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.
English-speaking is an adjective (used to describe the country). We use a hyphen to connect the
word English with speaking to show that it is one adjective (or one idea).
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.
There are many types of Compound Adjectives. Here is a list of the most common types:

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
Notice how we normally write the number as a word, not in numerical form.

Adverbs and Compound Adjectives

Adverbs modify a verb.
 She walks slowly.
How does she walk? Slowly. Slowly is an adverb that modifies (or describes) the verb.
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)
Notice how we do not put a hyphen between an adverb and an adjective (not even before a
noun).
 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.
 This is a brightly-lit room.
 She is a well-known actress.
 We live in a densely-populated city.

Noun + Past Participle

When we have a noun + past participle, we put a hyphen between the two words to make it a
compound adjective.
 We should start using wind-powered generators to cut costs.

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  I love eating sun-dried raisins.

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.

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.
James Jackson is a compound adjective describing the tickets (What type of tickets? James
Jackson tickets). Since the adjective is a Proper noun, we don't need a hyphen between the two
names.

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.

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(Big and Blue are adjectives)
Can we say: She has a big and blue book. (Yes, it is possible)
 He is a world famous singer
Can we say: He is a world and famous singer. No, it doesn't sound correct so we need a hyphen
to join the words world and famous.
Also, look at the following:
 It's an old coal-mining town
Notice how we didn't put a hyphen between the word old and coal. If we had have done that, we
would have been referring to old coal, as in coal that is old. We want to emphasis that the town
in old and not the coal.
Here we can say it is old and a coal-mining one.

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What is a Compound Adjective?
A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words joined together by a
hyphen (it is sometimes called a hyphenated adjective). The hyphen indicates that the words act
as a single idea (adjective) that describe a noun.

Let’s look at an example:

My sister refused to go in the fast-moving car.

Fast-moving is an adjective (used to describe the car). We use a hyphen to connect the word fast
with moving to show that it is one adjective (or one idea).

Some more examples of compound adjectives are:

 Mary had submitted a well-developed report on eco-friendly houses.

 We were ecstatic after a much-needed vacation in the Bahamas.
 Her ten-page essay was much appreciated by her friends.

Compound adjectives are formed in many ways. Let’s take a look at the various types:

1. Compound Adjectives + Periods of Time

In this formation, the word referring to a time period (hour, week, second, minute, decade,
month) is in singular form and is joined to the number with a hyphen. For example,

 Mary works 10 hours every day --> Mary works a ten-hour day.
 I'm going on leave for four weeks --> I have a four-week leave.
 There was a delay of 15 seconds --> There was a fifteen-second delay.

2. Adverb + Past Participle

In this type, a hyphen is put between the two words to make it a compound adjective. For
example,

 I love this brightly-lit room.

 She is a well-known writer from Venice.
 We live in a densely-populated region.
 Our deeply-rooted traditions make us what we are.
 The well-mannered girl turned out to be our neighbour.

3. Noun + Past Participle

In this type, we put a hyphen between a noun and a past participle. For example,

 Wind-powered generators are a great way to go eco-friendly.

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  My daughter loves eating sun-dried raisins.
 I was surprised to see the usually tongue-tied boy to talk so much.

4. Noun + Present Participle

A hyphen is put between a noun and a present participle to make it a compound adjective. For
example,

 The mouth-watering delicacies were enough to make everyone forget their diet plans.
 Wow! That was a record-breaking jump, Tom!

5. Noun + Adjective

In this formation, a noun and an adjective is used to form a compound adjective. For example,

 She is a world-famous historian.

 This is a smoke-free public area; please follow the rules.

6. Adjective + Noun

This type uses an adjective and a noun. For example,

 The last-minute decision really helped the company cut heavy losses.
 I have never tried deep-sea diving; I must learn it soon.

7. Adjective + Past Participle

This formation has an adjective and a past participle. For example,

 This is an old-fashioned dress, but it really suits the occasion well.

 Everyone was awestruck by the long-haired girl.

8. Adjective + Present Participle

This type uses an adjective and a present participle. For example,

 She is a good-looking girl who knows what colors suit her well.
 The juicy grapes left a long-lasting taste in my mouth

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Some examples of compound adjectives are:

1. broken-down toy
2. out-of-the-way favour
3. well-polished shoes
4. cost-effective solution
5. high-quality system
6. smoke-filled air
7. late-nineteenth-century artists
8. ear-splitting sound
9. five-foot table
10. fourteen-page magazine
11. never-to-be-forgotten experience

Test Yourself

I. Choose which two words act as a single idea and make a compound adjective.

1. I am surely going to buy a brand new car after a raise.

2. He was caught red handed after having been spotted breaking a window pane.
3. Nancy is so absent minded that she cannot answer questions in the class.
4. A time saving gadget would do wonders.
5. Being well mannered does not mean that anyone can take you for a ride.

II. Which of these sentences contain a compound adjective?

6. The couple met at a Sunday night club and decided to marry.

7. My professor is well informed about a lot of issues other than his subject area.
8. I have a part time job.
9. This is certainly a better looking colour shade.
10. The twelve year old chess champion is really good for his age.