Noun string are, as you might suppose, a series of nouns. Here’s one:

competitive price options

That’s easy to understand. The nouns competitive and price serve as adjectives to modify options.

Deciphering noun strings gets tougher with each noun you toss into the string.

Alternative regulated competitive price options

Postoperative recuperation program procedure indicator sheet

In a noun string, the writer uses a series of nouns as adjectives to modify the final noun. That’s what makes a noun string tough to read: At each noun the reader hesitates, wondering if he should understand this as a noun or as a modifier of a noun—and which noun does it modify?

Nouns strings are the curse of government text, technical writing (not mine), pretentious menus, and headlines. Let’s consider how to recognize them, avoid writing them, and chuckle at them.

Build a better string

Three nouns in a row should be your maximum. Once you get past three, your reader has to re-read the string to sort out what each noun means and what it modifies. Here are ways to either reduce the nouns in the string or or ensure that you convey your meaning clearly.

Remove any descriptive words that aren’t essential.

Bad: The husky Iowan redshirt freshman quarterback.

Better: The redshirt freshman quarterback.

Use more prepositions and articles.

Bad: Postoperative patient nursing assessment protocol.

Better: Protocol to assess the nursing of postoperative patients.

another

Bad (although amusing): Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim

Clearer:  Squad Helps Dog Bite Its Victim

Clearer: Squad Helps Victim Bitten by Dog

Avoid modifying nouns within the noun string itself. At the least, hyphenate for clarity:

Bad: the left wing flange grommet sprocket

Do you mean:  the left wing-flange grommet sprocket

Do you mean:  left-wing flange grommet sprocket

or: The wing flange grommet sprocket on the left

Be vigilant!  Consider your audience!  If you often write nouns strings, you might be using jargon common to your profession. If you are writing to your office mates, they might understand you. If you are writing to a customer, they might not.