Compound adjectives
Update: 2025-10-06
1
Description
Learn how to use compound adjectives (e.g. low-fat yoghurt, high-quality carbohydrates).
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In Channel
number + (singular) noun ex. two-week trip
Compound adjectives without hyphens: adverb/noun + past participle after a noun the politicians were well respected three-word compound adjectives after a noun that voucher is out of date compound adjectives made with an adverb ending in –ly, both before and after a noun a carefully written letter, the letter was carefully written
Compound adjectives with hyphens: adjective/adverb + present participle a hard-working student ages and numbers before a noun a forty-year-old father, a two-door car numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine fifty-two adjective/adverb + noun a last-minute decision noun + adjective a world-famous athlete adverb/noun + past participle before a noun well-respected politicians three-word compound adjectives before a noun out-of-date fashion