Compound Adjectives in English
Compound adjectives are 2 or more words that act as one adjective before a noun.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to make these adjectives and practise using them.
How to make compound adjectives?
There are different rules and combinations with compound adjectives.
Sometimes we use a hyphen to separate the adjectives, and other times we don’t.
Hyphen
- Use a hyphen if the compound adjective comes before a noun.
- Don’t use a hyphen if the compound adjective comes after a noun or includes -ly in the first adverb.
Different combinations
- Adjective + present participle (-ing) – long-lasting, good-looking
- Adjective/noun + past participle (-ed) – sun-dried, warm-blooded
- Noun + adjective – sugar-free, pet-friendly
- Number + noun – 50-page, three-hour, two-legged
Examples
A great white shark is a warm-blooded animal.
Here is some pet-friendly advice.
He is a good-looking man.
Remember: use a hyphen before a noun, not after.
Practise
Fill the gaps with the correct compound adjectives.
Common mistakes learners make
- Forgetting the hyphen before a noun.
- Using a hyphen with -ly adverbs.
- Wrong word order with number + noun.
Common mistakes learners make
- Forgetting the hyphen before a noun.
- Using a hyphen with -ly adverbs.
- Wrong word order with number + noun.