Compound adjectives and adjectives ending in -ed or -ing
A compound adjective is two or more words joined by hyphens before a noun. Number + singular noun: a ten-hour trip (hour, never hours). Adjective + noun with -ed: open-minded. Noun + participle: time-saving. Noun + adjective: world-famous. Adjective + participle: well-behaved. After the noun we usually write the words apart: The trip was ten hours long. After an adverb ending in -ly we write no hyphen: a highly respected guide. But slow is an adjective, so: a slow-moving crab. Adjectives in -ed and -ing: -ed tells how a person feels (bored, tired), and -ing tells what causes the feeling (boring, tiring). The lesson was boring, so I was bored. Polite complaint: Excuse me, the soup is a little cold. Could you warm it, please? Polite reply: I am sorry about that. I will bring a hot bowl. The book’s tasks on pages 60 to 62 are named by page; our examples are new.
| Pattern | Compound adjective | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| number + singular noun | a ten-hour trip | We took a ten-hour trip. |
| noun + participle | time-saving | This is a time-saving tool. |
| noun + adjective | world-famous | She is a world-famous chef. |
| -ed / -ing | bored / boring | The film was boring, so I was bored. |
Role-play in pairs: one student is a customer at the school canteen and the other is the server. Make a polite complaint with two adjectives (one -ed, one -ing) and give a polite reply. Then swap roles.