COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

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A single adjective made up of two or more words is called a compound adjective . The words in a compound adjective can be linked together by a Hyphen (or Hyphens) to show they are part of the same adjective. In the UK , your readers will expect you to use hyphens in compound adjectives.

Americans are more lenient. The US ruling is: Use a Hyphen if it eliminates ambiguity or helps you readers, else dont bother . If you are unsure, use hyphens . You won t be marked down for using hyphens.

Sometimes a hyphen is essential to avoid ambiguity. Look at these examples:

a heavy-metal detector

a heavy metal detector

Both are correct, but they mean different things. The first device detects heavy metals. The second detects metal, and it is heavy. If we’re talking about a device that detects heavy metals, then putting heavy metal detector would be wrong in the UK and the US..

EXAMPLES

– An actor who is well known > A well-known actor

– A girl who is four years old > A four-year-old girl

– A person who works hard > A hard-working person

– A conference that lasts three hours > A three-hour conference

*Nota: Los adjetivos no pueden tener ninguna palabra en plural.

– A three-hours conference (es incorrecto)

– A three-hour conference (es correcto)

Characteristics

a good-looking girl – una muchacha linda

a well-dressed woman – una mujer bien vestida

a pair of high-heeled shoes – un par de zapatos de tacos altos

a well-known actor – un actor bien conocido

some handmade toys – algunos juguetes hechos a mano

a bulletproof vest – un chaleco a prueba de balas

a first-class ticket – un boleto de primera clase

a well-kept house – una casa bien conservada

a part-time job – un trabajo de medio día

a brand-new radio – una radio completamente nueva

several duty-free goods – varios productos libres de impuestos

a one-way street – una calle de una sola vía

a second-hand car – un coche de segunda mano

Personality

a hard-working person – una persona trabajadora

a tight-fisted banker – un banquero tacaño

a kind-hearted mother – una madre bondadosa

an absent-minded scientist – un científico distraído

a two-faced politician – un político falso

a pigheaded friend – un amigo testarudo

a smooth-tongued employee – un empleado chupamedias

a stuck-up model – una modelo engreída

a self-centered artist – un artista egocéntrico

a good-natured professor – un profesor bonachón

a quick-tempered boss – un jefe irascible

a broad-minded president – un presidente tolerante, de mente abierta

a narrow-minded minister – un ministro de mente estrecha

Body

a fair-haired girl – una chica de pelo rubio

a curly-haired baby – un bebé de pelo rizado

a green-eyed woman – una mujer de ojos verdes

a long-legged model – una modelo de piernas largas

a left-handed boxer – un boxeador zurdo

a right-handed tennis player – un tenista diestro

a flatfooted runner – un corredor de pie plano

a bowlegged cowboy – un vaquero patizambo, chueco

a short-sighted writer – un escritor corto de vista

a cross-eyed boy – un chico bizco

a dark-skinned person – una persona de piel oscura

a narrow-waisted actress – una actriz de cintura angosta

a freckle-faced little girl – una niñita de cara con pecas

Quantity

a five-dollar bill – un billete de cinco dólares

a six-sided figure – un figura de seis lados

a twenty-year-old girl – una chica de veinte años

a three-hour conference – una conferencia de tres horas

a ten-page report – un informe de diez páginas

a four-day journey – un viaje de cuatro días

a five-kilometer tunnel – un túnel de cinco kilómetros

a thirty-question test – una prueba de treinta preguntas

a two-week tour – un tour de dos semanas

a ten-minute call – una llamada de diez minutos

a twenty-mile border – una frontera de veinte millas

a ten-speed bicycle – una bicicleta de diez velocidades

a forty-story building – edificio de cuarenta pisos Hyphen? When these combinations are used with a copular verb like be or seem, and come after the noun they modify, are not hyphenated.Compare:The brightly-lit streets in our town discourage burglars.The streets in our town are brightly lit and discourage burglars.

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COMPOUND ADJECTIVES IN ENGLISH

Compound Adjectives - Advanced English Grammar Lesson (Einbetten)