Adjectives are the words that are used to describe or modify nouns or pronouns. An adjective can specify your writing by giving more information and more meaning to nouns or pronouns. Compound adjectives are, actually, adjectives that are used to modify nouns.
Compound means consisting of two or more separate parts. It means that a compound adjective, as the name implies, consist of two or more than two words. These separate words make up a compound adjective to modify nouns.
The following list has a few examples of compound adjectives.
- Well-known author
- Part-time job
- Under-developed town
- Two-year-old child
- One-letter apart
- Cold-blooded animals
- Well-behaved student
- Close-ended questions
- 4-metre-long rope
- Absent-minded person
Rules to form Compound Adjectives
1. Use Hyphens:
As you can see in the above examples, hyphens are used to link the words to make up a compound adjective. For example,
- At the end of the session, the instructor will ask a few close-ended questions from each one of us.
- Accent and ascent are just one-letter apart.
- I can see an absent-minded person in my classroom.
2. Do not use hyphens:
You do not need to use hyphens when there are proper nouns that are used to form up a compound adjective. For example,
- I so wanted to download 8 Ball Pool game but didn’t get time.
In the above example, 8 Ball Pool is a compound adjective which is made up of a proper noun. This is the reason for not using hyphens to link these words together. This compound adjective ‘8 Ball Pool’ is describing the game.
Note: You do not need to use hyphens when the compound adjective comes after the noun. For example, the student is well behaved.
Trick to use a Hyphen
This trick is very famous to get to know whether to use hyphens between words to form a compound adjective or not.
> You do not need to use hyphens when you can use the word ‘and’ between the words. For example,
1. She is wearing a pretty bright dress. (Correct)
In the above example, the adjectives are ‘pretty bright.’ Now, use the word ‘and’ between these adjectives and see if it is making sense or not.
- She is wearing a pretty and bright dress. (Correct)
You can see that after using the word ‘and’, the sentence is still making sense. It means that there is no need to use a hyphen to join ‘pretty’ and ‘bright.’
> In the same way, you would need a hyphen if the sentence will not make sense after using ‘and’ between the adjectives. For instance,
1. I feel very bad when I think about cold blooded animals.
In the above example, the adjectives are ‘cold blooded.’ Now, use the word ‘and’ between these adjectives and see if it is making sense or not.
- I feel very bad when I think about cold and blooded animals. (Wrong)
No, it is not making sense. We truly need a hyphen to join the adjectives to make it grammatically correct. So, the correct sentence would be,
- I feel very bad when I think about cold-blooded animals. (Correct)
Types of Compound Adjectives
Compound adjectives can be categorized based on their composition, providing greater specificity and clarity in writing. Here are the main types:
- Noun + Adjective: These adjectives combine a noun with an adjective to describe a quality.
Examples: World-famous artist, accident-prone driver. - Adjective + Noun: This structure pairs an adjective with a noun, often denoting a specific role or quality.
Examples: Full-time job, high-quality product. - Adjective + Past Participle: These adjectives describe a noun using a past participle, often indicating a state or condition.
Examples: Open-minded person, old-fashioned idea. - Noun + Present Participle: This structure uses a noun with a present participle to express ongoing action or quality.
Examples: Thought-provoking book, time-consuming task. - Number + Noun: These compound adjectives indicate quantity and are often hyphenated when they modify nouns.
Examples: Two-week vacation, four-story building.
Common Mistakes with Compound Adjectives
When using compound adjectives, writers often make the following common mistakes:
- Incorrect Hyphenation: Failing to use hyphens can lead to confusion.
Incorrect: “The teacher gave a well-known scholar a recommendation.”
Correct: “The teacher gave a well-known scholar a recommendation.” - Unnecessary Hyphenation: Adding hyphens where they are not needed, particularly with adverbs ending in “-ly.”
Incorrect: “She is a highly-skilled artist.”
Correct: “She is a highly skilled artist.”
Compound Adjectives and Style Guides
Different style guides offer specific rules for using hyphens in compound adjectives. Adhering to these guidelines can enhance your writing, especially in academic and professional contexts.
- APA Style Guide: According to APA, compound adjectives should be hyphenated when they precede the noun they modify.
Example: “A well-established theory is essential for understanding.” - Chicago Manual of Style: Chicago also recommends hyphenating compound adjectives before a noun to prevent ambiguity.
Example: “The high-quality materials were sourced locally.” - MLA Style: In MLA, similar hyphenation rules apply. Ensure you hyphenate compound adjectives before the nouns they modify.
Example: “He bought a state-of-the-art computer.”
Check Out: How Do We Write Titles In AP Style?
What Did You Learn?
Compound adjectives are adjectives that are used to modify nouns; usually hyphenated; and may consist of more than one word.