COMPOUND ADJECTIVES 1 (ESL)

level: Intermediate (B1/B2)

✓ Useful for Cambridge FCE/CAE

Compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more words to create a single modifier. They are extremely common in English and appear in both formal writing and everyday conversation. This is exercise 1 of 2.

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Write the compound adjective (from the words below) that best completes each sentence.

1. He couldn't pay his bills with his job.✓

2. My father is a modern man, while my grandfather is fairly .✓

3. I don't have time to watch a movie. I've got to be at work in two hours.✓

4. I'm not interested in buying a used car. I want a one.✓

5. My mother is a woman. She's 50 years old.✓

6. He lives on the fifth floor of a building.✓

7. He is a friendly man. = He is a man.✓

8. Your brother is very forgetful. = Your brother is .✓

9. Pete prefers women with short hair, while I like women.✓

10. Every student will have to write a essay on this topic. ✓

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Compound Adjectives Conversation Questions 1. Can you think of three compound adjectives to describe your personality?
2. How would you describe your ideal job using compound adjectives?
3. What compound adjectives would you use to describe your city or town?
4. Use a compound adjective to describe something you own that is important to you.
5. Can you describe a well-known person from your country using compound adjectives?

More English grammar exercises Compound adjectives 1
Compound adjectives 2
Compound nouns 1
Compound nouns 2