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I couldn't help but wonder every time I saw such a noun phrase. I've seen both forms used equally often, so I guess both of them can be used interchangeably. But do I guess right?

Some examples:

Here is a frequently used compound nouns list.

Here is a frequently used compound noun list.

I usually rephrase them into something like this.

Here is a reference list of compound nouns.

Damkerng T.
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2 Answers2

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All are correct.

But are the compound nouns frequently used, or is the list frequently used?

If it's important to state 'frequently', here are some possible alternatives:

If the compound nouns are frequently used:

Here is a list of frequently used compound nouns.

Here is a list of compound nouns that are frequently used.

If the list is frequently used:

Here is a list of compound nouns, that is frequently used.

Here is a frequently used list of compound nouns. (this one still slightly ambiguous)

Justin
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John Matthews
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  • Thank you for the explanation. What I wonder now is that, if all are correct, which is the one a native speaker would use naturally?

    BTW, is there any implication (such as American dialect vs. English dialect or social/educational backgrounds) we can deduce from each usage?

     – Damkerng T. Aug 01 '11 at 15:40
  • This doesn't address the question at all, which is asking about the correctness of using a plural-form attributive noun here. donkey sanctuary v donkeys sanctuary // dog home v dogs home – Edwin Ashworth Apr 21 '20 at 11:20
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I will ignore the context of the examples, which John discussed. To get a better feeling, I would use simpler examples, e.g. a verb list vs. a verbs list. The former seems to be preferable, so I would prefer compound noun list. BTW: the segmentation of the compound would be ((compound noun) list), which makes it parallel to (verb list).

Sven
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  • Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. – Community Apr 05 '22 at 10:39
  • Like donkey sanctuary v donkeys sanctuary. But then we have dog home v dogs home. // The default choice for an attributive noun being the singular form (though the usages aren't count: *'a 3 [-] dogs home') has been thoroughly addressed in other threads. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 05 '22 at 11:47