A compound adjective is an adjective that is made up of two or more words that work together to modify a noun. These words are often hyphenated to clarify that they form a single descriptor.
When to Hyphenate a Compound Adjective:
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Before the Noun: Compound adjectives should be hyphenated when they appear before a noun to avoid ambiguity. For example, "well-known author" uses a hyphen to show that "well" and "known" work together as a single adjective describing "author."
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Avoiding Ambiguity: If a compound adjective could be misread or misunderstood without hyphenation, it is best to hyphenate it. For instance, "high-speed chase" clarifies that "high" modifies "speed."
When Not to Hyphenate:
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After the Noun: When the compound adjective comes after the noun it modifies, hyphenation is generally not needed. For example, "The author is well known" does not require a hyphen.
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Commonly Accepted Phrases: Some compound adjectives are so commonly used that they do not require hyphenation, even before the noun—such as "blue eyes" or "full time" when used in a certain context.
Examples:
- Hyphenated compound adjective: "five-star restaurant"
- Non-hyphenated compound adjective: "The restaurant received five stars."
Differentiating Between an Adverb and an Adjective:
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Adjective: An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun. It tells us more about a person, place, thing, or idea. For example, in the phrase "the tall building," "tall" is the adjective describing "building."
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Adverb: An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It often provides information about how, when, where, or to what extent something happens. For example, in the phrase "runs quickly," "quickly" is the adverb modifying the verb "runs."
In summary, the key difference is that adjectives modify nouns, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
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