compound words

In the sentence, 'We sat on the front porch of the beach house to watch the rain,' what type of compound word is front porch?

• Closed compound word

• Open compound word

• Hyphenated compound word

• It is not a compound word

Answer explanation

An open compound word is made of two separate words that function as a single unit of meaning, like 'front porch' and 'beach house'. A closed compound is one word (e.g., 'rainstorm'), and a hyphenated one uses a hyphen (e.g., 'well-behaved').

Which of the following is a closed compound word?

• ice cream

• post office

• living room

• sunflower

Answer explanation

'Sunflower' is a closed compound word, written as a single word. The other options ('ice cream', 'post office', 'living room') are all open compound words, written as two separate words.

Complete the sentence with the correctly formed compound word: The documentary was so _____ that I couldn't stop thinking about it.

• thoughtprovoking

• thought provoking

• thought-provoking

• thought provokingly

Answer explanation

When a compound word is used as an adjective before a noun (here, implicitly modifying 'documentary'), it should be hyphenated. 'Thought provokingly' is an adverb, and 'thought provoking' is an unhyphenated form used after a noun.

True or False: The word 'notebook' is an example of an open compound word.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The statement is false. 'Notebook' is a closed compound word because it is formed by joining 'note' and 'book' into a single word. An example of an open compound word is 'high school'.

The students have a special _____ club that meets on Tuesdays.

• after-school

• after school

• afterschool

• after schools

Answer explanation

When used as an adjective before a noun ('club'), the compound should be hyphenated: 'after-school'. The phrase 'after school' functions as an adverb (e.g., 'We meet after school'), and 'afterschool' is an alternative form, but 'after-school' is the standard adjectival form.

In the sentence 'The lifeguard told the children to stay away from the deep end of the pool,' which word is a closed compound noun?

• lifeguard

• children

• deep end

• pool

Answer explanation

A closed compound noun is a single word formed from two or more words. 'Lifeguard' ('life' + 'guard') is a closed compound. 'Deep end' is an open compound noun, while 'children' and 'pool' are simple nouns.

My little sister is afraid of the dark, so she always leaves the door to her _____ slightly open.

• bed-room

• sleeproom

• bedroom

• bed room

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'bedroom,' a closed compound noun. 'Bed room' is an incorrect open form, 'bed-room' is incorrectly hyphenated, and 'sleeproom' is not a standard English word.

In the sentence, 'The team's star player is the backbone of their defense,' what is the meaning of the compound noun 'backbone'?

• A part of the skeleton

• The main support or most important part

• A type of book binding

• The rear section of something

Answer explanation

The compound noun 'backbone' is used figuratively here to mean the primary support or foundation of the defense. While it can mean a literal part of a skeleton, the context of the sentence points to its figurative meaning.

Complete the sentence with the correct compound noun: Don't forget to pack your _____ for the trip to the pool.

• swim suit

• bathing-suit

• swimsuit

• swimming suit

Answer explanation

'Swimsuit' is the standard closed compound noun. While 'swim suit' and 'swimming suit' are sometimes used, 'swimsuit' is the most common and correct form. 'Bathing-suit' is an incorrect hyphenation of 'bathing suit'.

A person who fights fires for a living is known as a _____.

• fire fighter

• fire-fighter

• firefighter

• firelighter

Answer explanation

The correct compound noun is 'firefighter,' a closed compound word. 'Fire fighter' (open) and 'fire-fighter' (hyphenated) are nonstandard forms. A 'firelighter' is a material used to start a fire, not a person.