Adjectives

Read & Contrast

A noun can be used to modify another noun  --  the noun changes to an adjective:

adjectives

	ADJ	+ NOUN		ADJ + ADJ
The ladder had	six	steps.	It was a	six-step	ladder.
The book had	200	pages.	It was a	200-page	book.
Bruce can lift	300	pounds.	He lifted a	300-pound	weight.

Common Mistake

Read & Contrast

Hyphens do make a difference!  Their placement can change meaning.

Note the placement of the hyphen:

ADJECTIVE - ADJECTIVE	QUANTIFIER ADJECTIVE - ADJECTIVE
I saw four-foot high cactuses (cacti). They were 4-feet high. two 4-foot cactuses	I saw four foot-high cactuses (cacti). There were four of them and they were 1-foot high.   four 1-foot-high cactuses

Practice

Select the correct answer. Remember nouns can take plural forms, but adjectives cannot.

Double click on the radio button to check your answer.     An asterisk * indicates an incorrect answer.

example

#	SENTENCE	OPTIONS	IMAGE
1.	We had a three- weekend.	day days
2.	The weekend lasted three .	day days
3.	Kareem is seven    tall.	foot feet
4.	Kareem is a seven- tall man.	foot feet
5.	San Francisco is fifteen away.	mile miles
6.	It is a fifteen- trip to San Francisco.	mile miles
7.	Jane wore four- high heels.	inch inches
8.	The heels were four  high.	inch inches
9.	Our HDTV cost 5,000 .	dollar dollars
10.	Ours is a 5,000 HDTV.	dollar dollars
11.	I made a chocolate cake with three .	layer layers
12.	I made a three- , chocolate cake.	layer layer
13.	We need to buy a 25- lightbulb. watt = unit of power	watt watts
14.	This lightbulb has 25 .	watt watts
15.	I like to have two for my breakfast .	egg eggs
16.	I like to have a two- breakfast .	egg eggs
17.	My car has four .	door doors
18.	Mine is a four- car .	door doors
19.	She cooked us a dinner with five .	courses course    course = dish (appetizer, entree, salad, vegetable or dessert)
20.	She cooked us a five- dinner .	courses course

Go to Grammar-Quizzes   |  Next - Noun Modifiers

Julie Sevastopoulos -   College of San Mateo - San Mateo, CA 94402 USA