Word Formation: Compound Adjectives

Starter

Show learners the first slide. Discuss in what ways words such as blackbird are different from ones such as grass-green i.e. the first is a compound noun and the second is a compound adjective. Make sure learners pay attention to the base word. 

The second slide explains the difference in forming these types of adjective are formed. See if learners can think of any other examples. 

Activity 1

Next, the learners test their knowledge. Learners will see six compound adjectives that have been split into base and specifying words. Some of them use a hyphen after the specifying word. Have the learners copy down and match the words before asking volunteers to come up and complete the activity in front of the whole class. Drag the cards together to connect and double click to separate. Click 'Submit your Answers' to check. 

Show the learners the next slide with the list of compound adjectives. Ask them to pay attention to the word class of both the specifying and base word. These are all examples in which the specifying word is a noun, but they are all still compound adjectives since the base word is an adjective. 

Ask learners to think of some other common compound adjectives that use the same base word e.g. colour-blind and snow-blind. Finally, ask learners to choose ten compound adjectives from the lesson so far, to write a sentence for each and share their results with a partner.

Activity 2

Next, learners will look at some other ways compound adjectives can be formed. Show learners the next interactive activity. Learners need to categorise the words based on any patterns they can see in how they are formed. Make sure they pay attention to the endings of the base words.

Reveal the solution in the next slide: learners should have organised the words based on the two different participles: present participles end with (-ing) and past participles end with (-ed). Finally ask learners to write sentences using these compound adjectives and share with a partner and the whole class.

Extension: see if learners can coin any new compound adjectives based on the examples they have seen today. Ask them to write definitions or use them to invent a new product or creative idea.

This lesson is adapted (with permission) from Words and Meanings: A Systematic Guide for the Teaching of English Vocabulary, by Gabriele Stein.

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