Compound Adjectives

Área Lectura y Escritura

Resultados de aprendizaje
Conocer qué es un adjetivo compuesto.
Utilizar adjetivos compuestos.

Contenidos

1. General vocabulary words

Debo saber

- Simple present
- Present continuous
- Simple past
- Past continuous
Compound Adjectives
A compound adjective is an adjective which is made up of two parts and is usually written with a
hyphen, e.g. well – dressed, never – ending and shocking – pink. Its meaning is usually clear from the
words it combines. The second part of the compound adjective is frequently a present or past
participle.

A large number of compound adjectives describe personal appearance. Here is a rather far –
fetched description of a person starting from the head down.
Tom was a curly – haired, sun – tanned, blue – eyed, rosy – checked, thin lipped, broad – shouldered,
left – handed, slim – hipped, long – legged, - flat – footed young man, wearing and open – necked
shirt, brand – new tight fitting jeans and open – toed sandals.

Another set of compound adjectives describes a person’s character. Here is a rather light – hearted
description of a girl. The meanings are explained in brackets.
Melissa was absent – minded [forgetful], easy – going [relaxed], good – tempered [cheerful], warm –
hearted [kind] and quick – witted [intelligent] if perhaps a little big – headed [proud of herself], two
– faced [hypocritical], self – centred [egotistical] and stuck up [snobbish (colloquial)] at times.

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Another special group of compound adjectives are those where the second part is a preposition.
Some of these adjectives are listed below with a typical noun.
An all – out strike [total] a burnt – out car [nothing left in it after a fire]
A broken – down bus [it won’t work] a built – up area [lots of building in it]
A hard – up student [poor] cast – off clothes [no longer wanted by the owner]
Worn – out shoes [can’t be worn anymore; of people – exhausted]
A drive – in movie [you watch from your car] well – off bankers [wealthy]
A run – down area [in poor condition]

Here are some useful compound adjectives.

Air – conditioned bullet – proof cut – price drip – dry
Duty – free hand – made interest – free last – minute
Long – distance Long – standing off – peak part – time
Record – breaking remote – controlled second – class so – called
Sugar – free time – consuming top – secret world – famous

You can vary the compound adjectives listed by changing one part of the adjective. For example,
curly – haired, long – haired, red – haired and straight – haired; first – hand (knowledge), first – class
(ticket) and first – born (child).

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 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
____________

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 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.

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 Key
1. Fill each of the blanks to form a new compound adjective. Use a dictionary if necessary.
a. Brown / bright – eyed / wide
b. Fool / dust – proof / fire
c. Broad / narrow – minded / single
d. Polo / low – necked / high
e. British / ready – made / home
f. Tax / problem – free / care
g. Hot / pig – headed / bald
h. Kind / soft – hearted / hard

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.
a. No, she’s long – sighted.
b. No, he’s hard – up (or badly – off).
c. No, he’s badly – behaved.
d. No, they’re flat – heeled / low – heeled.
e. No, it’s hand – made.
f. No, in the north – west.

3. Add a preposition from the list below to complete appropriate compound adjectives.

a. Up
b. On
c. Back
d. Off
e. Of
f. Out

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 Compound Adjectives EnglishCLUB.com
Activity Sheet (page 1/2)
Intermediate

A. Compound Adjectives are adjectives made up of two or more words. When acting as a
single adjective before a noun, we usually put a hyphen between the words. Complete the
sentences shown with each type of Compound Adjective, by using the examples below.

mouth-watering densely-populated six-storey middle-aged

slow-moving sugar-free old-fashioned last-minute

1. adjective + past participle She was using an ………………………………………… coffee machine.

2. adverb + past participle China is a ………………………………………………………………… country.

3. noun + past participle The car belonged to a …………………………………………………… man.

4. noun + present participle She cooked us a ………………………………………………………… meal.

5. adjective + present participle A tortoise is a ………………………………………………………… creature.

6. noun + adjective I lost 5 kg by following a ……………………………………………… diet.

7. adjective + noun It was a ……………………………………… decision. It wasn’t planned.

8. number + noun He lives in a ……………………………………………………………… building.

B. Create Compound Adjectives to complete the sentences using one word from each box.

well brand full open second new bedroom minded grown hand

three ice home self good employed time looking cold known

1. He is always open to new ideas. He’s very …………………………………………………………………………

2. These are ………………………………………………………… jeans. I bought them yesterday.

3. They live in a …………………………………………………………… house.

4. He’s a ……………………………………………………………… man. I’m not surprised all the girls like him.

5. The beer was ……………………………………………………………… and extremely refreshing.

6. He is a …………………………………………………………… actor, so you’ve probably seen some of his films.

7. When Peter leaves school he’ll get a …………………………………………………………………………… job.

8. I brought you some …………………………………… carrots which I picked from our garden this morning.

9. Fred is ………………………………………………………………………………; he doesn’t work for anybody else.

10. These shoes used to belong to someone else. They’re ………………………………………………………………

A freely photocopiable EnglishClub printable written by Lucy Green. © www.englishclub.com

 Compound Adjectives (page 2/2)
EnglishCLUB.com

C. See if you can think of Compound Adjectives to complete the sentences below.

1. Ann doesn’t behave well. She is a ……………………………………………………………………… child.

2. This gadget saves me a lot of time. It’s a ……………………………………………………………… gadget.

3. The ice cream contains no fat. It’s ………………………………………………………… ice cream.

4. People in Australia speak English. It is an ……………………………………………………………… country.

5. She’s having a break. She deserves it. She’s having a ………………………………………………………… break.

6. I made this cake at home. It’s a …………………………………………………………… cake.

7. John works 10 hours a week in a bakery. He has a ……………………………………………………………… job.

8. I have a daughter. She is two years old. I have a ……………………………………………………… daughter.

9. These scissors are for people who write with their left hand. They’re ……………………………… scissors.

10. These batteries last a long time. They are …………………………………………………………… batteries.

D. Complete the questions by writing in the missing halves of Compound Adjectives from
this activity sheet. Afterwards, ask the questions to a partner.

1. Do you ever wear second-…………………… clothes, or do you only wear brand-…………………… ones?

2. Which do you prefer, shop-bought cakes or home-……………………………… ones?

3. Have you ever made a last-………………………………… decision? If so, what was it?

4. Would you like to be ………………………………-employed, or would prefer to work for someone else?

5. Do you write with your right hand, or are you left-……………………………………?

6. Were you a badly-……………… child? If so, how did your parents punish you when you misbehaved?

7. What sweet foods would you miss most if you went on a ……………………………………-free diet?

E. Complete the list of prompts by writing in the missing part of the Compound Adjective
from this activity sheet. Afterwards, talk with your partner and see if you can think of two
words for each prompt.

Write down:

1. Two slow-………………… animals which take ages to get anywhere. ………………………… …………………………

2. Two ………………-lasting foods which can be kept for many years. ………………………… …………………………

3. Two …………………-saving devices, which help us do things faster. ………………………… …………………………

4. Two foods you couldn’t eat if you were on a fat-………………diet. ………………………… …………………………

5. Two things that taste better when they’re served ……………-cold. ………………………… …………………………

A freely photocopiable EnglishClub printable written by Lucy Green. © www.englishclub.com

Have you ever noticed some English words with
hyphens between them? For example:
▪ a well-known author
▪ an English-speaking country
▪ a three-hour movie
▪ a part-time job
▪ a middle-aged woman
▪ a cold-blooded killer
These are called compound adjectives – meaning an
adjective that has two or more words.

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-storey
We live in a twelve-storey 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 -ed or irregular
ending
▪ 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.
▪ 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!

When to use a hyphen?

Use a hyphen when the compound adjective comes BEFORE the noun it
modifies, but not when it comes AFTER the noun.
This is a world-famous museum.
This museum is world famous.
We walked into a brightly-lit room.
We walked into a room that was brightly lit.
It was quite a thought-provoking book.
The book was quite thought provoking.

Various references to combinations of two or more colours are also

distinguished by the use or omission of hyphens.
For example, compare
“She has only black and white shoes”
And
“She has only black-and-white shoes”
The first means that all of the person’s shoes are either black or
white, but the second means that the person’s shoe collection
consists only of shoes in which each pair is black and white
combined.
“Yellow, pink, and red flowers” refers to flowers coloured yellow,
pink, or red, whereas “yellow-pink-and-red flowers” denotes
tricolored flowers.
1. This program lasts for two months. It is a ______________ program.

2. This man has a strong will. He is a _____________________ man.

3. This medication lasts a long time. This is ________________ medication.

4. This activity consumes a lot of time. This is a ____________________ activity.

5. This album has broken the record for most albums sold in one year. This is a _________________
album.

6. This scheme is supposed to help you make money. It is a ______________________ scheme.

7. This painting is from the nineteenth century. It is a __________________ painting.

8. This news broke my heart. This is _____________________ news.

9. This doll was made by hand. This is a _______________________ doll.

10. This solar panel is as thin as paper. This is a ________________________ solar panel.

Sue is a girl with fair hair = Sue is a ______________________________ girl.

I saw a man with one arm = I saw a ______________________________ man

He writes with his left hand = He is a ______________________________ man

Jim has got blue eyes = Jim is a ______________________________ boy.

That table has three legs = It is a ______________________________ table.

Loïc is a boy with brown eyes = Loïc is a ______________________________ boy

Clara writes with her right hand = Clara is a ______________________________ girl.

He is a boy with dark hair = He is a ______________________________ boy

 TEACHER’S NOTES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Compound Adjective Practice

Activity Type Introduction

Vocabulary Exercises: This compound adjectives worksheet helps you to teach your
forming words, matching students how to form and use compound adjectives.
gap-fill
Procedure
Speaking Activity:
describing things from Give each student a copy of the two-page worksheet.
prompts (pair work)
Read through the introduction and review the different ways to
form compound adjectives together as a class.
Focus
Students then describe the nouns in the first exercise using
Compound adjectives compound adjectives. Go through the first one as an example,
i.e. a ten-minute walk.

Aim Exercise A - Answer key

To learn how to form and 1. a ten-minute walk 11. a mouth-watering dessert
use compound adjectives. 2. a twelve-story building 12. a strong-willed woman
3. a five-year-old boy 13. slow-moving traffic
4. a thirty-page report 14. a good-looking man
Preparation 5. high-spirited students 15. long-lasting medicine
Make one copy of the 6. well-behaved children 16. an open-minded person
two-page worksheet for 7. a green-eyed monster 17. a brightly-lit room
each student. 8. a short-haired man 18. a thought-provoking documentary
9. a kind-hearted lady 19. a world-famous museum
10. a time-saving app 20. fat-free cookies
Level
Students then move on to match words together to form 12
Intermediate (B1) compound adjectives.

Exercise B - Answer key

Time 1 h. part-time 7 i. five-star
30 minutes 2 j. well-known 8 a. far-reaching
3 k. middle-aged 9 g. forward-thinking
4 f. English-speaking 10 b. ice-cold
5 l. narrow-minded 11 e. last-minute
6 d. old-fashioned 12 c. home-made

Next, students use the compound adjectives to complete

sentences.

Exercise C - Answer key

1. ice-cold 7. home-made
2. old-fashioned 8. part-time
3. far-reaching 9. last-minute
4. forward-thinking 10. well-known
5. middle-aged 11. English-speaking
6. narrow-minded 12. five-star

Afterward, in pairs, students practice describing themselves and

others using compound adjectives. Finally, review the students'
descriptions together as a class and give feedback.

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 COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Compound Adjective Practice

A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words. Generally, we put a
hyphen between the words when we want them to act as a single adjective before a noun.

Compound Adjectives Examples:

Number + Noun A break that takes ten minutes is a ten-minute break.
Adjective + Noun A bike ride over a long distance is a long-distance bike ride.
Adjective + Present Participle A person who works hard is a hard-working person.
Noun + Present Participle An athlete who breaks records is a record-breaking athlete.
Noun + Adjective A room that is free from smoke is a smoke-free room.
Noun + Past Participle An engine cooled by water is a water-cooled engine.
Adjective + Past Participle A man with a bad temper is a bad-tempered man.
Adverb + Past Participle A city that has a dense population is a densely-populated city.

A. Describe the nouns using compound adjectives.

1. a walk that takes ten minutes a ten-minute walk

..........................................................

2. a building that has twelve stories ..........................................................

3. a boy who is five years old ..........................................................

4. a report that is thirty pages long ..........................................................

5. students in high spirits ..........................................................

6. children who behave well ..........................................................

7. a monster with green eyes ..........................................................

8. a man who has short hair ..........................................................

9. a lady with a kind heart ..........................................................

10. an app that saves time ..........................................................

11. a dessert that makes your mouth water ..........................................................

12. a woman who has a strong will ..........................................................

13. traffic that moves slowly ..........................................................

14. a man who looks good ..........................................................

15. medicine that lasts a long time ..........................................................

16. a person who has an open mind ..........................................................

17. a room that has bright lights ..........................................................

18. a documentary that provokes thinking ..........................................................

19 a museum that is famous throughout the world ..........................................................

20. cookies that are free from fat ..........................................................

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 COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Compound Adjective Practice

B. Match the words together to form 12 compound adjectives.

1. part ...... a. reaching

2. well ...... b. cold

3. middle ...... c. made

4. English ...... d. fashioned

5. narrow ...... e. minute

6. old ...... f. speaking

7. five ...... g. thinking

8. far ...... h. time

9. forward ...... i. star

10. ice ...... j. known

11. last ...... k. aged

12. home ...... l. minded

C. Use the compound adjectives in Exercise B to complete the sentences.

1. There's nothing better than drinking an ...................... beer on a hot summer day.

2. There are some traditional farmers left who still make cheese the ...................... way.

3. Tourism has had ...................... effects on Thailand's economy.

4. Some ...................... politicians are proposing reforms to the educational system.

5. A ...................... person is between 45 and 65 years old.

6. I don't like ...................... people who are intolerant of new ideas.

7. ...................... jam is usually better than the kinds you buy in the shops.

8. Many students get a ...................... job if they are not eligible for a loan.

9. A ...................... goal by England put them through to the World Cup Final.

10. It's a ...................... fact that smoking can cause lung cancer.

11. Lessons with ...................... instructors can be booked in the language school.

12. Sydney has many ...................... hotels and luxurious resorts.

D. Now, work with a partner. Talk about the following things:

1. Describe yourself using compound adjectives. Does your partner agree with you?

2. Use compound adjectives to describe someone in the class. Can your partner guess who it is?

3. Discuss which compound adjectives you would use to describe a good and bad friend.

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