Question

what is a compound?How do we identify compound words?illustrate your answer with examples.

Answer 1

compound words are words with two meaning full words.we can identify them only by seeing that are there two words that make sense . example:

Answer 2

Definition : Compound words are combination of mainly two or more words constituting a new word. This combination or compounding of the words gives birth to a new word and creates a new meaning. 

Identifying Compound words : Compound words are classified in three categories:-

1. Closed compound words is a combination of two words and are written as a single word without any space between them.

Examples of Closed Compound Words: Football, Earthquake, Upstream , Grasshopper, Playthings.

a. There was an earthquake in Japan.

b. Grasshopper is a usual sight near the farmyard.

2. Open compound words are mentioned as two separate words with a space between them. 

Examples of Open Compound Words : High School, Health Care, Ice Cream, Post Office, Attorney General

a. The Oscars were announced by the Grand Jury. 

b. James graduated to high school.

3. Hyphenated compound words are joined  by a hyphen.

Examples of Hyphenated Compound Words- Court-Martial, Well-being, Over-the-Counter, Father-in-law, Merry-go-round

a. My father-in-law visited us last night
b. Ella was excited about the ride in the merry-go-round.

 * Additional Notes -

Writing a compound word in the right format can be tricky at times, as the same words differs depending on the context of the sentence. Therefore, to lessen the ambiguity, there are certain imperative tips to be kept in mind whilst constructing Compound words. They are –

1.    Varying compounds are usually hyphenated, mainly when they appear before a noun. Eg. James is a part-time employee.

2.    When they appear after the noun they have to be mentioned in the form of open compounds. Eg .The employee works part time

3.    Comparative and superlative adjectives are hyphenated when they are put together with other modifiers. Eg. Swarovski is a highly-priced brand of crystal.

4.    Words created with suffix –ly should not be hyphenated. Eg. Coarsely-hard mat was placed on the floor.

*  Regardless of all the rules, if the ambiguity still persists about how a compound word has to be written, refer to bible of vocabulary- The Dictionary.