IGCSE, Edexcel, IB and AP Science Courses | Dr Dabour Hub Academy

Overview

Form and punctuate compound adjectives.
Use adjectives to complain and to reassure.
Write a short story in three parts.

🌳 Concept tree

Unit 4Compound Adjectives and Story Writing

├── Lesson 3The Underwater World (listening topic)

├── Compound adjectives

│ ├── Definition

│ ├── Hyphen rule

│ ├── Common forms

│ ├── Rewriting examples

│ └── Participles as adjectives

├── Speakingcomplaining and reassuring

└── Lesson 5Ocean Legends and Storytelling

├── Three-part story structure

├── Useful tools

├── Writing tips

└── Model→"The Song of the Sea Woman"

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Lesson 3: The Underwater World (listening topic)

The underwater world is mysterious and full of beauty; dolphins and whales communicate with sounds and songs that travel far.
Dangers pollution and climate change; protection depends on cooperation between countries and people.

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Compound adjectives

Definition

A compound adjective is made of two or more words, often joined by hyphens, that work as one descriptive unit before a noun.
They make descriptions shorter and more precise.

Before a noun, use hyphensMohamed Salah is a well-known footballer.

After the noun or a linking verb, usually no hyphenMohamed Salah is well known.

A number inside the compound stays singulara three-hour meeting (not three-hours).

Form	Example
Number + singular noun	a ten-hour journey
Adjective + past participle	a well-dressed woman, a short-sighted man
Adjective + present participle	a good-looking person
Adverb + past participle	a highly-respected professional
Noun + present participle	a time-saving device
Noun + past participle	home-made cake
Noun + adjective	a world-famous landmark

The movie lasted two hours → a two-hour movie.
The shirt is easy to wear → an easy-to-wear shirt.
The man is known all over the world → a world-famous man.
She has blue eyes → a blue-eyed girl.
He has full confidence in himself → a self-confident man.
Others open-minded person, full-time job, seventy-year-old grandmother, slow-moving turtle, crystal-clear water, breathtaking sunset.

-ing adjectives describe what causes a feeling (a breathtaking view); -ed adjectives describe a state (a bleached reef).
Useful compounds well-behaved, time-consuming, densely-populated, brand-new, old-fashioned, long-lasting.

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Speaking: complaining and reassuring

Comparison aspect	Main idea	Keywords
•	Role-play a fussy customer and a persuasive waiter	Roleplayfussycustomer
The customer complains with adjectives	"The soup is cool and tasteless!"	soupcooltasteless
The waiter reassures with positive adjectives	"Our soup is creamy and tasty!"	soupcreamytasty
Polite waiter language	"Can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?"	somethingdrinkwhilelook

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Three-part story structure

Beginning (introduction)introduce the characters, set the time and place, show the situation or problem.

Middle (development)the action or conflict, how the character tries to solve the problem, tension or surprise.

Ending (resolution)end clearly, solve the problem (happy, sad or unexpected), show what the character learns or feels.

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Useful tools

Comparison aspect	Main idea	Keywords
Tenses	past simple and past continuous	pastsimplecontinuous
Linking words	then suddenly after that while finally in the end	thensuddenlyafterwhile
Adjectives and adverbs	scary exciting slowly angrily	scaryexcitingslowlyangrily
•	Dialogue in quotation marks	Dialoguequotationmarks

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Writing tips

Use short paragraphs
add feelings (scared
excited
proud)
use compound adjectives (ice-cold rain
heart-warming ending) and idioms ("She was over the moon").

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Model: "The Song of the Sea Woman"

Comparison aspect	Main idea	Keywords
Beginning	a fishing village believes in a sea woman whose voice can calm storms or cause them	fishingvillagebelieveswoman
Middle	young Elias fishes alone a storm rises he hears haunting singing and finds a glowing figure with silver hair on a rock	youngEliasfishesalone
Ending	he turns his boat away the storm fades he becomes a wise sailor respectful of the sea theme: the sea is beautiful powerful and full of secrets	turnsboatawaystorm
Task	write a short story about your adventure in the sea	writeshortstoryyour

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📌 Comprehensive Scientific Terminology & Definitions:

Comparison aspect	Main idea	Keywords
Compound Adjectives (الصفات المركبة)	Single modifying adjectives formed of two or more words usually connected by a hyphen (-) when placed before the noun they modify creating compact expressive descriptive prose	Singlemodifyingformedwords
Patterns of Compound Adjectives	1. Number + Singular Noun: ‘a three-week holiday’ (NOT weeks) 2. Adjective + Noun-ed: ‘a blue-eyed boy’ ‘a warm-hearted teacher’ 3. Adverb + Past Participle: ‘a well-known author’ ‘a densely-populated city’ 4. Adjective/Noun + Present Participle: ‘good-looking’ ‘heart-breaking’ ‘time-saving’ 5. Noun + Past Participle: ‘sun-dried tomatoes’ ‘hand-made pottery’	NumberSingularNounthree

Comparison aspect	Main idea	Keywords
The Hyphenation Rule	Hyphenate compound adjectives when they precede the noun: ‘an up-to-date report’ do NOT hyphenate when they follow the linking verb as predicate adjectives: ‘the report is up to date’	Hyphenatecompoundadjectivesprecede
Elements of Dramatic Story Writing	Narrative arc: Exposition (setting and character introduction) Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax (peak tension/turning point) Falling Action and Resolution (denouement)	NarrativeExpositionsettingcharacter
Descriptive Sensory Language	Using vivid verbs (crept whispered slammed instead of walked said closed) and sensory imagery (auditory tactile olfactory) to ‘show don’t tell’	Usingvividverbscrept

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⚖️ Governing Scientific Laws, Principles & Mathematical Formulas:

(“Singular Noun in Compound Number Adjective RuleNumber + hyphen + Singular Noun: ‘a five-pound note’ (NEVER: a five-pounds note); ‘a ten-year-old child’; ‘a two-hour exam’.”,)

(“Adverbs Ending in -ly RuleDo NOT use a hyphen after adverbs ending in -ly: ‘a highly respected scientist’, ‘an easily accessible location’ (no hyphen).”,)

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🔍 In-Depth Explanations, Deductions & Core Concepts:

Comparison aspect	Main idea	Keywords
•	Why the noun inside a numerical compound adjective must remain singular: Because the entire hyphenated block functions as an adjective and English adjectives never take plural -s endings: ‘a ten-dollar bill’ ‘a three-bedroom apartment’	nouninsidenumericalcompound
Show, Don’t Tell technique in narrative composition	Instead of writing ‘John was terrified’ (telling) write ‘John’s hands trembled violently and cold perspiration beaded on his forehead as the floorboards creaked behind him’ (showing)	InsteadwritingJohnterrified
Effective use of figurative devices in exams	Simile (comparing using ‘like’ or ‘as’) Metaphor (direct symbolic equivalence) and Personification (attributing human qualities to non-human elements) to score top marks in creative writing rubrics	Similecomparingusinglike

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📊 Structural Formats of Compound Adjectives in High School Exams:

Grammatical Pattern	Hyphenated Compound Adjective	Example in Exam Context
Number + Singular Noun	two-minute / four-day	We had a ten-minute break between lectures
Adjective + Noun + -ed	cold-blooded / broad-minded	Reptiles are cold-blooded animals with scaly skin
Adverb + Past Participle	widely-accepted / well-behaved	She presented a well-documented argument to the committee
Noun + Present Participle	mouth-watering / English-speaking	The baker displayed a tray of mouth-watering pastries
Adjective + Past Participle	old-fashioned / short-sighted	He holds old-fashioned views regarding technological progress

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💡 High-Yield Exam Traps & Key Takeaways:

Exam Trap‘a six-mile walk’ is correct. ‘a six-miles walk’ is completely wrong and penalized in writing tests.

Hyphen TrapNever put a hyphen after an ‘-ly’ adverb: ‘a carefully planned trip’ (CORRECT); ‘a carefully-planned trip’ (WRONG).

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Curriculum

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Unit 4: Compound Adjectives and Story Writing