You’ve probably already learned that we can use -ED adjectives to describe how a person feels, and -ING adjectives to describe the thing, person, situation, or event that causes the feeling:
- I’m tired. My job is very tiring.
“tired” describes “I”, and “tiring” describes “job” - We’re bored. This movie is boring.
“bored” describes “we”, and “boring” describes “movie” - She was surprised. The news was surprising.
“surprised” describes “she”, and “surprising” describes “news” - I was interested in his stories. John’s an interesting person.
“interested” describes “I”, and “interesting” describes “John”
The English language has a HUGE number of compound nouns and collocations with -ING adjectives. One thing you might not know is that the stress is different:
- With compound nouns, we stress the FIRST word:
a swimming pool - With collocations, we stress the SECOND word:
a developing country
There’s no easy way to know, at a glance, whether a word is a compound noun or a collocation – so here are 50 common compound nouns and collocations for you to learn!
Compound Nouns with -ING
Easy:
swimming pool & diving board
The girl is on the diving board; she is about to jump into the swimming pool
washing machine
You wash clothes in a washing machine
frying pan
magnifying glass
fishing pole/rod
filing cabinet
The documents inside are called “files”
steering wheel
Use the steering wheel to control the direction of the car
bowling alley
A bowling alley is a place where you can practice the sport of bowling
hearing aid
A hearing aid can help people whose hearing ability has been lost or reduced
sleeping bag
Sleeping bags are often used on camping trips
recycling bin
Throw metal, glass, and plastic into the recycling bin so that it can be re-used
shaving cream
The activity is called “shaving,” and the white substance that makes it easier is “shaving cream”
vending machine
Vending machines can sell snacks, drinks, or objects
packing tape
Packing tape can be clear or brown. It is a strong tape often used to close packages
parking meter, parking space, parking lot
Putting money in the parking meter permits you to leave your car there for some time. Each individual space is a parking spot/space, and the whole area is a parking lot
More difficult:
- a balancing act = a situation that requires careful balancing of opposing groups, opinions, or activities
- an eating disorder = a medical/psychological problem in which a person consumes too much or far too little food
- a drinking problem = when a person drinks too much alcohol; he/she is an alcoholic
- a shouting match = when two people are angrily shouting (talking loudly) at each other
- a running mate = the companion of a candidate for a political position; for example, when someone is trying to get elected president of a country, he/she will pick a person to be their “running mate” and be elected vice president
- growing pains = difficulties experienced by a person or company/organization as they grow
- asking price = the price suggested by the seller, but which is usually open to bargaining (negotiating for a lower price)
- a turning point = an important moment/event at which a change in direction or progress occurs
- purchasing power = the ability of a person to buy things with their available money/income
- a breeding ground = “ground” means “area,” and “breeding” means for animals to reproduce. However, this expression is used metaphorically to mean a place or situation that greatly encourages the development of ideas/activities
- breathing space/room = sometimes this means literal space, sufficient for comfortable respiration and movement. Other times it is used metaphorically to mean sufficient time/money/etc. for you to relax
- a shopping spree = when you do a lot of shopping and spend a lot of money freely, without restraint
- a stepping stone = something that helps you progress towards a bigger goal
- a sounding board = a person whose reactions to an idea/proposal serve as a way to evaluate the idea or proposal’s potential or effectiveness
English Collocations with -ING Adjectives
- a developing country = a country that is still developing its infrastructure and in the process of establishing a strong economy and social systems
- a cutting remark = a strong comment that causes feelings to be hurt
- diminishing returns = when you keep doing something for a long time, but it gives fewer and fewer results as time goes on, we say it has “diminishing returns.”
- excruciating pain = extremely strong pain that is difficult to endure
- a leading role = when someone has “a leading role” in something, they have an important position or activity in that project
- a compelling argument = in this context, “argument” means a logically-supported opinion (not a fight or verbal conflict), and “compelling” means it can convince you; it seems believable and true
- a moving speech = when someone gives a talk that affects you emotionally (usually either inspiring you or making you sad)
- a nursing mother = a woman who has a baby that is still breastfeeding
- a standing ovation = when people stand up and applaud after a great performance, concert, or presentation, this is called a “standing ovation”
- a pressing engagement = an urgent/important appointment or commitment
- a promising future = a future with a high potential for success
- a raving lunatic = someone who is crazy/insane (“lunatic”) and who is very loudly expressing their views (“raving”)
- a recurring dream = a dream that is repeated a number of times; “recurring” means it keeps coming back
- a sitting duck = this is an idiomatic expression that means someone is an easy target for attack – like a duck (a type of bird) would be very easy to kill if it was just sitting, and not flying.
Learn more: 10 types of nouns
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