Compound Nouns

Exercises

Explanation

1. Position of compound adjectives

Like all adjectives, compound adjectives:

• come before a noun, or

• come after linking verbs such as be, feel, seem, look.

Examples:

She bought a high-quality camera.
The solution seems well-designed.

2. Form: adjective + adjective / adverb + past participle

Many compound adjectives are formed by combining two descriptive words.

Examples:

a well-known author
a cold-blooded decision
a fast-growing company

The hyphen shows that the words function as one adjective.

3. Compound adjectives with numbers

One of the most common patterns uses a number + a noun.

Form: number + singular noun (always singular) + hyphen

Examples:

a 45-minute presentation
a ten-page report
a three-week course

Incorrect: a 45-minutes presentation

Adjectives in English do not take plural forms.

4. Difference between compound adjectives and phrases

Compare:

He adopted a five-year-old dog.
The dog is five years old.

The first uses a compound adjective (before the noun). The second is a normal sentence, not an adjective.

5. Compound adjectives with body parts (-ed)

When a compound adjective describes physical features, we often use the ending -ed.

Form: number + body part + -ed

Examples:

a four-legged animal
a one-eyed pirate
a long-haired cat

These adjectives describe what something has, not what it does.

6. Key points to remember