Professional Documents
Culture Documents
lawebdelingles.com /nivel-b2/adjetivos-compuestos-en-ingles/
10/8/2013
In the UK, your readers will expect you to use hyphens in compound
adjectives.
Americans are more lenient. The US ruling is: Use a hyphen if it eliminates ambiguity or helps your reader, else
don’t bother. If you’re unsure, use hyphens. You won’t be marked down for using hyphens.
a heavy-metal detector
Both are correct, but they mean different things. The first device detects heavy metals. The second detects metal,
and it is heavy. If we’re talking about a device that detects heavy metals, then putting heavy metal detector would be
wrong in the UK and the US.
EXAMPLES
Characteristics
Personality
Body
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a bowlegged cowboy – un vaquero patizambo, chueco
a short-sighted writer – un escritor corto de vista
a cross-eyed boy – un chico bizco
a dark-skinned person – una persona de piel oscura
a narrow-waisted actress – una actriz de cintura angosta
a freckle-faced little girl – una niñita de cara con pecas
Quantity
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Copyright
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