Compound Nouns Practice Grammar Worksheet for Grade 6 [With Answers]
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Title: Toothbrush, Bus Stop, Mother-in-Law: Grade 6 English Grammar Worksheet on Compound Nouns
Have you ever noticed that some words are made by putting two or more words together? A “tooth” and a “brush” become “toothbrush.” A “bus” and a “stop” become “bus stop.” A “mother” and “in” and “law” become “mother-in-law.” These are called compound nouns. In Grade 6, learning about compound nouns (closed, open, and hyphenated) helps you understand how English creates new words by combining existing ones. Closed compound nouns are written as one word (toothbrush, classroom, football, notebook, playground, sunlight, rainbow, newspaper). Open compound nouns are written as separate words (bus stop, washing machine). Hyphenated compound nouns are written with a hyphen (mother-in-law, well-known). This Grade 6 English grammar worksheet on compound nouns will teach you how to form and identify all three types.
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What Is the Topic?
The topic of this worksheet is Compound Nouns (Closed, Open, Hyphenated). A compound noun is a noun made up of two or more words that work together as a single noun. There are three types of compound nouns. Closed compound nouns are written as one word. Examples include: toothbrush, classroom, football, notebook, playground, sunlight, rainbow, newspaper, schoolbag, lunchbox, bookshelf, storybook, streetlight, rainfall, bathroom, homework. Open compound nouns are written as two separate words. Examples include: bus stop, washing machine, study table. Hyphenated compound nouns are written with a hyphen between the words. Examples include: mother-in-law, well-known. Understanding these three types helps you spell compound nouns correctly and recognize them when you read.
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What’s in This Worksheet?
This worksheet contains five different exercises that help students master compound nouns (closed, open, and hyphenated). Here is what is included:
1. Exercise No. 1 – Multiple Choice Questions – Students select the correctly formed compound noun from options. This exercise tests basic understanding of how to form closed, open, and hyphenated compound nouns.
2. Exercise No. 2 – Fill in the Blanks – Students combine given words to form compound nouns. This exercise practices creating compound nouns from word pairs.
3. Exercise No. 3 – True and False – Students read ten statements about compound nouns and decide whether each one is true or false. This helps correct common misunderstandings about compound noun types.
4. Exercise No. 4 – Underline the Words – Students read ten sentences and underline the compound nouns in each. This exercise focuses on identifying compound nouns in context.
5. Exercise No. 5 – Paragraph Writing – Students read a paragraph and identify all the compound nouns, classifying each as closed, open, or hyphenated. This combines reading comprehension with grammar identification.
This worksheet supports exam preparation by covering all three types of compound nouns and how to identify and form them.
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Definitions, Examples, Techniques, and Tips
Based only on the content of this worksheet, here are the exact definitions and examples students will learn:
Definitions and Types:
- Compound noun: A compound noun is a noun made up of two or more words that work together as a single noun.
- Closed compound nouns: Closed compound nouns are written as one word. Examples: toothbrush, classroom, football, notebook, playground, sunlight, rainbow, newspaper, schoolbag, lunchbox, bookshelf, storybook, streetlight, rainfall, bathroom, homework, study table? (No – “study table” is open). Mother-in-law is a compound noun? (Yes, but hyphenated). Toothbrush is a closed compound noun. Playground is a compound noun. Football is a compound noun. Sunlight is a compound noun. Notebook is a compound noun. (Not “class room” – that would be incorrect; “classroom” is correct closed compound.)
- Open compound nouns: Open compound nouns are written as two separate words. Examples: bus stop, washing machine, study table. Bus stop is an open compound noun. Washing machine is an open compound noun.
- Hyphenated compound nouns: Hyphenated compound nouns are written with a hyphen between the words. Examples: mother-in-law, well-known. Mother-in-law is a hyphenated compound noun. Well-known is a hyphenated compound noun.
Examples taken directly from the worksheet (Exercise No. 1 – multiple choice):
1. Which is a compound noun?
Correct answer: a) toothbrush
2. Identify the compound noun.
Correct answer: b) classroom
3. Which word is correctly formed?
Correct answer: a) playground
4. Select the compound noun.
Correct answer: c) mother-in-law
5. Which is a compound noun?
Correct answer: b) notebook
6. Identify the correct compound noun.
Correct answer: c) bus stop
7. Which word is a compound noun?
Correct answer: a) sunlight
8. Choose the correct compound noun.
Correct answer: a) well-known
9. Which is correctly formed?
Correct answer: b) football
10. Identify the compound noun.
Correct answer: c) washing machine
Examples from Exercise No. 2 – Fill in the blanks (Page 4):
1. sun + light = sunlight (closed)
2. class + room = classroom (closed)
3. foot + ball = football (closed)
4. note + book = notebook (closed)
5. play + ground = playground (closed)
6. bus + stop = bus stop (open)
7. mother + in + law = mother-in-law (hyphenated)
8. wash + ing + machine = washing machine (open)
9. rain + bow = rainbow (closed)
10. news + paper = newspaper (closed)
Key facts from True and False section (Page 5):
- Mother-in-law is a compound noun. (True)
- Toothbrush is a closed compound noun. (True)
- Bus stop is a hyphenated compound noun. (False – bus stop is open)
- Notebook is an open compound noun. (False – notebook is closed)
- Playground is a compound noun. (True)
- Washing machine is an open compound noun. (True)
- Sunlight is not a compound noun. (False – sunlight is a closed compound noun)
- Well-known is a hyphenated compound noun. (True)
- Football is a compound noun. (True)
- Class room is a correct compound noun. (False – it should be “classroom” as one word)
Examples from Exercise No. 4 – Underline the compound nouns (Page 6):
1. She bought a notebook from the shop.
Underline: notebook (closed)
2. Ravi plays football every evening.
Underline: football (closed)
3. The classroom is very clean.
Underline: classroom (closed)
4. We waited at the bus stop.
Underline: bus stop (open)
5. Meera saw a rainbow in the sky.
Underline: rainbow (closed)
6. The washing machine is new.
Underline: washing machine (open)
7. He used a toothbrush in the morning.
Underline: toothbrush (closed)
8. The playground is full of children.
Underline: playground (closed)
9. My mother-in-law is visiting us.
Underline: mother-in-law (hyphenated)
10. I read the newspaper daily.
Underline: newspaper (closed)
Examples from Exercise No. 5 – Paragraph (Page 7) – compound nouns to identify:
Paragraph: “Ravi woke up early in the morning and picked up his toothbrush from the bathroom sink. After getting ready, he packed his schoolbag and walked to the nearby bus stop. On the way, he saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky after the heavy rainfall during the night. He also noticed a streetlight still glowing near the playground. When he reached school, he sat in the classroom and listened carefully to his teacher. During lunch break, he opened his lunchbox and shared food with his classmates. In the library, he read the newspaper and looked at a storybook placed on the bookshelf. In the evening, he played football in the playground and then returned home to complete his homework at his study table.”
Compound nouns identified:
- toothbrush (closed)
- bathroom (closed)
- schoolbag (closed)
- bus stop (open)
- rainbow (closed)
- rainfall (closed)
- streetlight (closed)
- playground (closed)
- classroom (closed)
- lunchbox (closed)
- classmates (closed – “class” + “mates”)
- newspaper (closed)
- storybook (closed)
- bookshelf (closed)
- football (closed)
- homework (closed)
- study table (open)
Quick learning tip: Remember the three types: closed (one word: toothbrush), open (two words: bus stop), hyphenated (with a dash: mother-in-law). When in doubt, check a dictionary. Compound nouns often start as open, then become hyphenated, then become closed over time.
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Why Is It Important to Learn This?
Learning about compound nouns is important for several reasons. First, compound nouns are extremely common in English. Words like toothbrush, classroom, football, notebook, playground, sunlight, rainbow, and newspaper appear all the time. Second, knowing the difference between closed, open, and hyphenated compound nouns helps you spell them correctly. “Notebook” is one word (closed). “Bus stop” is two words (open). “Mother-in-law” has hyphens. Third, using the wrong form can change meaning or look unprofessional. “Class room” (two words) is incorrect; it should be “classroom.” Fourth, this topic is tested in grammar exams where you may be asked to identify or form compound nouns. Finally, understanding compound nouns expands your vocabulary. Once you know that “room” and “class” combine to make “classroom,” you can understand and create many other compound nouns.
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Where Will This Knowledge Help You?
Knowledge of compound nouns will help you in many academic and real-life situations:
1. Grammar exams and language tests – Many questions ask you to identify compound nouns or choose the correct spelling. This worksheet directly prepares you for those questions. You will know that “toothbrush” is closed, “bus stop” is open, and “mother-in-law” is hyphenated.
2. Writing essays and reports – Using correct compound noun forms makes your writing look professional. “Classroom” (not “class room”), “playground” (not “play ground”), “notebook” (not “note book”).
3. Reading comprehension – Recognizing compound nouns helps you understand what you read. “Bus stop” is a single concept, not just any bus and any stop.
4. Building vocabulary – Once you understand how compound nouns work, you can figure out the meaning of new words. “Rain” + “bow” = “rainbow.” “Foot” + “ball” = “football.”
5. Avoiding spelling errors – Many people write “busstop” (incorrect) or “class room” (incorrect). Learning the correct forms helps you avoid these errors.
6. Improving your own writing – You can create your own compound nouns to be more precise. “Study table” is an open compound noun that describes a specific type of table.
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How to Use This Worksheet?
Follow these steps to get the most out of this Grade 6 English grammar worksheet on compound nouns:
1. *ttempt independently first – Without looking at any answers, complete all five exercises in order. Start with Exercise No. 1 (Multiple Choice Questions), then Exercise No. 2 (Fill in the Blanks), then Exercise No. 3 (True and False), then Exercise No. 4 (Underline the Words), and finally Exercise No. 5 (Paragraph Writing – identify and classify compound nouns).
2. Review answers carefully – After you finish all exercises, go to the Complete Answer Key section below. Compare your answers one by one. Pay special attention to Exercise No. 5 – make sure you classified each compound noun correctly as closed, open, or hyphenated.
3. Correct mistakes – For any answer that is different from the answer key, write the correct answer next to your attempt. Try to understand why you made the mistake. Did you think “bus stop” was hyphenated?
4. Practice regularly – Compound nouns take practice. Repeat the worksheet after a few days. For the paragraph identification task (Exercise No. 5), try to find all the compound nouns without looking at the answer key first.
The solutions follow the exact worksheet order. Students should compare their answers carefully.
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Important Tips and Tricks
Here are important tips and tricks based directly on this worksheet to help you master compound nouns and score full marks:
1. Closed compound nouns (one word) – These are written as a single word. Memorize common examples: toothbrush, classroom, football, notebook, playground, sunlight, rainbow, newspaper, bathroom, schoolbag, lunchbox, bookshelf, storybook, streetlight, rainfall, homework, classmates. “Classroom” is correct; “class room” is incorrect.
2. Open compound nouns (two words) – These are written as two separate words. Examples: bus stop, washing machine, study table. “Bus stop” is not hyphenated and not one word. “Busstop” is incorrect.
3. Hyphenated compound nouns (with a hyphen) – These are written with a hyphen between the words. Examples: mother-in-law, well-known. “Mother in law” (without hyphens) is incorrect. “Well-known” is hyphenated.
4. Common mistakes to avoid – “Class room” should be “classroom.” “Busstop” should be “bus stop.” “Notebook” is one word, not “note book.” “Play ground” should be “playground.” “Foot ball” should be “football.” “Sun light” should be “sunlight.” “Rain bow” should be “rainbow.” “News paper” should be “newspaper.”
5. “Mother-in-law” is hyphenated – This is a common example of a hyphenated compound noun. Notice that it has two hyphens. “Well-known” has one hyphen.
6. What examiners expect – Examiners expect you to know the three types of compound nouns: closed, open, and hyphenated. They expect you to identify compound nouns in sentences. They expect you to form compound nouns correctly from word pairs. They expect you to recognize that “classroom” is closed, “bus stop” is open, and “mother-in-law” is hyphenated.
7. How to score full marks – When answering multiple-choice questions, look at how the words are combined. If they are one word, it is closed. If they are two separate words, it is open. If there is a hyphen, it is hyphenated. For true and false, remember that “bus stop” is not hyphenated (it is open), “notebook” is not open (it is closed), and “class room” is incorrect (it should be “classroom”).
8. For underlining tasks (Exercise No. 4) – Read each sentence. Look for two or more words that work together as a single noun. Underline the entire compound noun. Remember: closed compound nouns are one word; open compound nouns have a space but no hyphen; hyphenated compound nouns have a hyphen.
9. For paragraph identification (Exercise No. 5) – Read the paragraph slowly. Look for every compound noun. Make a list. For each one, decide if it is closed (one word), open (two words without a hyphen), or hyphenated (has a hyphen). Write them in the correct categories.
10. Extra compound nouns from the paragraph – The paragraph includes: toothbrush (closed), bathroom (closed), schoolbag (closed), bus stop (open), rainbow (closed), rainfall (closed), streetlight (closed), playground (closed), classroom (closed), lunchbox (closed), classmates (closed), newspaper (closed), storybook (closed), bookshelf (closed), football (closed), homework (closed), study table (open).
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Complete Answer Key
Below is the complete answer key for the Grade 6 English grammar worksheet on Compound Nouns (Closed, Open, Hyphenated). The answers follow the exact order of the worksheet. Section names and question numbers are reproduced exactly as they appear in the worksheet.
Exercise No. 1
Select the word that is a correctly formed compound noun (closed, open, or hyphenated).
1. Which is a compound noun?
Answer: a) toothbrush
2. Identify the compound noun.
Answer: b) classroom
3. Which word is correctly formed?
Answer: a) playground
4. Select the compound noun.
Answer: c) mother-in-law
5. Which is a compound noun?
Answer: b) notebook
6. Identify the correct compound noun.
Answer: c) bus stop
7. Which word is a compound noun?
Answer: a) sunlight
8. Choose the correct compound noun.
Answer: a) well-known
9. Which is correctly formed?
Answer: b) football
10. Identify the compound noun.
Answer: c) washing machine
Exercise No. 2
Combine the words to form compound nouns.
1. sun + light = sunlight (closed)
2. class + room = classroom (closed)
3. foot + ball = football (closed)
4. note + book = notebook (closed)
5. play + ground = playground (closed)
6. bus + stop = bus stop (open)
7. mother + in + law = mother-in-law (hyphenated)
8. wash + ing + machine = washing machine (open)
9. rain + bow = rainbow (closed)
10. news + paper = newspaper (closed)
Exercise No. 3
True and False. Write True or False for each statement.
1. Mother-in-law is a compound noun.
Answer: True
2. Toothbrush is a closed compound noun.
Answer: True
3. Bus stop is a hyphenated compound noun.
Answer: False
4. Notebook is an open compound noun.
Answer: False
5. Playground is a compound noun.
Answer: True
6. Washing machine is an open compound noun.
Answer: True
7. Sunlight is not a compound noun.
Answer: False
8. Well-known is a hyphenated compound noun.
Answer: True
9. Football is a compound noun.
Answer: True
10. Class room is a correct compound noun.
Answer: False
Exercise No. 4
Underline the compound nouns in each sentence.
1. She bought a notebook from the shop.
Underline: notebook
2. Ravi plays football every evening.
Underline: football
3. The classroom is very clean.
Underline: classroom
4. We waited at the bus stop.
Underline: bus stop
5. Meera saw a rainbow in the sky.
Underline: rainbow
6. The washing machine is new.
Underline: washing machine
7. He used a toothbrush in the morning.
Underline: toothbrush
8. The playground is full of children.
Underline: playground
9. My mother-in-law is visiting us.
Underline: mother-in-law
10. I read the newspaper daily.
Underline: newspaper
Exercise No. 5
Identify all the compound nouns in the paragraph and mention whether they are closed, open, or hyphenated.
Paragraph: “Ravi woke up early in the morning and picked up his toothbrush from the bathroom sink. After getting ready, he packed his schoolbag and walked to the nearby bus stop. On the way, he saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky after the heavy rainfall during the night. He also noticed a streetlight still glowing near the playground. When he reached school, he sat in the classroom and listened carefully to his teacher. During lunch break, he opened his lunchbox and shared food with his classmates. In the library, he read the newspaper and looked at a storybook placed on the bookshelf. In the evening, he played football in the playground and then returned home to complete his homework at his study table.”
Compound nouns identified:
| Compound Noun | Type |
|---------------|------|
| toothbrush | closed |
| bathroom | closed |
| schoolbag | closed |
| bus stop | open |
| rainbow | closed |
| rainfall | closed |
| streetlight | closed |
| playground | closed |
| classroom | closed |
| lunchbox | closed |
| classmates | closed |
| newspaper | closed |
| storybook | closed |
| bookshelf | closed |
| football | closed |
| homework | closed |
| study table | open |
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You have now completed the entire worksheet on compound nouns (closed, open, and hyphenated). Closed compound nouns are written as one word (toothbrush, classroom, football, notebook, playground, sunlight, rainbow, newspaper, schoolbag, bathroom, rainfall, streetlight, lunchbox, storybook, bookshelf, homework). Open compound nouns are written as two separate words (bus stop, washing machine, study table). Hyphenated compound nouns are written with a hyphen (mother-in-law, well-known). Keep practicing, and soon you will be able to spot and form all three types of compound nouns easily. You are building skills that will make your English spelling more accurate and your vocabulary stronger in Grade 6 and beyond.
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