How we differentiate between compound noun and adjective? in the following examples I couldn't identify them.
- promising result(s)
- washing machine.
Note: I know "washing machine" is compound noun because it is known as one item.
in the same context, How we differentiate between gerund (Part of a compound noun) and present participle (Adjective)?
- A Central Australian soil mapping study has shown promising results.
- He don't have washing machine.
Best Answer
The main difference between "promising" in "promising result" and "washing" in "washing machine" is that "promising" is only an adjective that has hardly any verbal force or meaning. In general, -ing forms used as adjectives like surprising, interesting, boring, breathtaking, amusing, etc. do have a verbal meaning ("an interesting book" is a book that interests the reader), but that is not the case with "promising".
In "washing machine" -- which is a compound noun -- "washing" can be interpreted as a gerund (a machine for washing), or as a present participle (a machine that washes). The same test may be followed with most compound nouns of this kind: in "walking stick", "walking" is a gerund (nominal) because the noun can be understood as "a stick for walking" (NOT a stick that walks), and the same applies to swimming pool, but more often than not the -ing form in compound nouns can be interpreted either as a gerund (nominal) or as a present participle (adjectival), as in "washing machine" or "cleaning products" (products for cleaning, or products that clean).