Compound adjectives

What are compound adjectives?

A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives are joined together to modify the same noun. These terms should be hyphenated to avoid confusion or ambiguity. For example:

1. Diana submitted a 6-page document.
2. She adopted a two-year-old cat.

Compound adjectives – Exceptions

Note that combining an adverb and an adjective does not create a compound adjective. No hyphen is required because it is already clear that the adverb modifies the adjective rather than the subsequent noun. For example:

1. It was a terribly hot day.
2. It is an amazingly good idea.

In addition, you should not place a hyphen in a compound adjective if the adjectives are capitalized, such as when they are part of a title.

Examples of compound adjectives

1. This is a four-foot table.
2. Daniella is a part-time worker.
3. This is an all-too-common error.
4. Beware of the green-eyed monster.
5. He is a cold-blooded man.
6. I love this brightly-lit room!
7. Danny’s dog is well-behaved.
8. You have to be open-minded about things.

Compound adjective exercises

1. From each group, choose the sentence that contains a compound adjective:

Answers:B, A, C

2. Using hyphens in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?

Answers:B, A, A

3. Using –ly adverbs in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?

Answers:A, A, B

4. Choose the correct compound adjective for each sentence.

Answers: A – 12-year-old B – terribly cold C – three-ring circus

5. Fill in the blanks with the best compound adjective for the situation:

Answers: A – well-cared for B – level-headed C – open-minded

6. Fill in the blanks with the best phrase for the situation:

Answers: A – himself a brand-new car B – gun-control debate C – gently flowing water

7. Creating compound adjectives: From each group, choose the sentence pair that makes the most sense.

Answers:B – meat-eating plants A – high-priced car B – flat-footed duck

8. Compound adjectives containing numbers: From each group, choose the sentence containing the correct compound adjective.

Answers:B – 12-inch sandwich A – one-ton truck B – 300-dollar chainsaw

9. Use the underlined phrase to make a compound adjective.

Answers: