صراع الأجيال · Programme: Comparing (2) · Grammar: Compound adjectives
By the end of this lesson, I can:
- I can understand a letter about a conflict between a teenager and her parents.
- I can form and use compound adjectives (adjective + noun-ed, adjective + -ing, adverb + past participle).
- I can compare points of view and give advice.
- I can pronounce words with a silent b or w.
🖼️ Picture dictionary قاموس مصوّر
tap 🔊 to listen📚 كلمات الدرس
9 كلمات من هذا الدرس في القاموس المدرسي: المعنى بالعربية والفرنسية، والنطق، ومثال.
📖 Read: Dear Aunt Wafa… a letter to a teen magazine أقرأ
Dear Aunt Wafa,
I’m Nour, 15. My parents are kind and hard-working, but they are so old-fashioned! Last month, my class organised a concert for a charity. It finished at ten, but my curfew is eight. I argued and argued, and finally my parents agreed… on one condition: my dad came to the concert with me. I felt so embarrassed in front of my friends!
After that, I decided to break the rules. Twice, I sneaked out to see my friends at the café. The second time, my mother found out. Now I can’t use my phone for a month, and nobody at home speaks to me. My brother says I am dog-headed. Maybe he’s right. What can I do?
Nour, Sousse
Dear Nour,
Your parents are not your enemies; they are worried because they love you. Trust is like a bridge: you build it slowly. Say sorry for sneaking out, then sit down together and propose a deal: you call them when you arrive, and they let you stay out a little later at weekends. Be patient and open-minded, and ask them to be open-minded too. Good luck!
Aunt Wafa
Do you understand? أفهم
Answer in your copybook first, then check.
- Why did Nour argue with her parents?
Answer
Because she wanted to go to a concert that finished at ten, after her curfew.
- Why was she embarrassed?
Answer
Because her father came to the concert with her, in front of her friends.
- How did she break the rules?
Answer
She sneaked out twice to see her friends at the café.
- What does Aunt Wafa compare trust to?
Answer
To a bridge that you build slowly.
- What deal does Aunt Wafa suggest?
Answer
Nour calls her parents when she arrives, and they let her stay out a little later at weekends.
🧩 Grammar القواعد
A compound adjective is made of two words joined by a hyphen (-). The first word gives more information about the second, so the description is more precise: a dog-headed girl (her head is as hard as a dog’s: she never listens!).
Three common patterns:
1. adjective + noun + -ed: open-minded, blue-eyed, kind-hearted, short-tempered
2. adjective / adverb + -ing: hard-working, good-looking, easy-going
3. adverb + past participle: well-behaved, well-known, badly-paid
Numbers also make compound adjectives, and the noun stays singular: a ten-dinar note, a two-hour film.
الصفة المركّبة كلمتان بينهما شَرطة (-) لوصف أدقّ، مثل open-minded (منفتح الذهن) و hard-working (مجتهد). مع الأعداد يبقى الاسم مفردًا: a ten-dinar note.
Build compound adjectives
| Pattern | Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| adjective + noun-ed | open-minded, kind-hearted, short-tempered, long-haired | with an open mind, a kind heart… |
| adjective / adverb + -ing | hard-working, good-looking, easy-going, never-ending | who works hard, who looks good… |
| adverb + past participle | well-behaved, well-dressed, well-known, badly-paid | who behaves well, who is known by many… |
| number + noun | a fifteen-year-old boy, a three-day trip | 15 years old, it lasts 3 days |
He is fifteen years old. BUT He is a fifteen-year-old boy. — In a compound adjective, the noun has no -s.
Two generations, two points of view
| 👨👩👧 Parents often think… | 🧑 Teenagers often think… |
|---|---|
| Teenagers spend more time on their phones than on their homework. | Parents are more old-fashioned than they believe. |
| The world is more dangerous than before. | Freedom is the most important thing at 15. |
| A curfew keeps you safe. | A curfew is embarrassing. |
- Listen before you answer.
- Explain your reasons calmly.
- Propose a deal (a compromise).
- Keep your promises to build trust.
💬 Useful expressions عبارات مفيدة
Comparing points of view
Agreeing, disagreeing and giving advice
🔊 Pronunciation النطق
Worked examples أمثلة محلولة
Try first, then read the solution.
Rewrite: Sami is a boy who works hard.
Step-by-step solution
- Find the adjective/adverb + verb: works hard ➡️ hard + working.
- Join with a hyphen and put it before the noun.
✓ Sami is a hard-working boy.
Rewrite: The trip lasts three days.
Step-by-step solution
- Number + noun in the singular: three-day.
- Put it before the noun trip.
✓ It is a three-day trip.
Rewrite: My cousin has blue eyes.
Step-by-step solution
- adjective (blue) + noun (eye) + -ed.
- blue-eyed.
✓ My cousin is blue-eyed. / She is a blue-eyed girl.
⚠️ Common mistakes أخطاء شائعة
⭐ Remember أحفظ
- A compound adjective = two words + a hyphen: open-minded, hard-working.
- Patterns: adjective + noun-ed, adjective/adverb + -ing, adverb + past participle.
- With numbers, the noun stays singular: a five-dinar coin.
- To bridge the generation gap: listen, explain, propose a deal, keep promises.
- Silent letters: b in climb, comb, doubt; w in write, wrong, answer.
Quick quiz اختبار سريع
4 questions · instant feedback1. Which compound adjective means “who works hard”?
2. Choose the correct phrase.
3. Why did Nour feel embarrassed?
4. In which word is the w silent?
✍️ Write: Project step 2: our generation-gap survey أكتب
Ask three classmates what they argue about with their parents (phone, friends, clothes, going out, school…). Then write a short report (80–100 words) for the class booklet with one piece of advice.
Steps
- Ask your questions and note the answers.
- Say what the most common conflict is.
- Compare the points of view of parents and teenagers.
- Use at least two compound adjectives.
- Give one piece of advice.
A model text to compare with (after writing mine)
We asked three classmates about conflicts at home. The most common problem is the phone: two of them argue with their parents because they use it late at night. Yasmine’s parents are strict but open-minded; they let her go out at weekends if she calls them. Ahmed says his father is a bit old-fashioned and short-tempered, so they often argue about clothes. All three agree that their parents are hard-working and supportive. Our advice: don’t be dog-headed! Listen to your parents, explain your reasons calmly and keep your promises. Trust is the key.
One good example among many: compare, don’t copy.
😊 The lighter side استراحة
Respect your elders.
What can you break without touching it?
Answer
A promise.
Son: “Dad, can I go out tonight?” — Dad: “Ask your mother.” — Son: “She said ask you!” — Dad: “Then the answer is: ask your homework!”
✅ Exercises تمارين
All exercises →6 exercises on three levels, with new questions every time.
- Choose the right answerTo do
- ClassifyTo do
- Situation 1To do
- Situation 2To do
Practise: The Generation Gap
True or false, complete, choose, classify and situations: instant correction with explanations.
Got the lesson? Try it yourself
6 exercises · instant correction · new questions every time
Start the exercisesPictures: Twemoji (CC-BY 4.0). Texts, explanations and exercises: Scolaire.tn.