Compound adjectives (Easy)

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary. Im Finn…

Catherine

And Im Catherine. In todays programme were looking at adjectives, like in a

22-hour journey.

Finn

Well look at what compound adjectives are…

Catherine

 � well see to use them…

Finn

Therell be a punctuation tip and a quiz…

Catherine

And well leave you with top tip for learning vocabulary.

Finn

But first, lets hear from Rob. Robs a racing driver and hes being after a race.

Catherine

And heres a question to think about while you listen: how fast was Robs lap ?

Finn

Lets find out.

INSERT

Interviewer

Rob, congratulations on your latest win. What did that last victory mean to ?

Rob

Honestly, I expected to win. I mean, you dont come second in a high-quality vehicle like

mine.

Interviewer

true  � its an impressive motor  � but what you did was amazing: your fastest lap time

was truly .

Rob

Well, youre right. You don't see a seventy-second lap every day.

Interviewer

Thanks for your time Rob. Well, year the drivers are hoping to complete the fourkilometre course in an even faster time…

STING

Finn

So, the racing driver did a seventy-second lap.

Catherine

Well done to you if you got that right.

Finn

And our first example of a compound adjective. Its made with a number, like seventy,

and a noun, like second. -. We put seventy-second in front of another noun,

like lap, making a compound adjective which describes a noun. A lap.

Catherine

Lets hear another example, again starting with a number, but this time the noun describes

length of time.

INSERT

Interviewer

Well, this year the drivers are hoping to complete the four-kilometre course in an even

time.

Finn

So the number four, with the noun kilometre, go together to make an adjective: fourkilometre. And take : theres no s at the end of kilometre.

Catherine

Thats right: theres no s because the word kilometre as an adjective here  � and

we cant make adjectives plural. The adjective four-kilometre describes the noun course. A

course.

Finn

Thats right. Some more examples with length are…

Catherine

A 26-mile race; a six-foot man.

Finn

for a punctuation note. When you write a number-noun compound adjective, you

need to join the two parts together a hyphen  � a little horizontal line between the two

words.

Catherine

Thats right. So you write a ‘seventy second’ lap. A ‘six hyphen foot’ man.

IDENT

Youre listening to BBC Learning English.

Finn

And were talking about adjectives. Heres Rob again. Listen out for another type

of compound adjective.

INSERT

Rob

Honestly, I expected to . I mean, you dont come second in a high-quality vehicle like

mine.

Catherine

Did you get that? It was -. A high-quality vehicle.

Finn

So, as well as using numbers, we can also make compound adjectives with the words

or low plus a noun.

Catherine

High plus quality equals high-quality-. Like high-quality vehicle.

Finn

Low plus cost equals -. Like low-cost airline. How do you feel about low-cost-

airlines, Catherine?

Catherine

Well, after my last experience, never … Some more examples are, Finn?

Finn

High-speed-. A high-speed motorbike.

Catherine

And low-fat-. A low-fat yoghurt. And if youre , dont forget  � join the 2 parts

together with a hyphen.

Finn

And now its quiz time. Complete these . Catherine will tell you the answers.

Ready? Number one. In a balanced diet, its important to eat  � a) -

carbohydrates or b) high-qualities carbohydrates.

Catherine

Its a) high-quality carbohydrates.

Finn

Well done if you got that. Number two. flight from London to New York is  � a) a

nines-hour trip or b) a nine-hour trip.

Catherine

The b) a nine-hour trip.

Finn

Number three. Every morning, Catherine goes for… a) a six-mile run or b) a run.

Catherine

The answers a) a six-mile run. But I dont’.

Finn

You dont really, do you? In any , well done if you got those right at home. And were'

almost at the end of the show. But we go, heres todays top tip for learning

vocabulary, which is, Catherine…

Catherine

If you use social media, join English learning group. When you learn a new word, try to

include it in at least 3 of your . That will help you remember the word.

Finn

And theres more about this at bbclearningenglishcom.. Join us again for 6 Minute

Vocabulary.

Both

Bye!