English Language Arts
Grade 4
15 min
Form compound words
Form compound words
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define the term 'compound word' and provide examples.
Identify the two smaller words that make up a given compound word.
Form a new compound word by combining two individual words.
Explain how the meaning of a compound word is related to the meanings of its two parts.
Correctly use at least three different compound words in their own original sentences.
Distinguish between compound words and other multi-syllable words.
What do a butterfly 🦋 and a basketball 🏀 have in common? They are secret word puzzles made of two smaller words smashed together!
In this lesson, you will become a word builder! We will learn how to take two small words, like 'sun' and 'flower', and combine them to make a brand new, bigger word, like 's...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Compound WordA single, new word that is formed by joining two or more smaller, complete words.The word 'doghouse' is a compound word made from 'dog' and 'house'.
Root WordsThe smaller, individual words that are combined to create a compound word. Each root word has its own meaning.In the word 'pancake', the root words are 'pan' and 'cake'.
Closed Compound WordThe most common type of compound word, where the two root words are joined together without any space or hyphen.'Football' is a closed compound word. It is written as one word, not 'foot ball'.
Open Compound WordTwo separate words that work together as a single idea or noun. We will focus on closed compounds, but it's good to kn...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Word Addition Formula
Word 1 + Word 2 = New Compound Word
To form a compound word, you simply take one complete word and add another complete word to it. There is no space in between for closed compound words.
The Meaning Check Rule
Meaning of Word 1 + Meaning of Word 2 ≈ Meaning of the New Word
The new compound word's meaning is usually a combination of the two smaller words. A 'goldfish' is a type of 'fish' that is the color of 'gold'. Use this to check if a word is truly a compound word.
The 'Real Word' Test
Both parts must be real words on their own.
Before you decide a word is a compound word, try to split it in two. If both parts are not real, standalone words, it is not a compound word. For example, 'teache...
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Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
A student has two lists of words. List 1: [back, space, air]. List 2: [port, pack, ship]. Which combination forms a compound word that means 'a bag carried on one's back'?
A.space + ship = spaceship
B.air + port = airport
C.back + pack = backpack
D.back + port = backport
Challenging
The 'Meaning Check Rule' says the root words give clues. In which sentence is the compound word's meaning MOST different from the simple meaning of its parts?
A.We built a snowman in the front yard.
B.ladybug landed on the yellow flower.
C.Please put the milk back in the refrigerator.
D.He was a real hotdog on the ski slopes, showing off his tricks.
Challenging
A student writes 'I saw a beautiful butter fly in the garden.' Which pitfall from the tutorial did the student make, and what is the correction?
A.The Space Invader pitfall; the word should be 'butterfly'.
B.The Fake Compound pitfall; 'butterfly' is not a real compound word.
C.The Word Mix-Up pitfall; the meaning is not about butter.
D.The Adding Letters pitfall; the word should be 'butterflie'.
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