Compound Modifier - Compound Adjectives

Compound Adjectives

Compound adjectives, like normal adjectives, modify noun phrases. Grammatically, there is no difference between hot metal and white-hot metal – the latter is a compound adjective because it is made of two words used in conjunction.

Note that not all sequences of adjectives (or other types of words) modifying a noun phrase are necessarily parts of one or more compound adjectives. White-hot metal and white hot metal refer to subtly different things: in the first, white modifies hot which modifies metal – it is this layering of modification that calls for the hyphenation in order to clarify the meaning, that the metal mentioned is very hot. In the second example, however, white and hot separately modify the noun – if one were to be removed, the other's relationship with the noun would be unchanged.