Template:Noun as modifier

• nouns can be used to modify or qualify another noun
  • modify = change the meaning of
  • qualify = limit the meaning of
• called "attributive noun"
  • provides an "attribute" or characteristic or quality to the other noun
  • ex.: "dog food"
    • i.e.: "dog food" = "a type of food that is for dogs"
    • "dog" thereby indicates a type or characteristic of "food"
• the attributive noun is (almost) always singular
  • = same as with adjectives, which are always in the singular form ("red shoes" as opposed to "reds shoes")
  • as a category or type, the noun must remain singular

click EXPAND for more on exceptions to the singular attributive and for synonymous terms: "appositive" and "adjunct nouns"

• exception for plural attributive nouns = special words such as "arms race" or "rewards card"
• possessive attributive noun:
  • ex.: "the National's game"
  • these are often morphed into plural attributive, thus "National's game" becomes "Nationals game", "reward's card" becomes "rewards card", or "lady's night" becomes "ladies night"
• multiple attributives
  • ex.: "beef dog food" or "
  • news headlines often use multiple attributives, such as "South Park man Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick dies again"
• other terms for attributive noun:
  • appositive
    • however, appositives may include a phrase (multiple words), whereas here we are treating the attributive noun as a single noun used as an adjective
    • see additional entry on appositive
  • compound noun
  • noun adjunct
• see:
  • Noun adjunct (wiki)
  • Nouns as Modifiers (meg.com)

• note:
  • two nouns next to one another (without a possessive) may be direct and indirect objects of a verb and not attributive
  • ex. "She gave the man grief"
    • "gave" = the action , the noun "grief" is what was given (direct object) and the noun "man" is to whom the grief was given (indirect object)