© Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.Pattern eXaMPLeS OF COMPOund adjeCtiveS
Noun + Adjective duck-like (walk) computer-literate (professor)Noun + Verb
(past or present participle} profit-driven (company)^ button-pushing (assistant)Adjective + Noun high-speed (chase) middle-class (neighborhood)Adjective + Verb
(past or present participle)
bare-faced (lie) half-baked (story)Adverb + Adjective ever-gentle (nurse) forever-memorable (singer)Adverb + Verb
(past or present participle)
highest-ranking (officer) much-loved (woman)Varied never-to-be-remembered (lyrics) soon-to-be-forgotten (speech)eSSentiaL queStiOn: How do our attitudes toward the past and future shape our actions?Conventions and Style
Hyphenation of Compound Adjectives A compound adjective is a
single adjective that is made up of two or more words. When a compound
adjective precedes the noun or pronoun it modifies, the two words that make
up the adjective are joined by a hyphen (-). When a compound adjective
follows the word it modifies, a hyphen is usually not necessary. The exception
to this rule occurs when a compound adjective is listed with a hyphen in a
reliable dictionary, in which case the adjective will always be hyphenated.This table gives examples of the many ways compound adjectives can
be formed.When the adverbial ending -ly is used in a compound adjective, a hyphen is
not used.
Example: A beautifully sewn tapestry hung on the wall.
Writers may use compound adjectives to pack vivid descriptions into a
compact amount of space. Shakespeare, in particular, uses them to invent
colorful insults—for example, ”rump-fed ronyon” (Act I) and “shag-eared
villain” (Act IV). These descriptions create for the audience clear, colorful,
amusing mental pictures of the people being described.Read It
Reread Act V, Scene iii, of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Mark two hyphenated
compound adjectives that Shakespeare uses as insults.Notebook (a) Explain the meaning of each of the compound adjectives
you found. (b) Connect to Style What effect do these compound adjectives
have on your impression of the person being insulted?Write It
Notebook Choose three patterns from the chart, and write a
compound adjective for each. Use each compound in a sentence.The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V 351LIT17_SE12_U03_A5C_WC_app.indd 351 20/03/16 2:38 AMFORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Conventions and Style
If students struggle to distinguish compound
adjectives from multiple adjectives, then for
Reteach and Practice, see Conventions and
Style: Hyphenation of Compound Adjectives
(RP).Conventions and Style
Hyphenation of Compound Adjectives In
literature it is often necessary to use descriptive
conventions, such as compound adjectives, to
further the storyline. You may want to point out
an example of this using the title of Edgar Allan
Poe’s short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” (See
p. 337 for additional detail about this famous
story.) Poe uses the hyphenated compound
adjective in the title to foreshadow important
events in the story. Cite examples from The
Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V, and indicate how
they develop the characters being described.
For more support, see Conventions and Style:
Hyphenation of Compound Adjectives.Read It
Possible responses:
(a) “Cream-faced loon” (Scene iii, line 11) and
“lily-livered boy” (Scene iii, line 15) are creative
ways to refer to a pale, frightened person.
“Thick-coming fancies” (Scene iii, line 38) refers
to fantasies or imaginings that won’t stop coming
when someone is worried. (b) When Macbeth
calls his servant these names, I get the impression
that 1) the boy is white-faced and afraid; 2)
Macbeth is very unkind to make fun of the boy;
and 3) the boy is right to be afraid: ten thousand
enemy soldiers are coming.Write It
Responses will vary. Check to be sure students’
sentences reflect the meanings of the compound
adjectives they use.HOW LANGUAGE WORKS
Hyphenation of Compound Adjectives Work with students to add
more examples to a chart, such as the one on the Student page.
Make sure students understand past-participle and present-
participle verbs.Whole-Class Learning 351
LIT17_TE12_U03_A5C_WC_app.indd 351 11/04/16 7:40 AM