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COMPOUND ADJECTIVES EXERCISE (ESL) 2

Write the compound adjective (from the words below) that best completes each sentence.
brown-eyed, densely-populated, fat-free, open-minded, well-known, two-faced, two-week, half-hour, last-minute, slow-moving

1. He is a famous writer. = He is a writer.

2. This is suitable for your diet because it's a product.

3. New York City is one of the most cities in the world. There are more than 25,000 people living per square mile in the city.

4. He was supposed to talk for five minutes, but ended up giving a speech.

5. I'm not a fast driver, but I don't like get stuck in traffic either.

6. The decision was might right before the deadline. = It was a decision.

7. Steve is an man who will listen to both sides of an argument.

8. Arthur is a man who will smile to your face, but talk badly about you behind your back.

9. I always dated men with blue eyes, but I married a man.

10. It's not fair that all my co-workers are going on vacation for three weeks, when I only have a vacation.

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Here are the most common mistakes with compound adjectives, explained simply with examples:

1. Forgetting the hyphen before a noun
Mistake:
❌ a well known actor
Correct:
✔️ a well-known actor
Why?
Compound adjectives before a noun usually need a hyphen so readers know the words work together.

2. Using a hyphen after the noun
Mistake:
❌ The actor is well-known.
Correct:
✔️ The actor is well known.
Why?
After the noun, the words are not usually hyphenated.

3. Making the noun plural inside the compound
Mistake:
❌ a three-years-old boy
Correct:
✔️ a three-year-old boy
Why?
The noun in a compound adjective is always singular.

4. Hyphenating when it's not needed
Mistake:
❌ a very-fast runner
Correct:
✔️ a very fast runner
Why?
Words like very, really, quite do not form compound adjectives and don't take hyphens.

5. Confusing meaning without the hyphen
Mistake:
❌ a small business owner
Correct:
✔️ a small-business owner
Why?
Without the hyphen, the meaning can change or become unclear.

HAVE YOU TRIED THESE EXERCISES?
Antonyms 1
Antonyms 2
Compound adjectives in English 1
Compound adjectives in English 2
Compound adjectives in English 3
Compound adjectives in English 4
Compound nouns 1
Compound nouns 2
Which suffix? -FUL or -LESS? 1
Which suffix? -FUL or -LESS? 2

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