ENGLISH COMPOUND WORDS 1
DID YOU KNOW?
Compound word errors are a reliable sign of an intermediate writer — getting them right signals C1.
English compound words are notoriously unpredictable: some are written as one word (bedroom), some are hyphenated (well-known), and some stay as two separate words (ice cream). There’s no single rule — which is precisely why TOEFL and Cambridge examiners view correct compound usage as a mark of genuine lexical range.
In Cambridge Use of English (Part 1 — multiple choice cloze), compound collocations appear regularly. In IELTS and TOEFL writing, misspelling a compound (every day vs everyday, any one vs anyone) affects your Lexical Resource score. This exercise builds the pattern recognition that makes the difference.
Compound word errors are a reliable sign of an intermediate writer — getting them right signals C1.
English compound words are notoriously unpredictable: some are written as one word (bedroom), some are hyphenated (well-known), and some stay as two separate words (ice cream). There’s no single rule — which is precisely why TOEFL and Cambridge examiners view correct compound usage as a mark of genuine lexical range.
In Cambridge Use of English (Part 1 — multiple choice cloze), compound collocations appear regularly. In IELTS and TOEFL writing, misspelling a compound (every day vs everyday, any one vs anyone) affects your Lexical Resource score. This exercise builds the pattern recognition that makes the difference.
Choose the best, most grammatically-correct response to complete each of the sentences.
TIP: Compound words are sometimes spelled differently in British and American English. For example, "wellbeing" is the preferred spelling in British English, while the hyphenated "well-being" is used more often in North America.
1. The "seventh-inning stretch" is a __________ tradition at baseball games.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
2. I'm going there with my __________.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
3. They provide a wide range of __________ services.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
4. She left her daughter in __________.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
5. I left you a __________.
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6. My brother is the most __________ person that I know.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
7. After the __________ of the peace accord, war resumed.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
8. She said it as an __________.
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9. I saw him at our company __________ last week.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
10. He came up with another __________ proposal that confused just about everyone.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
11. He was admitted on an __________ basis.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
12. My __________ are visiting from New York.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
13. His __________ was a bit old-fashioned.
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14. She started to worry about __________ necessities.
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15. The __________ landed on his head.
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16. When is your __________ ?
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17. He was tired of all the __________ tasks his boss asked him to do.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
18. His __________ failed the exam.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
19. The __________ team lost again last week.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
20. I can't believe how __________ they are.
That's right! Well done!Sorry, that is incorrect. Please try again.
How do I know if an adjective should be hyphenated?
Here are some tips:
1. Before a noun: usually hyphenated
When a compound adjective comes before a noun and works together to describe it, it's often hyphenated:
well-known author
full-length movie
high-quality materials
old-fashioned ideas
2. After a noun: Usually not hyphenated
If the compound comes after the noun, the hyphen is usually dropped:
The author is well known.
The movie was full length.
The materials are high quality.
3. Familiar compounds can become one word over time.
Some compound adjectives start hyphenated, but if they become common enough, they may fuse into one word:
nationwide (used to be hyphenated: "nation-wide")
online (used to be hyphenated: "on-line")
There's often no hard rule here, just common usage. It's always best to have a good dictionary on hand.
4. Adverb + adjective = no hyphen
When the first word ends in -ly, you usually do not use a hyphen:
a highly rated show
a poorly written article
a completely honest answer
Because the adverb ending in -ly already clearly modifies the adjective, no hyphen is needed.
5. Noun + adjective = hyphenated (often)
When a noun modifies an adjective, it's usually hyphenated:
snow-white fur
oil-rich country
Here are some tips:
1. Before a noun: usually hyphenated
When a compound adjective comes before a noun and works together to describe it, it's often hyphenated:
well-known author
full-length movie
high-quality materials
old-fashioned ideas
2. After a noun: Usually not hyphenated
If the compound comes after the noun, the hyphen is usually dropped:
The author is well known.
The movie was full length.
The materials are high quality.
3. Familiar compounds can become one word over time.
Some compound adjectives start hyphenated, but if they become common enough, they may fuse into one word:
nationwide (used to be hyphenated: "nation-wide")
online (used to be hyphenated: "on-line")
There's often no hard rule here, just common usage. It's always best to have a good dictionary on hand.
4. Adverb + adjective = no hyphen
When the first word ends in -ly, you usually do not use a hyphen:
a highly rated show
a poorly written article
a completely honest answer
Because the adverb ending in -ly already clearly modifies the adjective, no hyphen is needed.
5. Noun + adjective = hyphenated (often)
When a noun modifies an adjective, it's usually hyphenated:
snow-white fur
oil-rich country
