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A special form of noun plague

There is one particular form of the over-use of nouns hat deserves special consideration. It is the tendency to employ them as adjectives modifying other nouns.

1. Using a single noun as an adjective

Using a single noun as an adjective is entirely legitimate in English. Outside the circle of familiar combinations like the ones above, it is well to exercise caution. Most often the sentence will be clearer and flow more naturally if the noun is not made to serve as an adjective. 

Example: The method of work evaluation and workpoints allotment should be changed.

Analysis: “work evaluation” and “workpoints allotment” are not combination that they are used to encountering. And their understanding is slowed by the unnatural word order, which in each pair conceals the true relation between adjective and noun.

It can be changed like this: The method of evaluating work and allotting workpoints should be changed.

2. Using two nouns as adjectives


The use of two nouns to make a compound adjective is also acceptable when its sense is easy to grasp.

3. Using three or more nouns as adjectives

In special circumstances, even compounds made of three nouns can be understood. “A State Planning Commission document” is acceptable, however, instances of this sort are exceptional. The general rule is that no more than two nouns should be combined into an adjective modifying another noun.

取自The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish, by Joan Pinkham with the collaboration of Jiang Guihua;如有侵权,联系删除

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