Compound adjectives

Question

A pupil of mine asked me after correcting an exercise : why do we say " a long-lasting journey" but not "long-lasted journey" and if we can do, what difference is there between the two ?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hallo

In English, compound adjectives are either by convention or by invention. In other words, you can check them in the dictionary or, if you are bold, you can invent them - and see if people will understand them

I don't think there is any logic to the -ed or -ing ending. A journey can be long-lasting or it can be ill-adivsed. A sportsman can be long-legged or record-breaking

So I think the answer to your question is that "a long-lasting journey" is correct because that is the usual expresiion

However, as a novelist or poet, you might write "I was so glad to come to the end of that long-lasted journey". This is not strictly correct but, as said, the compound adjective allows for invention - it depends upon your audience and the effect you are trying to create

Best regards, Dave

Anonymous · Answer

Well here are the rules, or rather, the explanations on how to form compound adjectives but you may have found them out by now.

1) The description involves a verb taking a direct object, e.g.

I have a plant that eats meat = I have a meat-eating plant

2) The description involves a verb, usually about something that is happening or a situation which is going on, that is modified by some sort of adverb of time or manner; the –ly is generally dropped, e.g.,

This glue dries quickly = This is quick-drying glue

This war has lasted a long time = This has been a long-lasting war

3) The description involves an anatomical or psychological feature, and the words are very short (one or two syllables), e.g.,

She pitches and catches with her left hand = She is a left-handed pitcher and catcher

Her Father has a very narrow mind = She has a very narrow-minded Father.

4) The description involves a verb, usually about something that has happened to something or someone, and some sort of adverb saying how it happened or what the situation is like e.g.,

He prizes this possession very highly = This is a highly-prized possession of his

The price of the car was high = It was a high-priced car

The price of the car was too high = It was an overly/excessively high-priced car

The meal was cooked well = It was a well-cooked meal

5) The description involves measures:

Her daughter is twenty-five years old and stands six feet, three inches tall = She has a six-foot-three, twenty-five-year-old daughter.

Compound adjectives

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