In English, some adjectives can consist of two or more words. These are compound adjectives. Compound adjectives are usually written with hyphens when they are used in front of a noun they modify. For example, in the phrase ‘man-eating lion’, ‘man-eating’ is a compound adjective. ‘man eating lion’ means something different. As you can see, a hyphen changes the meaning of a phrase.
Here are some examples of compound adjectives:
- She has a well-behaved child.
- He is a good-looking young man.
- It’s a sugar-free chewing gum.
- They are long-distance lorry drivers.
If a compound noun comes after the noun, it can drop the hyphen.
- a well-balanced diet
- The team was very well balanced.
Compound adjectives can be formed with periods of time.
- We’ll take a ten-minute break.
- There has been a two-hour delay.
- I was on a two-year contract.
We don’t add a plural ending to the compound adjectives with periods of time.
- We’re going on
a six-days trip. - … a six-day trip
Other common types are:
Adjective
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Past participle
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old-fashioned
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narrow-minded
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dark-haired
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Adjective
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+
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Present participle
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good-looking
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long-running
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easy-going
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Adverb
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+
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Past participle
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well-established
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brightly-coloured
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densely-populated
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Noun
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+
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Past participle
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sun-baked
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wind-blown
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water-cooled
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Noun
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+
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Present participle
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eye-catching
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mouth-watering
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money-saving
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Noun
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+
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Adjective
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world-famous
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sugar-free
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book-smart
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Grammar Cards
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