Using Two- Word AdjectivesCompound Adjectives

Describe the eyes of the girl:

Describe the shape of the chocolate:

Describe the manner of the children:

Describe the man on the left:

Describe the layers of the cake:

Describe the island:

Describe how the girl holds her pencil:

Adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives are not always single words. An adjective can be formed by joining two words. These are called two- word adjectives.

In two- word adjective, each word is made up of two different words joined by a hyphen.

1.Alice is a blue- eyed girl.2.My mother bought a heart- shaped

chocolate cake for my birthday.3.The pupils in West Central School are

well- mannered.4.Jose lives next- door.5.Sofia baked a three- layered cake for

her sister.6.I want to visit the man- made island in

Dubai.7.Brent is left- handed.

Examples:

Two- word adjectives are formed in three ways:

1.Number word followed by a noun.

2.Adverb followed by a past participle of a verb.

3.Noun followed by a past participle of a verb.

noun

1.Number word followed by a noun

When we have two- word adjective followed by a noun, the noun is in singular form and is joined to the number with a hyphen.

a) It is a three- hour ride from the city.

b) My school is a five- minute walk from our house.Note: The two- word adjective comes before the word it modifies.

Number word

Number word

noun

■I work eight hours every day --> I work  eight-hour a day■I'm going on vacation for three weeks--> I have a three-week vacation■There was a delay of 5 seconds--> There was a five-second delayNote: Notice how we normally write the number as a word, not in numerical form.

Activity #1: Try changing the following sentences using two- word adjective.

2. Adverb followed by a past participle of a verb.In this form, the first word is an adverb, and the

second word is the past participle form of the verb. A hyphen joins them.

This is a brightly-lit room.

She is a well-known actress.

We live in a densely-populated city.

adverb

adverb

adverb

verb

verb

verb

most- visited parka park that is visited most by people

Activity #2: Study the following two- word adjectives. Tell the meaning of each.

well- built monumenta monument that is built well

3. Noun followed by a past participle of a verb.

In this form, the first word is a noun, and the second word is the past participle form of the verb. A hyphen joins them.

man- made falls

fruit- laden trees

noun

noun

verb

verb

EXERCISE TIME!!!

Exercise #1: Change the following into phrases containing two- word adjectives. Write the answers on your paper.Example: a truck with eight wheelsAnswer: an eight- wheel truck

1.a condominium with ten storeys2.a story with six paragraph3.a ruler measuring six inches4.a poem with three stanzas5.a cake with four layers6.a stamp worth sixty centavos7.a house having four rooms

8.a wire measuring ten meters9.a road lined with trees10.a substance that is yellow and

green11.a toy which stuffed fully12.a friend who has a shiny hairy13.a paper which has a smooth

surface14.an insect which has a brown color15.a pen which has a long stem

Exercise #2:Work in pairs. Give the exact two- word adjective to describe the given noun. Take note of the suggested meanings in parentheses.Example: one- hour show (The show lasted for an hour.)

1. _________children (The children behaved well.)2. _________ money (The money is earned the

hard way.)3. _________ poem (The poem is made up of two

stanzas.)4. _________report (The report is given in forty

minutes only.)5. _________cake (The cake is made up of four

layers.)6. __________fish (The fish is one foot long.)7. __________street(The street is used for two ways.)8. _________story (The story consists of ten papers.)9. _________house (The house is made up of two

storeys.)10.________monument (The monument is 20 feet

high.)

11._________summer(a summer waited for so long)12._________ guides(guides who are trained well)13._________ hotel (a hotel with a brick walls)14._________stalactites(stalactites that are like swords)15._________stalagmites (stalagmites shaped like pillars)16.__________island(an island full of bats)17.__________island(an island that is like a snake)18._________fortification(a fortification shaped like crescent)19._________lagoon (lagoons made by man)20.________vacation (a vacation I enjoyed most)

Exercise #2: Pick out the two- word adjective in each sentence. Tell what is means. Tell also what it is made up of.Example: The family had a five- hour ride to the city.Answers: five- hour The ride took five hours. Number word followed by a noun.1. The family went on a three- day vacation in

Baguio.2. It had been a well- planned activity.3. They stayed in a five- star hotel found in the

heart of the city.4. Baguio City is a five- hour ride from Manila.5. In the hotel is a pear- shaped swimming pool.6. Around it is an orientally- designed porch

where swimmers loiter.

7. The grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is the most frequently- visited place.8. The hotel is a five- minute ride to the city.9. Tourists enjoy the well- loved cool climate of Baguio.10. The parks and other places of interest in the city are perfectly- maintained that is why they are always attractive.

Exercise #3: Find the two- word adjectives which mean the same as the following in the grid below. Words appear down, across or diagonally.

1. Mentally exhausted from working too hard2. Without much money3. Tired and unhealthy4. Having a lot of money

5. Happening only once6. Annoyed or bored7. With lots of buildings8. Physically tired