First, here's a trick you can use to help you decide if the word that comes after 'a' or 'the' is an adjective or a noun: Delete the word that comes after 'a' or 'the', like this,
A. It's a
license to make money => It's a to make money. (Not OK)
B. It's a
licenced restaurant => It's a restaurant. (OK)
If the sentence sounds OK after you've deleted the word, then the word is an adjective (B.). If the sentence doesn't sound OK, then the word is a noun (A.). Nouns are required. Adjectives are not required. Adjectives function as added information, so if you delete them, the sentence will be OK.
Second, as a rule, a preposition takes a noun as its object. Sentence 2. is not OK because 'beyond' is a preposition and 'compared' is an adjective. Notice the -ed ending on 'compared'. It is not a noun. :wink:
1. Her beauty is beyond
compare. (Preposition + Noun)
2. Her beauty is beyond
compared. (Preposition + Adjective)
Lastly, 'imported' is an adjective and the -ed ending means, have been imported, whereas 'import', without the -ed, is a noun--it's short for the noun 'importation'--and it functions as an adjective in 4. and 6.
3. imported cars :D Cars that have been imported
4. import cars
Importation cars
5. imported models :D Models that have been imported
6. import models
Importation cars
7. It's an import. (It's an importation)
8. It's an import car. (It's an importation car)