Phrasal Adjectives / Compound Adjectives

[This content is prepared to boost the knowledge of Loksewa examinees]

Phrasal adjective is the combination of words that add more details to the noun. It has following types:

In adjectives of more than two words hyphen is used. Also if the phrasal adjective is followed by noun then hyphen is used.

I bought three-in-one speaker today.

The speaker I bought today is three-in-one.

This is well-trained elephant. BUT This elephant is well trained.

If two approximate phrasal activities have same ending element then the ending element of first is removed and hyphenated.

Let's use thirty year old and forty year old together in a sentence.

The thirty- or forty-year-old building is located in the middle of the city.

While denoting a number, an amount or a duration by the phrasal adjective hyphen is used.

The 5-billion-dollar budget, one-meter-tall boy, the two-second video etc.

If phrasal activities have chances to dwell the readers then to remove ambiguity hyphen is used.

Bad weather report vs. Bad-weather report

'Bad weather report' means the weather report is bad. But 'bad-weather' report refers that the report of weather is bad.

If the phrasal adjective begins with –ly adjective then hyphen is used.

Incredibly-bulk giant, densely-populated city etc.

If the phrasal adjective begins with –ly adverb then hyphen is omitted.

Recently launched program, broadly distributed network etc.

But if the phrasal adjective has more than two words then hyphen is used no matter whether the adjective begins with –ly adverb or not.

Highly-decorated-tallest building

If phrases are from other languages than English then hyphen is not used.

Habeas corpus petition

If phrases contain proper noun then hyphen is not used.

United Nations alumni, one house policy etc.

In phrasal adjectives containing the words 'very', 'most', 'least' and 'less', hyphen is not used.

Most awaited moment, less polluted area, very hot weather etc.

🙏 Loksewa for All 🙏

Loksewa Helpline