What are Compound Adjectives?
Compound Adjectives are simply defined as, “two or more words that are combined to act as an adjective in the sentence”. Here, the meaning of “compound” is nothing but the combination of two or more words.
It is also called “Compound Modifier” and “Hyphenate Compound Adjective” because the symbol Hyphen (-) is used for the combination of the words to make an Adjective in the sentence.
Some examples are open-minded, old-fashioned, kind-hearted, well-educated, part-time, etc.
Generally, the words can have either one or more hyphens. For example,
- Brand-new (contains only 1 hyphen)
- Two-year-old (contains 2 hyphens)
- One-of-a-kind (contains 3 hyphens)
Compound Adjective Examples
Here are some of the example sentences that are useful to refer to know more about Compound Adjectives.
- Daniel works at Harvard University as a part-time professor.
- My dad always likes to wear old-fashion clothes.
- Michael Jackson is a well-known dancer in the world.
- Deep-fried foods are tastier, but not healthier for the body and mind.
- Brian is a French-speaking person.
- M.S. Dhoni is one of the right-handed batsmen in cricket.
- Alex always loves to take rides in his brand-new sports car.
- Communication skills are very important in today’s fast-paced world.
Also Read: What is Adjective in English Grammar? (Easy Definition and Examples)
The adjective is a type of word which describes or modifies the noun. It is also defined as, the word which describes the qualities and states of beings of nouns.
It measures the qualities like size, shape, colour, duration, behaviour, quantity, and a lot more. Furthermore, it usually provides additional information on nouns with the below-mentioned qualities, like…
Types of Compound Adjective
There are different types of Compound Adjectives in which different parts of speech, which are shown in the below table.
|
Part of Speech |
+ |
Part of Speech |
= |
Examples |
|
Number |
+ |
Noun |
= |
Two-wheel, first-place, seventeenth-century |
|
Noun |
+ |
Noun |
= |
Part-time, south-west, bullet-proof |
|
Noun |
+ |
Adjective |
= |
World-famous, sky-blue, sugar-free |
|
Noun |
+ |
Past Participle |
= |
Old-age, sun-dried, sun-backed |
|
Noun |
+ |
Present Participle |
= |
Hindi-speaking, record-breaking, time-saving |
|
Adjective |
+ |
Noun |
= |
Long-term, third-time, short-distance |
|
Adjective |
+ |
Adjective |
= |
Fat-free, big-blue |
|
Adjective |
+ |
Past Participle |
= |
Old-fashioned, narrow-minded, cold-blooded |
|
Adjective |
+ |
Present Participle |
= |
Fast-walking, good-looking, long-lasting |
|
Adverb |
+ |
Past Participle |
= |
Densely-populated, lightly-cooked, deeply-rooted |
|
Adverb |
+ |
Present Participle |
= |
Never-ending, backward-thinking |
Examples of Compound Adjectives (with Parts of Speech)
1) Time Period/Duration (number + Noun): When we are using a compound adjective word with a number, then this word should refer to the time duration in singular form with a hyphen.
- I work ten hours every day –> I work a ten-hour day.
- I’m going on holiday for two weeks –> I have a two-week holiday
- There was a delay of ten seconds –> There was a ten-second delay
Note: We normally write the number as a word, not in numerical form.
2) (Noun + Noun): When the word contains two nouns, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- John is earning well from his part-time job.
- Goa State is located in the South-West region of India.
- The cars used by the VIPs and political leaders are bullet-proof.
3) (Noun + Adjective): When the word contains a noun and adjective, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- I always prefer to have a sugar-free diet.
- Christopher Nolan is one of the world-famous film directors.
- This is a smoke-free restaurant.
4) (Noun + Past Participle): When the word contains a noun and Past Participle, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- Helping old-age people is a good manner.
5) (Noun + Present Participle): When the word contains a noun and Present Participle, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- The majority of the people are Hindi-speaking in India.
- The song “Despacito” has become a record-breaking song on YouTube.
- The celebrity was amazed by the interviewer’s thought-provoking questions that were asked to him.
6) (Adjective + Noun): When the word contains an Adjective and Noun, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- Sofia did a few long-term investments to grow financially.
- He made a last-minute decision to decide a spot for the picnic.
- The full-length version of the song is leaked on YouTube before its official release.
7) (Adjective + Adjective): When the word contains two adjectives, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- Honey is one of the popular fat-free foods.
(Adjective + Past Participle): When the word contains an Adjective and Past Participle, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- John is a narrow-minded person.
- Turtles are cold-blooded animals.
- He still likes to wear old-fashioned clothes.
9) (Adjective + Present Participle): When the word contains an Adjective and Present Participle, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- He is a good-looking person.
- Snails are slow-moving insects.
- Natural Honey is a long-lasting food and doesn’t get spoiled.
10) (Adverb + Past Participle): When the word contains an Adverb and Past Participle, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- Maharashtra is one of the high densely populated states in India.
- This is a brightly-lit room.
11) (Adverb + Present Participle): When the word contains an Adverb and Present Participle, then use a hyphen in between to make it a compound adjective.
- It is a very hot day.
- He is an extremely intelligent boy.
Basic Rules of Compound Adjectives
Rule 1: There are some exceptions/limitations for using hyphens.
1) Most of the words of Compound Adjectives contain a hyphen, but some of them don’t have it.
Certain compound adjectives don’t need hyphens, even if they come before a noun in a sentence. In other words, if two (or more) words are used separately and not as a compound adjective, then don’t use a hyphen. For example,
Example Sentences:
- The food was undercooked but tasted good.
- It was a terribly cold day.
- It is an amazingly good idea.
2) Don’t use hyphens when an adjective is being modified by an adverb. Refer to the examples below.
Example Sentences:
- She became extremely tired after her workout.
- They were really happy about winning the match.
- They were cautiously optimistic about their business deal.
3) In addition, you should not place a hyphen in a compound adjective if the adjectives are capitalized. For example, when it is a part of a title or heading.
4) When there is the use of the conjunction “and” between the two adjectives or words, then a hyphen isn’t necessary.
- It is a big old type of mansion.
Since the two words “big” and “blue” are two adjectives, we can also write the sentence as mentioned below,
- It is a big and old type of mansion.
5) Don’t use the hyphen(s) between numerical and non-letter symbols, or between a numerical and a metric unit symbol.
- A 180° scale
- 100° C thermometer
- a 2.05 m high jump
6) Don’t use a hyphen(s) only when they contain superlatives after the noun.
- The food that I had yesterday was well-cooked.
7) Most compound modifiers that include an adverb that ends with (-ly) should not be hyphenated.
- Rapidly inclining confidence
- incredibly combative method
- exceptionally delicious cake –> adverb (exceptionally) ends with -ly
- widely known author –> adverb (widely) ends with -ly
Note: Adverbs that don’t end with (-ly) should be hyphenated if they appear before the noun or pronoun they are modifying. Only if they appear after the noun or pronoun, they should not be hyphenated.
Rule 2: Use Hyphens, especially in certain conditions such as,
Condition 1: When compound adjectives contain numbers.
- A thirteen-year-old boy breaks the world record for the fastest time to solve three cubes while juggling.
- A 5-lb of flour.
- Two 6-ft timber trees.
Note: When the unit measurement is represented by an abbreviation, use numerals.
Condition 2: Use a hyphen(s) only when they contain superlatives before the noun. You can also refer to condition 6 in rule 1.
- It turned out to be a very high-stress job.
- John was more well-suited to his job than Steve.
Rule 3: The Compound Adjective can be used anywhere in the sentence, even before or after the noun, while describing it.
- Before Noun: Our office is in a twenty five-storey building.
- After Noun: The food that I had yesterday was healthy and sugar-free.
In the above 1st sentence, the word which contains the noun is “building” and in the 2nd sentence the noun is “food”.
Quiz Time!
#1. I just finished writing an ___________ essay for my project work.
20 page
20 page
20-page
20-page
Answer: 20-page
Explanation: The compound adjective (20-page) is before the noun it modifies (paper), so it should be hyphenated.
#2. «This is a four foot table». Identify the sentence whether it should contain hyphen in between «four foot» or not?
Yes, it should contain
Yes, it should contain
No, it doesn’t contain
No, it doesn’t contain
#3. Identify the correct option.
My brother is two-years-old
My brother is two-years-old
My brother is two-years old
My brother is two-years old
My brother is two years-old
My brother is two years-old
My brother is two years old
My brother is two years old
Answer: My brother is two years old.
Explanation: Old is still an adjective describing “brother”, but “two” describe years and years describe “old”.
#4. The weather has been ___________________ lately.
terribly-cold
terribly-cold
terribly cold
terribly cold
too cold
too cold
#5. oday’s lecture was _______________.
exceptionally interesting
exceptionally interesting
exceptionally-interesting
exceptionally-interesting
Answer: Don’t use a hyphen when the adjective phrase (exceptionally interesting) includes an adverb that ends with a -ly.
#6. Identify the correct sentence from the below options.
My ten-year old sister loves puppies.
My ten-year old sister loves puppies.
My ten-year-old sister loves puppies.
My ten-year-old sister loves puppies.
My ten year old sister loves puppies.
My ten year old sister loves puppies.
My ten year-old sister loves puppies.
My ten year-old sister loves puppies.
#7. «That was a record-breaking jump». Identify the type of Compund Adjective.
Noun + Present Participle
Noun + Present Participle
Noun + Past Participle
Noun + Past Participle
Ajective + Noun
Ajective + Noun
Noun + Adjective
Noun + Adjective
Answer: Noun Present Participle
Explanation: The action that is taking place at present (-ing).
#8. I am thinking about getting a ____________ truck.
brand-new
brand-new
brand new
brand new
Answer:
Explanation: The compound adjective (brand new) is before the noun it modifies (truck), so it should be hyphenated.
#9. Identify the correct Sentence.
They enjoyed a three-year profit streak.
They enjoyed a three-year profit streak.
They enjoyed a three-year-profit streak.
They enjoyed a three-year-profit streak.
They enjoyed a three-year-profit-streak.
They enjoyed a three-year-profit-streak.
They enjoyed a three year profit streak.
They enjoyed a three year profit streak.
#10. Choose the correct statement from the below options.
She is an extremely-intelligent-girl.
She is an extremely-intelligent-girl.
She is an extremely intelligent-girl.
She is an extremely intelligent-girl.
She is an extremely-intelligent girl.
She is an extremely-intelligent girl.
She is an extremely intelligent girl.
She is an extremely intelligent girl.
Answer: She is an extremely intelligent girl.
Explanation: Never put a hyphen between an adverb and an adjective (not even before a noun).
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Summary: (Compound Adjectives)
- The two or more words that are compounded (combined) to act as an adjective in the sentence are known as compound adjectives.
- It is also called “Hyphenated Compound Adjective” or “Compound Modifier”.
- Examples of Compound Adjectives are well-known, first-place, three-week, one-of-a-kind, five-year-old, etc.
- There are different types of Compound adjectives, which are combinations of different parts of speech that contains a noun, adjective, adverb, etc.
- The hyphen symbol (-) is mainly used in between the words of Compound Adjectives.
- The hyphen should be used, especially when it contains numbers and the unit measurement is abbreviated.
- The hyphen should not be used when two (or more) words are used separately and not as a compound adjective and when an adjective is being modified by an adverb.
- It shouldn’t also be used when conjunctions are considered and between numerical and non-letter symbols.
If you are interested to learn more, then you can refer to Wikipedia here.
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Adjectives are used to modify nouns or pronouns in a sentence. There are many different types of adjectives; each one has a slightly different purpose. Sometimes, adjectives may even be made up of more than one word. These types of adjectives are known as compound adjectives.
Compound adjectives are a type of neologism — referring to the coining and creation of new words. They are formed by combining two or more words together.
Compound adjectives: definition
What are compound adjectives? Take a look at the definition below:
Compound adjectives are adjectives made up of more than one word (usually two, but sometimes three). They are used to modify the noun or pronoun in a sentence, so they have the same function as single-word adjectives.
Compound adjectives do not have to be made up of only adjectives; other word forms can combine to form compound adjectives (such as nouns and adjectives, adverbs and past participles, etc.).
The word «single-word» is an example of a compound adjective!
Fig. 1 — Snow could be described as «ice-cold.» This is an example of a compound adjective.
Compound adjectives: rules
Compound adjectives are used to modify nouns or pronouns. They can be placed before the noun/pronoun in a sentence. For example:
«My long-term goal is to stay happy.»
In this sentence, the compound adjective «long-term» is used to modify the noun «goal.»
Alternatively, they can also come after the noun/pronoun. For example:
«This playground is child-safe.«
In this sentence, the compound adjective «child-safe» is used to modify the noun «playground.»
Compound adjectives: using the hyphen
Compound adjectives often use hyphens to let the reader know they should be read as one unit instead of two different words. In particular, compound adjectives are usually hyphenated when they come before a noun or pronoun in a sentence. For example:
«I’m baking a gluten-free cake.»
However, compound adjectives do not always need to be hyphenated if their meaning is still clear without one. They’re usually not hyphenated when they come after a noun or pronoun. For example:
«This cake is gluten-free» VS. «This cake is gluten free.»
Both of these sentences can be understood regardless of the use of a hyphen.
Keep in mind that when using hyphens, it is often a matter of personal preference. But, in some instances, it is easier to hyphenate compound adjectives if the meaning could be misunderstood. These misunderstandings may be more common among non-native speakers of English, as they may mistake a compound adjective for two separate words, which can change the meaning of a sentence.
Take the sentence, «I saw a fish eating bear.»
Without the hyphen, it could seem as though the fish is eating a bear.
When a hyphen is used, the meaning of the sentence is made clearer:
«I saw a fish-eating bear.»
It is clear that the sentence is referring to a bear that eats fish.
Compound adjective: examples
There are different types of compound adjectives made with words from different word classes. It is important to know that just because they are called compound adjectives, this does not mean they only contain adjectives.
Compound adjectives simply act as an adjective in a sentence, but they can consist of words from other word classes. Take a look at some examples of different types of compound adjectives below:
Adjective Noun
| Example | Sentence |
| Last-minute | «I’m planning a last-minute trip to New York.» |
| Long-distance | «The long-distance flight was tiring.» |
| High-quality | «The TV played high-quality videos.» |
| Short-term | «Think about your short-term plan.» |
Adjective Present Participle (verb form ending in «ing»)
| Example | Sentence |
| Good-looking | «He’s a good-looking guy.» |
| Easy-going | «Some would say I’m easy-going.» |
| Tight-fitting | «I want to buy some tight-fitting jeans.» |
| Long-running | «Les Miserables is a long-running theatre show.» |
Adjective Past Participle (verb form usually ending in «ed»)
| Example | Sentence |
| Old-fashioned | «The clothes she wore were quite old-fashioned.» |
| Open-minded | «My family is open-minded.» |
| Quick-witted | «Her quick-witted sense of humor makes people laugh.» |
| Short-lived | «That idea was short-lived.» |
Noun Adjective
| Example | Sentence |
| Family-friendly | «This resort is family-friendly.» |
| Child-free | «Enjoy a child-free trip away.» |
| World-famous | «The Beatles were a world-famous band.» |
| Sugar-free | «The sugar-free brownies are surprisingly good.» |
Noun Present Participle
| Example | Sentence |
| Mind-numbing | «After another mind-numbing conversation, I was ready to go to sleep.» |
| Record-breaking | «The fastest car in the world went a record-breaking 763 miles an hour.» |
| Time-consuming | «Writing essays can be time-consuming but very rewarding.» |
| Thought-provoking | «He asked a thought-provoking question.» |
Noun Past Participle
| Example | Sentence |
| Middle-aged | «A middle-aged man crossed the street.» |
| Sun-dried | «The sun-dried tomatoes are the best.» |
| Wind-powered | «Many boats are wind-powered.» |
| Tongue-tied | «I was tongue-tied when I met a celebrity.» |
Adverb Past Participle
| Example | Sentence |
| Well-behaved | «The puppy is well-behaved.» |
| Brightly-lit | «The brightly-lit room felt uninviting.» |
| Highly-respected | «The highly-respected university professor has been working for many years.» |
| Well-known | «Germany is well-known for its beer and sausages.» |
Number Noun
| Fifteen-minute | «You need to do a fifteen-minute presentation.» |
| Four-story | «I live in a four-story building.» |
| Ninety-page | «She had to memorize a ninety-page monologue.» |
| Five-star | «We were staying at a five-star hotel.» |
Note that compound adjectives with numbers must only include a singular noun. For example, saying «I live in a four-story building» is grammatically correct, but «I live in a four-stories building» is not. This is because «story» is singular, and «stories» is plural.
Fig. 2 — You may write a «ten-page» essay, but not a «ten-pages» essay!
Three-word compound adjectives with hyphens
Although they are not as common, some compound adjectives contain three words. In this case, the conjunctions «and» or «of» are usually used between two other words. All three words must be hyphenated to show they are one unit of meaning instead of three separate words. For example:
| Three-word compound adjective | Example sentence |
| Matter-of-fact | «She spoke in a matter-of-fact way about politics.» |
| Salt-and-pepper | «His salt-and-pepper hair was attractive.» |
| Happy-go-lucky | «He’s a happy-go-lucky person.» |
It is worth mentioning that compound adjectives are not the only type of compound word. For example, another type of compound word is a compound noun.
Compound nouns function as nouns in a sentence and are made up of two or more words. A few examples are:
- bedroom
- raincoat
- toothpaste
Compound nouns are often written as one word without hyphens (but not always).
Compound Adjectives — Key takeaways
- Compound adjectives are adjectives made up of more than one word (usually two, sometimes three).
- Compound adjectives are used to modify the noun or pronoun in a sentence.
- Compound adjectives can comprise different word classes. Some different types of compound adjectives are:
- adjective + noun, adjective + present participle, adjective + past participle
- noun + adjective, noun + present participle, noun + past participle
- adverb + past participle
- number + noun
- Compound adjectives often use hyphens (especially if they come before the noun), as this lets the reader know that they are a single unit of meaning and not two separate words. Hyphens are not always needed and often aren’t used when the compound adjective comes after the noun.
- Although not as common, compound adjectives can also consist of three words. Three-word compound adjectives always use hyphens.
Compound Adjectives in English
Let’s look at the following sentences:
- I saw a man-eating alligator.
- I saw a man eating alligator.
What is the difference between these two sentences?
The first sentence has a hyphen (-) which is a little dash between the two words man and eating and the second sentence doesn’t.
Is there a difference in meaning?
YES! There is a big difference. Let’s use some cartoons to show this.
The first sentence contains a compound adjective… man-eating
A compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words joined by a hyphen.
In this case we are joining the words MAN and EATING to create the compound adjective.
This compound adjective describes the alligator as one that eats men or people in general.
Is it a banana-eating alligator? No. It it a hamburger-eating alligator? No. It is a man-eating alligator.
Compound adjectives appear before a noun and act as a single idea (a single adjective) that describes something.
The second sentence doesn’t have a compound adjective. There is no hyphen between the word man and eating. Why?
Because we are talking about how we saw a man who was eating an alligator. We are not describing the alligator.
So quickly looking at both sentences again:
The first sentence:
- I saw a man-eating alligator.
We are describing the alligator. What type of alligator is it? It is one that eats men (or people).
The second sentence:
- I saw a man eating alligator.
I am talking about a man who is eating an alligator.
As you can see, the hyphen (or lack of a hyphen) makes a big difference in the meaning of the sentence.
Let’s learn more about compound adjectives.
Compound adjectives
As we have seen, a compound adjective is an adjective that contains two or more words joined by a hyphen.
- I live in an English-speaking country.
English-speaking is a compound 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.
What type of country is it?
It is an English-speaking country.
Look at this sentence:
- She is a world-famous singer.
She is not just a famous singer in her country. She is also famous around the world so she is a world-famous singer.
In general, we do not use a hyphen between two adjectives.
- She has a big blue book.
Big and Blue are adjectives so we do not put a hyphen between these two adjectives
This includes when one of the adjectives is already a compound adjective. Look at the following:
- He lives in an old coal-mining town
Coal-mining is a compound adjective that consists of coal and mining.
What type of town is it? A coal-mining town… a town where they mine coal.
But we have also included the adjective OLD because it is an old town.
We didn’t put a hyphen between the word old and coal because coal is part of the compound adjective coal-mining.
In general we don’t put a hyphen between two adjectives, including if one of those is a compound adjective.
So how can we make compound adjectives?
Which parts of speech can be a part of compound adjectives?
Here is a list of the most common types of compound adjectives:
Periods of Time
One very common use of compound adjectives is with periods of time.
The compound adjective is made with a number + a period of time.
Some examples include: five-minute, three-hour, ten-day, six-month, twenty-year.
It is important to note that the period of time needs to be in singular form. five-minute NOT five-minutes
Let’s look at the first example.
- I work an eight-hour day.
We do NOT put an S at the end of hour. We cannot say “I work an eight-hours day.” This is NOT correct. The time period needs to be in its singular form.
- I work an eight-hour day.
This means that I work eight hours every day. There is an S at the end of hours in the sentence on the right because it is not a compound adjective that goes before a noun.
Look at these other examples:
- I had a three-week vacation. = I went on vacation for three weeks.
- There was a five-second delay. = There was a delay of 5 seconds.
Notice how we normally write the number as a word, not in numerical form, unless it is a very large number.
And remember it is important NOT to add an S at the end of the compound adjective.
I had a three-week vacation NOT three-weeks vacation.
Number + Singular Noun
When we have a number before a noun in a compound adjective, that noun is always in singular form. This not only applies to periods of time as we have already seen but with other nouns too.
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a number + singular noun include: five-minute, three-hour, ten-storey, one-way, twenty-page
Our example sentences:
- I had to print a ten-page document.
- You need to go down that one-way street.
- We live in a two-storey house.
NOTE: We we are talking about the level of a building:
Storey (with an E) is used in British English.
Story (without an E) is used in American English.
So in American English it would be written as:
- We live in a two-story house. (American English)
Adjective + Noun
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from an adjective + noun include:
last-minute, full-length, short-term, long-distance, high-quality
Our example sentences:
- I made a last-minute decision to stay home.
- Most of their staff are on short-term contracts.
- We create high-quality resources.
Adjective + Present Participle
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from an adjective + present participle include: good-looking, long-lasting, easy-going, tight-fitting, quick-thinking
Our example sentences:
- It left a long-lasting taste in my mouth.
- She wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans.
- The quick-thinking staff got everyone to safety.
Noun + Present Participle
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a noun + present participle include: mouth-watering, record-breaking, time-saving, English-speaking
Our example sentences:
- I bought some mouth-watering strawberries.
- That was a record-breaking jump.
- I used to live in a Spanish-speaking country.
Noun + Adjective
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a noun + adjective include:
world-famous, smoke-free, ice-cold, gluten-free, family-friendly
Our example sentences:
- We often go to the family-friendly restaurant near our house.
- There is nothing better than an ice-cold drink on a hot day.
- Could you buy me some gluten-free cookies please?
Noun + Past Participle
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from a noun + past participle include: wind-powered, sun-dried, middle-aged, water-cooled
Our example sentences:
- We should start using wind-powered generators to cut costs.
- I added some sun-dried tomatoes to the platter.
- My new water-cooled gaming PC is quieter than my old one.
Adverb + Past Participle
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from an adverb + past participle include: brightly-lit, well-known, densely-populated, highly-respected
Our example sentences:
- This classroom is a brightly-lit room.
- He is a well-known actor.
- They live in a densely-populated city.
Adjective + Past Participle
Some examples of compound adjectives that are made from an adjective + past participle include: old-fashioned, long-forgotten, ready-made, short-lived
Our example sentences:
- I found a long-forgotten painting in the attic.
- He doesn’t like to cook so he buys ready-made meals.
- They had a short-lived romance.
Compound Adjectives Summary Chart
What is the rule when it comes to using either the present or past participle in two word adjectives?
adjectiveadverb + past participle:
well-built
hard-boiled
badly-desinged
adjectiveadverb + present participle:
good-looking
foul-smelling
easy-going
When do we use which?
AnonymousWhat is the rule when it comes to using either the present or past participle in two word adjectives?
There is no rule. Those are fixed forms. If you pick them apart by reversing the word order, they may make more sense to you.
well-built — it is built well
hard-boiled — it is boiled (until it is) hard [This one may be used metaphorically of people.]
badly-designed — it is designed badly
good-looking — it looks good
foul-smelling — it smells foul
easy-going — he/she «goes easy» [This one is inherently metaphoric.]
The words ‘present’ and ‘past’ as applied to participles have often been spoken of as misnomers, by the way, and justly so. They are actually active and passive participles. Note that the first three of your examples are related to passive constructions and the last three are related to active constructions.
CJ
CalifJimThe words ‘present’ and ‘past’ as applied to participles have often been spoken of as misnomers, by the way, and justly so. They are actually active and passive participles. Note that the first three of your examples are related to passive constructions and the last three are related to active constructions.
Excellent point!
A. Form compound adjectives using the words from the two boxes.
Model 1: Adj/N/Adv + Participle II
home, well, low, old, absent / educated, minded, fashioned, paid, made
Model 2: Adj/N/Adv + Participle I
low, easy, fast, heart, sea / developing, lying, breaking, going, loving
B. Complete these sentences with the compound adjectives from part A.
1) The news about their father’s death was unexpected and … . 2) Students from Oxford and Cambridge are usually knowledgeable and … . 3) Elderly people are often …. 4) The lady was wearing a strange … hat with a lot of paper flowers. 5) Holland is a … country, most of its territory is below sea level. 6) The … cake was very tasty. 7) John has a … job, he doesn’t earn much money. 8) Computer industry is a … industry in our country. 9) Alice is such an … person. She is usually relaxed, calm and not getting easily upset. 10) The British is a … nation.
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ГДЗ Английский язык 10 класс Афанасьева. UNIT 1. Step 7. Номер №5
Решение
Перевод задания
A. Образуйте сложные имена прилагательные, используя слова из двух рамок.
Модель 1: Adj/N/Adv + Participle II
домашний, хороший, низкий, старый, отсутствующий / образованный, мыслящий, оформленный, оплачиваемый, сделанный
Модель 2: Adj/N/Adv + Participle I
низкий, легкий, быстрый, сердечный, морской / развивающийся, лежащий, ломающийся, идущий, любящий
B. Допишите предложения, используя сложные имена прилагательные из части A.
1) Известие о смерти отца было неожиданным и … . 2) Студенты из Оксфорда и Кембриджа обычно хорошо осведомлены и … . 3) Пожилые люди часто бывают … . 4) На даме была странная … шляпа с множеством бумажных цветов. 5) Голландия − это … страна, большая часть ее территории находится ниже уровня моря. 6) … торт получился очень вкусным. 7) У Джона … работа, он не зарабатывает много денег. 8) Компьютерная индустрия − это … отрасль в нашей стране. 9) Алиса такой … человек. Обычно она расслаблена, спокойна и ее нелегко расстроить. 10) Британцы − это … нация.
ОТВЕТ
A.
Model 1 − home−made, well−educated, absent−minded, old−fashioned, low−paid.
Мodel 2 − low−lying, fast−developing, easy−going, heartbreaking, sea−loving.
B.
1) The news about their father’s death was unexpected and heartbreaking. 2) Students from Oxford and Cambridge are usually knowledgeable and well−educated. 3) Elderly people are often absent minded. 4) The lady was wearing a strange old−fashioned hat with a lot of paper flowers. 5) Holland is a low−lying country, most of its territory is below sea level. 6) The homemade cake was very tasty. 7) John has a low−paid job, he doesn’t earn much money. 8) Computer industry is a fast−developing industry in our country. 9) Alice is such an easy−going person. She is usually relaxed, calm and not getting easily upset. 10) The British is a sea−loving nation.
Перевод ответа
A.
Модель 1 – домашний, хорошо образованный, рассеянный, старомодный, низкооплачиваемый.
Модель 2 – низколежащая, быстро развивающийся, приятный в общении, душераздирающий, любящий море.
B.
1) Новость о смерти их отца была неожиданной и душераздирающей. 2) Студенты Оксфорда и Кембриджа обычно умные и хорошо образованные. 3) Пожилые люди часто бывают рассеянными. 4) Женщина носила странную старомодную шляпу с множеством бумажных цветков. 5) Голландия – низко расположенная страна, большинство ее территорий находится ниже уровня моря. 6) Домашний пирог был очень вкусным. 7) У Джона низкооплачиваемая работа, он зарабатывает не много денег. 8) Компьютерная индустрия – быстро развивающаяся индустрия в нашей стране. 9) Элис – такой приятный в общении человек. Она обычно расслаблена, спокойна и не расстраивается. 10) Британцы – нация, любящая море.