COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

I. Read and compare the two paragraphs:

1. Ali is a high school student. He has got brown eyes, black hair, and a very big head. He is a handsome student
as well. Ali writes using his right hand. He doesn’t use his left hand while copying his lessons. Furthermore, Ali is
disciplined at school…

2. Ali is a high school student. He is a brown-eyed, a black-haired, and a big-headed student. He is a good-looking
boy. Ali is a right-handed student not a left-handed one. Moreover, Ali is well-behaved at school….

II. Match the compound adjectives with their meanings.

1. Kind-hearted A/ Having two characters / hypocrite
2. Brightly-lit B/ Firmly implanted
3. Good-looking C/ famous and recognized by many people
4. Old-fashioned D/ Using left hand to write
5. Deeply-rooted E/ Unable to see far away
6. Labour-saving F/ Being polite and disciplined
7. heart-broken G/Living without worry/Relaxed and calm
8. Left-handed H/ depressed
9. Short-sighted I/ Attractive appearance (handsome and beautiful)
10. Well-known J/ sSaving time and energy while working.
11. Easy-coming K/ Having a kind and sympathic character or personality.
12. Well-behaved L/ Traditional person
13. Two-faced M/ Shining/lighten
immediately

III. Fill in the gaps with the compound adjectives from exercise II. One word is given in brackets.
1. Islamic culture is……………………………….. in our Moroccan society.
2. My grandfather doesn’t like wearing jeans because he is an…………………………… person.
3. Ahmed can’t see what is written on the blackboard. He’s……………………………..
4. …………………………………... machines are necessary for factory workers.
5. This is a dark room to do your homework in . You should study in ……………………………room.
6. My student do not make a lot of noise. They are………………………………….
7. Alan was really……………………………………. when Sarah left him.

A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives are joined together to modify the same
noun. They are usually written with a hyphen (e.g. good-looking, sun-tanned …). Its meaning is
normally clear from the words it combines. The second part of the compound adjective is often a
present or past participle. A lot of compound adjectives describe a person’s appearance, character,
and situation.