1. Pair of adjectives:
- The heart operation was so difficult that most of the time was touch and go.
1. Adjectives + Noun Combinations
- My friend think he's a big shot because he has some responsabilities in his company.
2. Various compounds:
- I had a man-to-man talk with John about our problema.
- An out-and-out lie. (complete; total; thoroughgoing)
- A person who is down-and-out.
3. Special compound words
- A downright falsehood/lie (thorough; absolute; out-and-out) 2. a downright person (frankly direct; straightforward)
- A straightforward approach to a problema. (direct); straightforward in one's dealings. (free from deceit; honest)
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A compound adjective is sometimes called a hyphenated adjective. What are they?
Let's look at the following sentences:
- I saw a man-eating alligator.
- I saw a man eating alligator.
The second sentence doesn't.
However the meaning of the two sentences are very different.
An hyphen can make a difference in meaning!
Compound adjectives
A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words.
In general we put a hyphen between two or more words (before a noun) when we want them to act as a single idea (adjective) that describes something.
- I live in an English-speaking country.
This adjective with two words joined by the hyphen is called a compound adjective.
Some more examples of compound adjectives are:
- Our office is in a twenty-storey building.
- I have just finished reading a 300-page book.
- He is a well-known writer.
Compound Adjectives + Periods of Time
When he have compound adjectives using numbers + a time period, that word referring to a time period is in singular form and is joined to the number with a hyphen.
- I work eight hours every day --> I work an eight-hour day
- I'm going on vacation for three weeks --> I have a three-week vacation
- There was a delay of 5 seconds --> There was a five-second delay
Adverbs and Compound Adjectives
Adverbs modify a verb.
- She walks slowly.
Adverbs can also be used to modify an adjective.
- It is very hot today. (Very is an adverb)
- She is extremely intelligent. (Extremely is an adverb)
- It is a very hot day.
- She is an extremely intelligent girl.
Adverb + Past Participle
However when we have an Adverb + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.
- She is a well-known actress.
- well-behaved
- They have three well-behaved children.
- We live in a densely-populated city.
- widely-recognized
- She’s a widely-recognized expert in technology.
- well-educated
A lot of well-educated people are still having trouble finding jobs. - highly-respected
Our speaker tonight is a highly-respected scholar.
Noun + Past Participle
When we have a noun + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.
- This is a volunteer-built home.
- Our newspaper is student-run.
Noun + Present Participle
When we have a noun + present participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.
- I bought some mouth-watering strawberries.
- That was a record-breaking jump.
Noun + Adjective
When we have a noun + adjective, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.
- She is a world-famous singer.
- This is a smoke-free restaurant.
Adjective + Noun
When we have an adjective + noun, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.
- It was a last-minute decision.
- We watched the full-length version of the movie.
Adjective + Past Participle
When we have an adjective + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.
- That is an old-fashioned dress
- Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures.
- narrow-minded = not open to different ideas/thoughts
- I can’t stand narrow-minded people who are intolerant of new ideas.
- absent-minded = forgetful, not thinking
His absent-minded comment hurt his sister’s feelings.
Adjective + Present Participle
When we have an adjective + present participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a compound adjective.
- She is a good-looking girl.
- It left a long-lasting taste in my mouth.
Compound Adjectives with Proper Nouns
A proper noun is the name of something or someone (e.g. John, Susan Sanders).
Compound Adjectives made from Proper nouns don't need a hyphen though must have capital letters.
- I bought the James Jackson tickets for us.
How do we know when to put a hyphen?
If you can use the word “and” between the two adjectives or words, then a hyphen isn't necessary.
- She has a big blue book.
Can we say: She has a big and blue book. (Yes, it is possible)
- He is a world-famous singer
Also, look at the following:
- It's an old coal-mining town
Here we can say it is old and a coal-mining one.
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Have you ever noticed some English words with hyphens between them? For example:- a well-known author
- an English-speaking country
- a three-hour movie
- a part-time job
- a middle-aged woman
These are called compound adjectives – meaning an adjective that has two or more words.
In this lesson, you’re going to learn some of the most compound adjectives with example sentences.
Compound Adjectives with Numbers
- three-second
There’s a three-second delay. - ten-minute
Let’s take a ten-minute break. - two-hour
She attended a two-hour seminar. - five-day
He went on a five-day trip. - six-week
We took a six-week course. - two-year
I have a two-year contract with my cell phone provider. - four-year-old
I have a four-year-old son. - twenty-page
He handed me a twenty-page report.
Common Error: adding -S
Don’t use -s at the end of compound adjectives with numbers:
- Let’s take a ten-minutes break.
- Let’s take a ten-minute break.
Adjective / Adverb + Past Participle
- old-fashioned
We had lunch in an old-fashioned restaurant with décor from the 1950s. - densely-populated
This densely-populated area has the highest crime rates in the country. - short-haired
He was dancing with a short-haired woman. - strong-willed = strong desires, stubborn, does not desist
She’s a strong-willed woman who won’t stop until she gets what she wants. - quick-witted = intelligent, clever, fast at thinking and discovering things
The quick-witted detective solved the crime before anyone else had a clue. - middle-aged = around 40-50 years old
A lot of middle-aged men are dissatisfied with their lives. - kind-hearted = friendly
A kind-hearted stranger helped us find the train station.
Adjective / Adverb / Noun + Present Participle (-ING)
- good-looking = attractive, beautiful, handsome
Who’s that good-looking guy over there? - long-lasting
This long-lasting makeup will keep you looking lovely day and night. - record-breaking
The athlete’s record-breaking performance won him the gold medal. - never-ending
Learning a language seems to be a never-ending process. - mouth-watering
There was a variety of mouth-watering desserts at the wedding reception. - thought-provoking
It was a thought-provoking novel. - slow-moving
I was stuck in slow-moving traffic for over an hour. - far-reaching
The new law will have far-reaching effects in the economy. - time-saving
These time-saving techniques will help you work more efficiently. - absent-minded = forgetful, not thinking
His absent-minded comment hurt his sister’s feelings. - forward-thinking
Some forward-thinking politicians are proposing reforms to the educational system.
Other Compound Adjectives
- ice-cold
There’s nothing better than drinking an ice-cold lemonade on a hot summer day. - last-minute
I hate it when my boss wants to make last-minute changes to a publication. - world-famous
We had dinner at a world-famous Italian restaurant. - fat-free
These fat-free cookies are delicious!
When to use a hyphen?
Use a hyphen when the compound adjective comes BEFORE the noun it modifies, but not when it comes AFTER the noun.
This is a world-famous museum.
This museum is world famous.It was quite a thought-provoking book.
The book was quite thought provoking.
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