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Year 6

Using hyphens to create adjectives

I can identify when to use a hyphen to create adjectives.

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Year 6

Using hyphens to create adjectives

I can identify when to use a hyphen to create adjectives.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A hyphen can be used to join a modifier to an adjective to make one adjective, e.g. well-dressed.
  2. A hyphen can be used to join two or more words that are functioning as one adjective.
  3. How to spell the curriculum words: familiar and opportunity.

Keywords

  • Hyphen - a punctuation mark that can join two words to make one compound adjective

  • Compound adjective - an adjective formed of two hyphenated words

  • Modifier - a word or phrase that provides additional information or describes an adjective or adverb

Common misconception

Pupils might assume any combination of words can create a compound adjective.

Look at some non-examples such as 'blood-paced' and 'fast-splattered' to teach them that not every combination makes a compound adjective.


To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Using hyphens to create adjectives, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

If possible, find examples of hyphenated words in your class novel or current reading books so that children can see them in a familiar context and understand how they can aid descriptions.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the prefixes to the root words.
Correct Answer:pre-,existing
tick

existing

Correct Answer:co-,ordinate
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ordinate

Correct Answer:self-,involved
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involved

Correct Answer:ex-,husband
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husband

Q2.
When might a hyphen be used?
Correct answer: in prefixes where we would otherwise have a vowel next to another vowel
when we join any prefix to a root word
Correct answer: to avoid confusion in meaning
in all prefixes that end in a consonant
Q3.
Choose the correct word to fill the gap in this sentence: You must __________ the button to restart the machine.
repress
Correct answer: re-press
recoil
re-coil
Q4.
Choose the correct word to fill the gap in this sentence: The smell of flesh made him __________ as he entered the room.
repress
re-press
Correct answer: recoil
re-coil
Q5.
Select the words where a hyphen could be used to separate two vowels next to each other.
selfbelief
Correct answer: preexisting
nonstop
Correct answer: reevaluate
Q6.
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in this sentence: Raise your hand rather than intrupt me whilst I am speaking.
Correct Answer: interrupt

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Identify the statements about hyphens which are correct.
Hyphens can be used to join suffixes to root words.
Correct answer: Hyphens can be used to join prefixes to root words.
Hyphens can be used in dates.
Correct answer: Hyphens can be used in numbers.
Correct answer: Hyphens can be used to create compound adjectives.
Q2.
Identify the compound adjectives.
excellent
Correct answer: high-quality
familiar
Correct answer: well-known
Q3.
Match the pairs of words that would make a compound adjective using a hyphen.
Correct Answer:wind,swept
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swept

Correct Answer:mud,covered
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covered

Correct Answer:fast,paced
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paced

Correct Answer:far,reaching
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reaching

Q4.
Which of these phrases requires a hyphen to create a compound adjective?
a short sharp shock
Correct answer: a bitter sweet moment
Correct answer: a fast flowing river
a long narrow path
Q5.
Which of these sentences makes clear that the shark is capable of eating the man?
The man eating shark approached the shore.
As I surfed on the waves, I kept an eye peeled for the man eating shark.
Correct answer: The lifeguard scanned the area, searching for any sign of a man-eating shark.
Q6.
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in this sentence. I had never seen his face before but his voice sounded immediately famillier.
Correct Answer: familiar

Additional material

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