What are compound adjectives?

Compound adjectives are adjectives that are made up of two or more words usually with hyphens (-) between them.

Examples:

• An English-speaking country.


• A time-saving gadget.


• A thirty-floor building.

How are compound adjectives formed?

Compound adjectives can be formed as follows:

• Adverb-past participle / noun + ed
  a well-known writer
  a brightly-lit room
  deeply-rooted traditions
  a well-mannered girl


• Adjective-present participle (verb + ing)
  a good-looking boy
  a free-standing tower 


• Noun-past participle
  a tongue-tied boy
  a sun-dried fruit


• Adjective-past participle / noun + ed
  a short-sighted man
  a long-haired lady


• Noun- adjective
  a world-famous singer


• Adjective- noun
  a last minute solution
  deep-sea diving


• Noun-noun
  a part-time job

Vocabulary Exercises: Compound Adjectives

Choose the correct answer

1. well- mannered 


2. brand- new


3. deeply- rooted


4. short- sighted 


5. old- fashioned

Choose the right compound adjective from the exercise above.

1. When Brian got his promotion, he bought a brand-new car.


2. Look at Leila . She's wearing an old-fashioned skirt. She found it in her grandmother's drawer.


3. Nancy is such a short-sighted girl. She can't even read what's on the blackboard.


4. Some people think that we should preserve the deeply-rooted traditions of countries.


5. Cathy is a well-mannered girl. She's very polite.

Choose the appropriate compound adjectives:

1. The criminal was caught red-handed . He was seen steeling the young lady’s handbag.


2. People should be tolerant towards other cultures. They should be open-minded .


3. Sarah couldn't answer the teacher’s question because she was absent-minded .


4. Don’t expect him to invite you for dinner. He is tight-fisted .


5. To be a translator you need to be well-informed about linguistics.

Match the numbers with the letters:

Compound adjectives	Meaning
1. a well-earned	a-  deserved
2. f self-reliant	b-  eternal
3. c narrow-minded	c-  inflexible
4. b ever-lasting	e-  depressed
5. e heart-broken	f-  independent

Related Page:

What Are Adjectives?

What are possessive adjectives?

Descriptive Adjectives

Numeral Adjectives

What are compound adjectives?

Compound Adjectives English Grammar

Demonstrative Adjective

 What Are Interrogative Adjectives?

Enumeration of Adjectives

Definition of Non-coordinate Adjective

What Are Predicate Adjectives?

What Is a Proper Adjective?