Compound Adjectives

Grammar: Compound Adjectives
 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.
 one-month
The penalty for cheating is a one-month suspension.
 two-year
I have a two-year contract with my cell phone provider.
 four-year-old
I have a four-year-old son.
 twelve-story
We live in a twelve-story apartment building
 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
 narrow-minded = not open to different ideas/thoughts

I can’t stand narrow-minded people who are intolerant of new ideas.
 well-behaved
They have three well-behaved children.
 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.
 widely-recognized
She’s a widely-recognized expert in technology.
Farshad Pilafkan 1
 high-spirited = with a lot of energy
The students gave a high-spirited musical performance.
 well-educated
A lot of well-educated people are still having trouble finding jobs.
 highly-respected
Our speaker tonight is a highly-respected scholar.
 brightly-lit
We live on a brightly-lit street in the city center.
 absent-minded = forgetful, not thinking
His absent-minded comment hurt his sister’s feelings.
 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.
 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.
 full-length
The director produced his first full-length movie in 1998.
 world-famous
We had dinner at a world-famous Italian restaurant.
 fat-free
These fat-free cookies are delicious!
Farshad Pilafkan 2
Exercises
1. Fill each of the blanks to form a new compound adjective. Use a dictionary if necessary.
a. ____________
____________ - eyed
____________
b. ____________
____________ - proof
____________
c. ____________
____________ - minded
____________
d. ____________
____________ - necked
____________
e. ____________
____________ - made
____________
f. ____________
____________ - free
____________
g. ____________
____________ - headed
____________
Farshad Pilafkan 3
h. _____________
_____________ - hearted
_____________
2. Answer the question by using a compound adjective which is opposite in meaning to the
adjective in the question. Note that the answer may or may not have the same second
element as the adjective in the question.
Example: is he working full – time? No, part – time.
a. Isn’t she rather short – sighted?
b. Is your brother well – off?
c. Would you say the boy’s well – behaved?
d. Are her shoes high – heeled?
e. Is this vase mass – produced?
f. Do they live in south – east England?
3. Add a preposition from the list below to complete appropriate compound adjectives.
Back up out off on of

a. She’s been doing the same low – paid job for so long that she’s really fed - _______
with it now.
b. The two cars were involved in a head - ____________ collision.
c. He has a very casual, laid - ______________ approach to life in general.
d. It’ll never happen again. It’s definitely a one - ____________ situation.-
e. He’s a smash hit here but he’s unheard - ______________ in my country.
f. She bought a cut - _____________ paper pattern and made her own dress.
Farshad Pilafkan 4

Compound Adjectives

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Compound Adjectives

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Grammar: Compound Adjectives

Compound Adjectives with Numbers

Common Error: adding -S

Don’t use -s at the end of compound adjectives with numbers:

 Let’s take a ten-minutes break.

Adjective / Adverb + Past Participle

 narrow-minded = not open to different ideas/thoughts

 good-looking = attractive, beautiful, handsome

Other Compound Adjectives

Back up out off on of

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