Compound adjectives in English — Explanation

Practice compound adjectives in English with B2-level exercises. Improve grammar, learn common structures, and test your knowledge with interactive questions.

Compound Adjectives in English Exercises

Two or more words that work together as one adjective to describe a noun are called compound adjectives. They are very common in English and are often used in both speech and writing. When you learn compound adjectives, you can say what you mean more clearly and naturally.

When compound adjectives come before a noun, they are often joined by a hyphen (-).

Examples:

• She bought a high-quality laptop.
• It was a well-known restaurant.
• They live in a fast-growing city.

In these examples, the two words together describe the noun as a single idea.

Common Structures of Compound Adjectives

There are a few common ways to make compound adjectives.

Number + Noun

People often use this structure to talk about age, length, or duration.

Examples:

• a ten-minute break
• a five-star hotel
• a two-week holiday

The noun in the compound adjective usually stays the same.

✔ a ten-minute presentation
✘ a ten-minutes presentation

Adjective + Noun (-ed)

This structure talks about a trait or physical trait.

Examples:

• a blue-eyed girl
• a long-haired musician
• a cold-hearted decision

People often use these words to talk about how someone looks or acts.

Adverb + Past Participle

There are some compound adjectives that are made up of an adverb and a past participle.

Examples:

• a well-prepared student
• a poorly-written report
• a well-organized event

These structures often talk about quality or performance.

Noun + Past Participle

This structure often tells you how something is made or controlled.

Examples:

• a sun-dried tomato
• a hand-made product
• a wind-powered generator

Rules for Hyphens

When a compound adjective comes before a noun, it usually needs a hyphen. When it comes after the noun, though, the hyphen is not always needed.

Examples:

• It is a well-known company.
• The company is well known.
• She bought a high-quality camera.
• The camera is high quality.

In most cases, though, some compound adjectives, like well-known, are always hyphenated.

Why Compound Adjectives Are Important

Using compound adjectives can make sentences shorter, clearer, and more exact. You can say what you mean in a more natural way instead of using long descriptions.

For example:

• a three-hour meeting
• a full-time job
• a long-term plan

They are also very common in everyday conversation, news articles, and academic writing.