Nouns used as adjectives

Question

Hi All,

Could someone give examples of use of nouns as adjectives. It is said that such scenarios could arise in GMAT. If we might mistake such things for nouns, we could end up messing our answer choices.

Thanks in advance

karun0109 · Answer

You mean something like " I love chicken soup" where chicken is the noun/adjective that describes soup?? I can't recall having seen a confusing noun as adjective problem come up in any practice questions.

daagh · Answer

@mohankumarbd

Oh! Plenty. However, there is no need to worry, as a word is more relevant for the role it playsand in addition, a word can play only one role in any given context,

I will give you some examples from OG and GPREP. One might see that they hardly interfere.

OG

1. The  Glass House Mountains  in Queensland, Australia,
Were sighted in 1770 by the  English navigator Captain
James Cook,

2. Although a surge in  retail sales  have raised hopes that
there is a recovery finally under way

Although various  eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American poets  had professed an interest.

GPREP

The yield per acre of  coffee berries  varies enormously in that a single tree
 
The new image of  Stone Age people  as systematic

There are hopeful signs that we are shifting away from our heavy reliance on  fossil fuels:

more than ten times as much energy is generated through  wind power  now than it was in 1990

In anumber of cases, you will find this example of nouns acting adjectives. But this has never been tested in GMAT as far as I know. I hope this was what you wanted or I am wondering whether I have mistaken your query?

GetThisDone · Answer

@daagh,

Yes, the examples you have mentioned is what I was talking about too. Wanted to know if there were any instances where these were used by GMAT to mislead us into confusing these nouns for subjects and/ trap us on agreement.

GetThisDone · Answer

Here is an example I came across.

Rice traders have profited handsomely from the recent rise in its price.

Here the pronoun its seems to refer to Rice. But it does not. Rice is used as an adjective to the subject 'traders'. Its does not have an antecedent which is wrong.

Rice traders have profited handsomely from the recent rise in the price of rice.

daagh · Answer

This note from MGMAT clarifies the latest thinking on the possessive pronouns and their relevance in GMAT. MGMAT.who originated the possessive poison concept seems to be backtracking. This is what I too implied.

However, do you remember any official example, where the theme is being distorted by this particular problem? If so, that will be nice

vdbhamare · Answer

i don't think these adjectives can mislead you..........they are always next to nouns

GetThisDone · Answer

@daagh,

Thank you for the link you posted. I have been on the look out for OG questions that deal this rule and couple of others that MGMAT talks about. On this one, I have not come across any. Will post if I should come across any.

Mahmud6 · Answer

Mr. John is a  renown   company   secretary . Here, what does 'renown' modify? company or secretary? Is Mr. John a secretary of renown company? Or is Mr. John a renown secretary of a company?

VerbalBot · Answer

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Nouns used as adjectives

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