OET Writing Tips: Using Nouns as Adjectives

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OET Writing Tips: Using Nouns as Adjectives Looking for writing tips and strategies to boost your OET exam preparation online? For instance, did you know that nouns can also be used as adjectives in a sentence? For a noun to be used as an adjective, it must be placed just before another noun with no comma in between, and it should not mean the same as the noun it modifies. Nouns that modify other nouns are called adjectival nouns.

How to Use Adjectival Nouns Do you want to know more? For test takers who want to boost their OET exam preparation online, the following are the essential factors that you must know when using adjectival nouns:


Adjectival nouns are always placed before the second noun in a sentence.

Example:

Orange juice is my favorite drink.

The noun “orange” modifies the word “juice” which means that the flavor of the juice is orange. 

Adjectival nouns can be used in their singular form. Example:

The city government has decided to suspend the class today.

The singular noun “city” acts as an adjective to modify the word “government.” City government means a form of public administration of the local affairs of a city. 

Adjectival nouns can also be used in their plural form. Example:

The roads minister announced improvements to the infrastructure projects.

The plural noun “roads” modifies the word “minister. Roads minister is a term used in the UK to describe a person governing the Department of Transport. 

Compound nouns can also be used as adjectival nouns.

Example:

The bedroom floor was littered with wrapping papers.

The compound noun “bedroom” acts as an adjective modifying the word “floor.” Bedroom floor is the floor located in the bedroom. 

Hyphenated nouns can also be used as adjectival nouns.

Example:

The role of a stay-at-home mother is vital in nurturing a child’s life.

The hyphenated noun “stay-at-home modifies the word “mother.” Stay-at-home mother means a mother who stays home to raise her children and manage household chores.


You can use more than one noun as adjectival nouns to describe a noun.

Example:

The Philippine men’s basketball team coach decided not to continue his

coaching stint. In the sentence, the noun “coach” was modified with the nouns “Philippine” and “men’s basketball team.” 

You can also combine adjective with the noun as an adjectival noun to better describe a noun. Example:

JRooz Review Center offers the best OET online review programs for test

takers in the Philippines. The adjective “best” together with the nouns “OET” and “online review” modify the plural noun “programs.”

Want to get more writing tips and strategies? Enroll now in JRooz OET Review Center and boost your OET exam preparation online today!


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