FluencyLab
GrammarHub
Build compound adjectives such as a two-day trip with singular nouns and hyphens before another noun.
Overview
Build compound adjectives such as a two-day trip with singular nouns and hyphens before another noun.
Form and rules
Use number + singular noun before another noun: a three-hour meeting, not three-hours meeting.
Hyphenate the parts of a compound adjective before a noun: a five-year-old child.
When the measurement follows be, use the normal plural form: The meeting is three hours long.
Age compounds use year-old before a noun: a ten-year-old car.
Common compounds describe time, distance, price, size and age.
A closer look
Age compounds use year-old before a noun: a ten-year-old car.
Common compounds describe time, distance, price, size and age.
Examples
We had a two-hour meeting.
It's a ten-minute walk.
She has a five-year-old son.
The course lasts six weeks.
We booked a three-day trip.
Common mistakes
Before a noun, the measurement noun stays singular in the compound adjective.
Number + singular noun forms the compound adjective.
Ready to practise?
The test combines multiple choice, gap completion, error correction, and sentence building so students have to recognise and produce the grammar, not simply reread the rule.