen. To avoid confusion,

modifying compounds are often hyphenated, especially when they precede a noun such
as in the case of part-time teacher, high-speed chase, and fifty-yard dash. When they
come after the noun they are open compounds: a chase that is high speed, a teacher
that is part time, etc. Comparative and superlative adjectives are hyphenated when they
are compounded with other modifiers: the highest-priced computer, the lower-priced
car. Adverbs that end in –ly and compounded with another modifier are not modified: a
highly rated restaurant, a publicly held meeting.

Here are more examples of hyphenated compound words.

One-half Mother-in-law

Eighty-six One-third

Merry-go-round Well-being

Mass-produced Over-the-counter

Daughter-in-law

My mother-in-law is coming for a visit.

The merry-go-round at the carnival thrilled Ella.

Some over-the-counter drugs can have serious side effects.

If you’re concerned for your well-being make sure you eat healthy foods and get plenty
of exercise.

It’s true the rules for compound words can be a bit ambiguous at times. The best thing
to do when you have a question about a compound word is look it up. Often times you’ll
find options with the preferred choice listed first. The bottom line is that the only way to
know for sure how to spell compounds is to consult an authoritative source: a good
dictionary.
A compound noun contains two or more words which join together to make a single noun.
Compound nouns can be words written together, words that are hyphenated, or separate
words that go together by meaning.

What Is a Compound Noun

Most compound nouns contain at least one noun. The other word or words may be an
adjective, preposition, or verb. The second word is almost always the main word, with the
first word modifying it or adding to its meaning.
Compound words, a large group of words to which compound nouns belong, are expressed
in three ways.
 Closed form - has two words that have melded together to make one word, like: softball,
redhead, makeup, and keyboard.
 Hyphenated form examples are: six-pack, five-year-old, and son-in-law.
 Open form - has the words next to each other, like: post office, upper class, and
attorney general.
Sometimes, the hyphen disappears as the word is more widely used, and it becomes a
closed word.

Compound Noun List

Here are types of compound words and examples. The asterisks indicate types of
compound words that may be compound nouns.
 adjective/adjective - blue-green,
 adjective/noun - blackboard, full moon
 adjective/preposition - forthwith
 adjective/verb - dry-cleaning, highlight
 noun/adjective - snow white
 noun/noun - toothpaste, football, fish tank
 noun/preposition (adverb) - love-in, hanger on, passer-by
 noun/verb - haircut, browbeat, rainfall
 preposition/adjective - over-ripe
 preposition (adverb)/noun - underground, underworld, bystander, onlooker
 preposition/preposition - without
 preposition (adverb)/verb - output, undercut, outlook, overthrow
 verb/adjective - tumbledown
 verb/noun - swimming pool, breakwater, washing machine
 verb/preposition (adverb) - takeout, check-in, drawback, lookout
 verb/verb - freeze-dry

Plural and Possessive Rules

There are no hard and fast rules concerning plurals of compound words, especially since
some hyphens are omitted after time. In hyphenated words, usually the “s” goes at the end
of the main word, like daughters-in-law or mayors-elect. Sometimes it is at the end, like in
go-betweens and higher-ups. In the open form, the “s” is added to the main word, like: bills
of fare, assistant secretaries of state, and notaries public.
To make a compound word possessive, you usually add an apostrophe “s” at the end of the
word, like: mother-in-law’s car or five-year-old’s birthday. If the compound word is plural, it
can get a little strange with two “s” sounds close together, like: “fathers-in-law’s attire”. If you
can, it would be better to reword the sentence so the plural compound word does not need
to be possessive, like: “The attire of the fathers-in-law.”

Vocabulary Building and Reading Comprehension

The meaning of unknown words which you come across in your reading sometimes can be
known by their surroundings, that is, their contexts. The context of the sentence can tell us
the part of speech of the unknown word. Using the context of the paragraph to define
unknown words can also helpful.

Although it takes practice, it is the easiest and most efficient way to identify words. Often,
using the context is the only way to figure out the meaning of the word as it is used in the
sentence, passage, or chapter.

Consider the word "bar". Bar is a common word. But without surrounding words, you don't
know if it describes soap, a place that serves beer, a sand formation at the beach, a way to
lock the door, or...

Readers often have trouble because they identify the literal but incorrect meaning of a word
when they should identify the way it was used in the passage. The following sections will
give you more explanation and some exercises on how to get help on the meaning of
unknown words by checking their part of speech and their place in context.

A. Using The Part of Speech of the unknown word as a help in reading.

One consideration in using the context is to determine the unknown word's part of speech.
The words around the unknown word give you clues. Once you know if the word is a noun
or if it is an adjective, it often is enough for you to continue reading intelligently without
having to stop to look up the meaning of the word. After coming across the word a few
more times, you will know its meaning more firmly than if you had just looked it up.

In the following sentences, identify the part of speech of the italicized words by writing N if
the word is a noun, V if the italicized word is a verb, Adj if the italicized word is an
adjective, or Adv if the italicized word is an adverb.

Example: She liked to wear red and always wore jewelry made of carnelian. Ans. N

1. The dirty old man gave the young woman a salacious look.

2. The president prayed for the sagacity to make the right decision in the face of many
alternatives.

3. The man looked at the rusty old gadget and wondered how its mechanism worked.

4. The dying man designated his son to receive his property.

5. The brindled dog barked loudly.

6. The father caressed his crying child with great tenderness.

7. "Don’t patronize us; we are not children!" said the angry indigenous leaders to the
politicians.

8. John was a good emanuensis, always taking dictation correctly and typing up all of his
employer’s correspondence.

9. The boy was disappointed by the paltry amount he received as an inheritance when his
grandfather died.

10. The young boy ran clumsily down the hill with his arms and legs flapping all over.

B. USING OTHER CLUES GOTTEN FROM THE TEXT ITSELF

Knowing the part of speech of the unknown word is not the only way to figure out its
meaning. There are other clues to the meanings of unknown words. They are found directly
within a sentence, paragraph, passage, or chapter. Being able to recognize these clues
helps you define new words in context. These clues are found right in the text and can be
words or punctuation marks or specific words or phrases.

You use them to compare words or to identify unknown words that mean the same or the
opposite of words you already know. The clues can also be used to define unknown words
that are examples of a group.

There are five other clues that will help you: 1. Punctuation clues, 2. Definition clues, 3.
Contrast clues, 4.Comparison clues, and 5. Example clues.

Of these types, the most important are the Contrast clues and the Comparison Clues. The
other clues are very obvious and are given here just for the sake of completeness. The
reader should concentrate on the Contrast and the Comparison clues.

The five text based clues are useful but the most powerful tool is the Framework based clue.
This is the use of information from your own experience, common sense, and the context in
which you find the difficult word. There will be examples of this tool at the end of the
paper.

1. Punctuation Clues

Punctuation clues are given when the unknown word is set off by commas, parentheses,
brackets, or dashes. The information contained within the punctuation marks sometimes
means the same or nearly the same as the unknown words. Or, the unknown word might be
set off from its meaning by punctuation marks. Information set off by punctuation marks
may clarify rather than define the word. Finding these clues is not foolproof.

Example of Punctuation Clue: Nicotine, a colorless and oily drug in tobacco, stains the teeth
of chain smokers. Explanation: The words between the commas-a colorless and oily drug in
tobacco-define nicotine .

Punctuation Exercise: Underline the punctuation clue that tells you the meaning of the
italicized word.

1. The soldiers advanced down the small deep-sided gulch (a narrow valley) into an
ambush.

2. The philosopher Descartes helped to establish dualism (the separation of mind and
body).

3. Metamemory -knowledge about one's memory processes-is helpful in helping us store

and recall information.

4. Adjunct aids-techniques used to assist students' comprehension of reading materials-

have been found to be quite useful.

5. The deluge, a flood of rain, threatened to drown the little town.

2. Definition Clues

Definition clues join the unknown word with the word(s) that rename it or tell its meaning.
The clues precede or follow words that are or act like linking verbs. A linking verb shows no
action but indicates being.

Examples of these verbs are: is, was, are, means, i.e. (that is), involves, is called, that is,
or resembles.

For example: The mansion's piazza resembled a large uncovered patio. Explanation: The
word resembled joins piazza with its meaning so it is a clue that lets us know that a piazza
is a large uncovered patio.

Definition Exercise: Use definition text-based clues to find the meaning of the italicized
word. Underline the word (or words) that tells you the meaning of the italicized word.
1. The art, science, or profession of teaching is called pedagogy.

2. Divergent thinking is generating many different ideas in order to solve a problem.

3. Conservative behavior involves cautious or conventional actions.

4. The seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia is a monsoon.

5. Criterion means a standard or rule by which a judgment is formed.

6. A souk is an open-air marketplace in North Africa.

3. Contrast Clues

With contrast clues, you use the opposite of known information to determine the unknown
word. Connecting words like however, yet, on the other hand, instead of, but, while, and
although join the unknown word with another word that is its opposite.

Example of Contrast Clue:

My sister is extremely neat in appearance while she is slovenly in her housekeeping.

Explanation: The word "while" indicates that slovenly means the opposite of neat. Thus,
slovenly means sloppy or messy.

Contrast Exercise: Determine the meaning of the italicized word by using contrast text-
based clues. Exercise Example: Although the patron asked for a solemn poem, the poet
wrote doggerel.

1.The tumor was benign; nevertheless, the doctor decided to treat it as if it could injure the
patient.

2.Some business disputes can be settled out of court; on the other hand; others
require litigation.

3. At first the labor union leaders and the factory owners argued about pay schedules and
benefits; however, they finally came to a compromise.

4. Gina's leg muscles continued to atrophy because of her injury, but she exercised to build
up their strength.

5. Carlos acquiesced to Jane's demands instead of standing his ground and defending his
viewpoint.

4. Comparison Clues

Comparison clues indicate that two or more things are alike. A comparison is possible
because the known and unknown words have similarities. Words like similarly, as well as,
both, and likewise show you that comparisons can be made.

Examples of Comparison Clue:

Miss Johnson is a prim, modest woman; likewise, many of her friends are very proper.
Explanation: Likewise is used to compare prim to proper. Proper means respectable. Thus,
prim has a similar meaning.

1. The Greek vase was made of alabaster; similarly, the Roman lamp was also of a
translucent, white stone.

2. Taking out the garbage was an onerous task; likewise, washing dishes can be a hard job.

3. Repartee, as well as other kinds of humorous conversation, kept the talk show from
becoming boring.

4. Birds are oviparous; similarly, fish and reptiles lay eggs that hatch outside of the body.

5. Both accountants and CPA’s are necessary for a large company’s financial office.

6. The old chair was protected by both handmade antimacassars and other coverings.

5. Example Clues

Example clues tell you an example of an unknown word follows. You derive the meaning of
the unknown word by determining what the examples have in common. Example clues are
usually introduced by the following words and phrases: such as, such, other, for example,
and like.

Example of "Example" Clue: Potentates-such as kings, queens, and emperors-are very

powerful and wealthy people. Explanation: Since kings, queens, and emperors are the rulers
of countries, potentates are rulers.

"Example" Clue EXERCISE: Underline the words that explain the italicized words.

Canines, such as collies, pugs, and poodles, are good pets.

Edifices, such as skyscrapers and condominiums, are found in cities.

Various means of conveyance-for example, cars, subways, and ships are used worldwide.

Nickels, dimes, dollars, and other kinds of legal tender are used to purchase goods.

Many people enjoy eating mollusks, like clams and snails.

Fiduciaries, like lawyers and bankers, were chosen to manage the young heir's money.

Framework Based Clues

To find meanings from text-based clues (like contrast clues, comparison clues, definition
clues, example clues), you looked for clues in the sentence itself. A second kind of clue does
not rely on specific words or punctuation marks to indicate meaning. This kind of context
clue is called framework-based

Your knowledge of the meanings of surrounding words helps you discover the meaning of a
word or of a sentence. The background information you find in these frameworks helps you
get the meanings of new words. Common sense and your knowledge of the parts of speech
also help in defining unknown words. You combine your experience with what the text
contains to determine meaning.

Framework Based Clue Example: The angry driver shouted vehemently during his fight with
the other driver. What does vehemently mean? You know what angry means, and you know
how people feel when they argue. From this, you can figure out that vehemently has
something to do with strong emotion or intense feeling. This is an example of using
framework-based context to find the meanings of new words. The meaning you find comes
from your personal experience.

Sometimes it takes a bit more detective work to puzzle out the meaning of an unfamiliar
word. In such cases, you must draw conclusions based on the information given with the
word. Asking yourself questions about the passages may help you make a fairly accurate
guess about the meaning of the unfamiliar word. Each of the sentences below is followed by
a question. Think about each question; using your common sense and asking yourself a
question about the sentence you should be able to know the correct meaning of the
italicized word.

1. A former employee, irate over having been fired, broke into the plant and deliberately
wrecked several machines. (What would be the employee's state of mind?)

2. John always praised his bosses; he always agreed with what they said. He said he was
just a good employee but his friends said he was a sycophant. (What behaviors were his
friends describing with the word they put on John?)

3. The car wash we organized to raise funds was a fiasco -it rained all day.

(How successful would a car wash be on a rainy day?)

The first sentence provides enough evidence for you to guess that irate means very angry.
Sycophant in the second sentence means sweet-talker. And a fiasco is a complete disaster.
(These are not exact dictionary definitions of the words. But by using context clues, but you
will often be accurate enough to make good sense of what you are reading. And the good
thing is that you save time in your reading because you don’t have to look up every word!)

Try to answer the question that follows each item of the list on the other side of this page.
Then use the logic of each answer to help you circle the letter of the meaning you think is
correct. Note that some of these sentences have been taken from college textbooks. This
should prove to you that your new skills in reading will help you in your college studies. In
the future you will be able to make up your own questions to help you.

1. Jamal didn't want to tell Tina the entire plot of the movie, so he just gave her the gist of
the story. (What would Jamal say to Tina?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

2. The lizard was so lethargic that I wasn't sure if it was alive or dead. It didn't even blink.
(How active is this lizard?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

3. After the accident, I was angered when the other driver told the police officer a
complete fabrication about what happened. He made it seem that I was the only person at
fault. (How truthful was the other driver's information?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

4. The public knows very little about the covert activities of CIA spies. (What kind of
activities would the CIA spies be involved in that the public wouldn't know much about?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

5. Whether or not there is life in outer space is an enigma. We may never know for sure
until we are capable of space travel or aliens actually land on our planet. (What would we
call something to which we have no answer?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

6. Suicide rates tend to fluctuate with the seasons, with much higher rates in the winter
than in the summer. (What happens to the suicide rate from season to season?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

7. Human beings are resilient creatures-they can often bounce back from negative
experiences and adjust well to life. (What point is the author making about the nature of
human beings ?

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

8. A major accomplishment of the field of sociology is dispelling the myths and prejudices
that groups of people have about each other. (What would teachers of sociology do to
"myths and prejudices" that could be considered a "major accomplishment"?)

Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

9. When he first heard the news that he had lost the job, Peter showed
a pugnacious attitude. But later when other alternatives were explained to him, he became
less hostile. (What attitude would you feel when you lose your job?
Answer the question: …………………………………………………………………

Meaning of the word: …………………………………………………………………

About the Author: Frank Gerace Ph.D has worked in Latin America on UN and national
Educational and Communication Projects, and has taught in Bolivian and Peruvian
Universities. He currently teaches English in New York City at La Guardia College/CUNY. He
provides resources on accent reduction and the proper American English accent
at http://www.GoodAccent.com

Source: www.isnare.com