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A CATHOLIC COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Compound adjectives are words formed by joining two or more words together to function as a single unit describing a noun. They act like a single adjective and modify a noun or pronoun in the sentence.

Here are some key characteristics of compound adjectives:

• Formation: Created by combining two or more words (nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions) with or without hyphens.

• Function: Modify a noun or pronoun, describing its qualities.

• Examples:

  • Light blue (adjective + adjective)

  • Well-known (adverb + past participle)

  • Traffic-filled (noun + adjective)

  • Bird-watching (present participle + noun)

Using Hyphens in Compound Adjectives:

Hyphens are not always necessary for compound adjectives. Here's a general guideline:

• Usually hyphenated:

  • When two or more words come before a noun and act together as a single unit describing it (e.g., dark-haired, long-distance).

  • When a compound adjective is formed from a hyphenated phrase (e.g., high-school, becomes high-school-aged).

  • When a compound adjective could be misread or cause confusion without a hyphen (e.g., re-create vs.recover, blue green vs. bluish green).

• Not usually hyphenated:

  • When two or more common adjectives modify a noun separately (e.g., bright yellow flower, old wooden house).

  • When a past participle and an adjective come before a noun and modify it separately (e.g., tired but happy child).

  • When a noun modifies an adjective (e.g., chocolate chip cookies, silk flower arrangement).

Tips for Using Compound Adjectives:

• Clarity: Ensure the compound adjective clearly describes the noun and avoids confusion.

• Readability: If the compound adjective is long or awkward to read, consider rephrasing the sentence.

• Formal vs. Informal: Compound adjectives are more common in informal writing and conversation. For formal writing, you might prefer to use separate adjectives or a different adjective altogether.