English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 2

Form single-word compound names using the following list:

• store | bell | site | paste | washer | port | cut | ground | phones | room | screen | rise | chair | glasses | quake

 

1. ear
2. bath
3. sun
4. earth
5. wheel
6. sun
7. wind
8. book
9. web
10. tooth
11. under
12. door
13. hair
14. dish
15. pass

---

ANSWERS

1. earphones
2. bathroom
3. sunrise
4. earthquake
5. wheelchair
6. sunglasses
7. windscreen
8. bookstore
9. website
10. toothpaste
11. underground
12. doorbell
13. haircut
14. dishwasher
15. passport

English Vocabulary Exercise | Compound names

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 1

Form open compound names (i.e. with a space between the two words that make it up) using the following list:

• attack | estate | goods | rights | penalty | hostel | moon | clock | card | control | force | line | donor | lens | pressure

1. alarm 
2. assembly
3. full
4. contact
5. credit
6. birth
7. blood
8. heart
9. death
10. real
11. labour
12. blood
13. luxury
14. human
15. youth

---

ANSWERS

1. alarm clock
2. assembly line
3. full moon
4. contact lens
5. credit card
6. birth control
7. blood pressure
8. heart attack
9. death penalty
10. real estate
11. labour force
12. blood donor
13. luxury goods
14. human rights
15. youth hostel

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 10

Among the three words proposed, which one is not suitable for forming a compound adjective?

Ex: sun-________ (worshiping / dried / developed) → sun-developed

1. time- (sensitive / consuming / long)

2. well- (developed / sensitive / known)

3. badly- (foot / developed / behaved)

4. three- (mile / behaved / foot)

5. free- (standing / spirited / mile)

6. world- (famous / known / renowned)

7. last- (minute / time / second)

8. short- (sighted / tempered / second)

9. deep- (seated / sea / tempered)

10. cold- (hearted / fighting / minute)

---

ANSWERS

1. time-consuming
2. well-known
3. badly-behaved
4. three-mile
5. free-spirited
6. world-famous
7. last-minute
8. short-sighted/tempered: both are correct
9. deep-sea
10. cold-hearted

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 9

Which of the three words proposed is best suited to form a compound adjective?

Ex: sun-____ (lost / dried / mannered) → sun-dried

1. well- (sensitive / traveled / mile)

2. three- (sensitive / traveled / mile)

3. time- (sensitive / mannered / mile)

4. fail- (safe / behaved / spirited)

5. mean- (safe / behaved / spirited)

6. badly- (safe / behaved / spirited)

7. part- (minded / time / new)

8. open- (minded / time / new)

9. brand- (minded / time / new)

10. gently- (hearted / flowing / safe)

---

ANSWERS

1. well-traveled
2. three-mile
3. time-sensitive
4. fail-safe
5. mean-spirited
6. badly-behaved
7. part-time
8. open-minded
9. brand-new
10. gently-flowing

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 8

Which of the three words proposed is best suited to form a compound adjective?

Example: sun-____ (lost / dried / mannered) → sun-dried

1. south- (speaking / facing / day)

2. French- (speaking / facing / day)

3. four- (speaking / facing / day)

4. high- (provoking / flying / aged)

5. highly- (flying / respected / aged)

6. middle- (flying / respected / aged)

7. thought- (provoking / lipped / tuned)

8. tight- (provoking / lipped / aged)

9. fine- (provoking / tuned / flying)

10. friendly- (respected / looking / aged)

---

ANSWERS

1. south-facing
2. French-speaking
3. four-day
4. high-flying
5. highly-respected
6. middle-aged
7. thought-provoking
8. tight-lipped
9. fine-tuned
10. friendly-looking

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 5

By combining the bold words in the first sentence, form a compound adjective that you will use in the second sentence.

Don’t forget to add a dash between the words that make it up:

Ex:  work eight hours every day → I work an eight-hour day

1. This vehicle is moving slowly. → This is a vehicle.

2. This drink is as cold as ice. → This is an drink.

3. This cat is one years old. → This is a cat.

4. This woman has a high level of education. → This is a woman.

5. This movie lasts two hours. → This is a movie.

6. This campaign has been organized well. → This is a campaign.

7. This opera singer is famous all over the world. → This is a opera singer.

8. This sandwich is six inches long. → This is a sandwich.

9. This diet is free of meat. → This is a diet.

10. This motorcycle has been cared for very well. → This is a motorcycle.

---

ANSWERS

1. This vehicle is moving slowly. This is a slow-moving vehicle.
2. This drink is as cold as ice. This is an ice-cold drink.
3. This cat is one years old. This is a one-year-old cat.
4. This woman has a high level of education. This is a higly-educated woman.
5. This movie lasts two hours. This is a two-hour movie.
6. This campaign has been organized well. This is a well-organized campaign.
7. This opera singer is famous all over the world. This is a world-famous opera singer.
8. This sandwich is six inches long. This is a six-inch sandwich.
9. This diet is free of meat. This is a meat-free diet.
10. This motorcycle has been cared for very well. This is a well-cared-for motorcycle.

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 6

By combining the bold words in the first sentence, form a compound adjective that you will use in the second sentence.

Don’t forget to add a dash between the words that make it up:

Ex:  work eight hours every day → I work an eight-hour day

1. This program lasts for two months. → It is a program.

2. This man has a strong will. → He is a man.

3. This medication lasts a long time. → This is medication.

4. This activity consumes a lot of time. → This is a activity.

5. This album has broken the record for most albums sold in one year. → This is a album.

6. This scheme is supposed to help you make money. → It is a scheme.

7. This painting is from the nineteenth century. → It is a painting.

8. This news broke my heart. → This is news.

9. This doll was made by hand. → This is a doll.

10. This solar panel is as thin as paper. → This is a solar panel.

---

ANSWERS

1. This program lasts for two months. It is a two-month program.
2. This man has a strong will. He is a strong-willed man.
3. This medication lasts a long time. This is long-lasting medication.
4. This activity consumes a lot of time. This is a time-consuming activity.
5. This album has broken the record for most albums sold in one year. This is a record-breaking album.
6. This scheme is supposed to help you make money. It is a money-making scheme.
7. This painting is from the nineteenth century. It is a nineteenth-century painting.
8. This news broke my heart. This is heart-breaking news.
9. This doll was made by hand. This is a hand-made doll.
10. This solar panel is as thin as paper. This is a paper-thin solar panel.

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 7

Form compound adjectives using the following words:

Ex: bullet-proof

secret | breaking | peak | minute | time | class | famous | fashioned | consuming | made | free | controlled | distance | ending | conditioned

1. hand-
2. duty-
3. air-
4. long-
5. record-
6. remote-
7. time-
8. off-
9. second-
10. top-
11. last-
12. part-
13. world-
14. never-
15. old-

---

ANSWERS

1. hand-made
2. duty-free
3. air-conditioned
4. long-distance
5. record-breaking
6. remote-controlled
7. time-consuming
8. off-peak
9. second-class
10. top-secret
11. last-minute
12. part-time
13. world-famous
14. never-ending
15. old-fashioned

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 4

Complete the sentences with the following words:

• 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. Kevin is an  man who will listen to both sides of an argument.

8. Paul 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.

---

ANSWERS

1. He is a famous writer. = He is a well-known writer.
2. This is suitable for your diet because it’s a fat-free product.
3. New York City is one of the most densely-populated 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 half-hour speech.
5. I’m not a fast driver, but I don’t like get stuck in slow-moving traffic either.
6. The decision was might right before the deadline. = It was a last-minute decision.
7. Kevin is an open-minded man who will listen to both sides of an argument.
8. Paul is a two-faced 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 brown-eyed man.
10. It’s not fair that all my co-workers are going on vacation for three weeks, when I only have a two-week vacation.

Compound Adjectives | Exercises with answers

Click here to download this printable exercise in PDF. Answers are at the bottom of the page.

Exercise 3

Complete the sentences with the following words:

• absent-minded | five-page | long-haired | part-time | middle-aged | old-fashioned | ten-story | three-hour | kind-hearted | brand-new

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 bike. 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 sister is very forgetful. = Your sister is .

9. Kevin prefers women with short hair, while I like  women.

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

---

ANSWERS

1. He couldn’t pay his bills with his part-time job.
2. My father is a modern man, while my grandfather is fairly old-fashioned.
3. I don’t have time to watch a three-hour movie. I’ve got to be at work in two hours.
4. I’m not interested in buying a used car. I want a brand-new one.
5. My mother is a middle-aged woman. She’s 50 years old.
6. He lives on the fifth floor of a ten-story building.
7. He is a friendly man. = He is a kind-hearted man.
8. Your sister is very forgetful. = Your sister is absent-minded.
9. Kevin prefers women with short hair, while I like long-haired women.
10. Every student will have to write a five-page essay on this topic.