Compound adjectives

Which of the following sentences uses a hyphen correctly?

• The fast-paced game was exciting.

• The well known actor is my favorite.

• The sun set was beautiful.

• We had vanilla icecream for dessert.

Answer explanation

The words 'fast' and 'paced' form a compound adjective modifying 'game,' and thus require a hyphen.

Complete the sentence: She wore a _____ dress to the party.

• blue-green

• dark green

• brightly-colored

• soft and silky

Answer explanation

The words 'brightly' and 'colored' form a compound adjective modifying 'dress,' which requires a hyphen.

Identify the correctly hyphenated compound adjective in the sentence: 'The award winning author spoke at the small-town library.'

• award winning

• small-town

• author spoke

• at the

Answer explanation

The compound adjective 'small-town' correctly uses a hyphen to describe 'library.'

True or False: Compound adjectives that appear before a noun need a hyphen.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Compound adjectives before a noun are typically hyphenated to clarify meaning.

Which sentence needs a hyphen in the compound adjective?

• She is a well known chef.

• The sky was blue grey.

• I love my new high-tech computer.

• We went for an early morning run.

Answer explanation

The words 'well' and 'known' form a compound adjective before 'chef' and require a hyphen.

Complete the sentence: The _____ dog barked all night.

• four legged

• four-legged

• four legged

• four-legged

Answer explanation

The words 'four' and 'legged' form a compound adjective modifying 'dog,' requiring a hyphen.

True or False: Compound adjectives like 'high quality' do not need hyphens when used after a noun.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Compound adjectives are not typically hyphenated when they come after the noun they modify.

Which sentence demonstrates proper hyphenation of a compound adjective?

• The well-dressed man caught everyone's attention.

• Her new car is top of the line.

• My sister is three years old.

• He gave me an out of date calendar.

Answer explanation

The compound adjective 'well-dressed' is correctly hyphenated before the noun 'man.'

Complete the sentence: The _____ roof needed repairs.

• leak-proof

• leak proof

• leak-proofed

• leak proofed

Answer explanation

The words 'leak' and 'proof' form a compound adjective modifying 'roof,' requiring a hyphen.

Select the best option to complete the sentence: The _____ concert was unforgettable.

• sold-out

• sold out

• sell-out

• selling out

Answer explanation

The compound adjective 'sold-out' correctly describes the concert and needs a hyphen.