This is the BBC. This podcast is supported by advertising outside the UK. Everyone likes shopping online, but searching for coupon codes is kind of a bummer. So make saving online a breeze with Capital One shopping Capital One shopping is a free tool that instantly searches for available coupon codes and automatically applies them at checkout. Just download Capital One shopping to your computer and let it do the work for you so easy and you don't even need a Capital One card to use it.

Capital One shopping. It's kind of genius. What's in your wallet? Savings and available coupons. Very. This is a download from BBC Learning English to find out more. Visit our website. Six minutes from BBC Learning English dot com.

Hello and welcome to Six Minute Vocabulary. I'm Neal.

And I'm Catherine.

And today we're talking about hyphenation hyphens, those little signs like dashes that we use in writing to join two words together.

Yes. Like in old fashioned, there's always a hyphen between old and fashioned. So let's start with a clip from Brian.

He's a news reporter and he's reporting from a high school about an election.

Think about this question while you're listening. How does Brian describe the young people at the school? Here's Brian.

I asked some 18 year old students at this secondary school how they're voting in this year's election.

They're all hard working young people, 22 of them are undecided and are likely to make a last minute decision. But a sizable group say today's politicians are not well respected and their attitudes are out of date.

Back to the studio.

So we asked you, how does Brian describe the young people at the school?

And the answer is, he says they are hard working.

That means they work hard. Now, there are lots of compound adjectives like hard working that we make with an adjective or adverb, like hard plus a present participle like working.

And we always write them with a hyphen. So hard hyphen working.

And we can make compound adjectives and other ways to listen to this clip for three more examples.

I asked some 18 year old students at this secondary school how they're voting in this year's election.

22 of them are undecided and are likely to make a last minute decision.

First, we had 18 year old students, 18 year old is an adjective made from three words joined together with hyphens.

When we write age before a noun, we use Ivens 18 hyphen year hyphen old. Exactly. And it's the same with numbers. For example, we write the phrase a two door car like this, a two hyphen door car.

But that's only four numbers before the noun, if you rate the students are 18 years old, you don't need hyphens.

Now, the second compound in that clip was 22. And the rule is always use hyphens in numbers from 21 to 99, 20, hyphen one 290, hyphen nine.

Good.

Now, the last compound adjective we had there was last minute the students were going to make a last minute decision and that's the adjective last plus a noun.

Minett joined with a hyphen. Now for another clip, listen out for some more compound adjectives.

A sizable group say today's politicians are not well respected and their attitudes are out of date.

Well respected. That's an adverb. Well, and the past participle of a verb respected. And together they make an adjective and the two parts of the adjective need a hyphen when we write them before a noun.

So it's a well respected politician with a hyphen, well hyphen. Respected politician.

Yes, but in a phrase like the politicians were well respected. We don't use a hyphen because the adjective comes after the noun, not before. And that rule is the same for three word compound adjectives like out of date.

So the phrase out of date attitudes has hyphens because the adjective is before the noun, but the phrase their attitudes are out of date doesn't have hyphens. Exactly.

And one last rule is that we never use hyphens in compound adjectives that have an adverb which ends in our Y.

No, we don't. So in phrases like a carefully written letter, we don't use hyphens.

Now let's talk about compound nouns. In our clip, Brian was reporting from a secondary school and the phrase secondary school is a compound noun and there's no hyphen in it. So there isn't.

Most compound nouns are written as two separate words. If you're not sure, check in a good dictionary.

Six minutes capital from the BBC and it's time for a quiz. No one wants the compound adjective in this sentence and doesn't need a hyphen. We were late because of the slow moving traffic.

Slow moving is the compound A. and it needs a hyphen.

Very good. And number two, is there a hyphen in a 40 mile run?

Yes, there is 40 hyphen mile run our number three. That teacher was a very well liked. Is there a hyphen and well-liked?

We don't need a hyphen that well done. If you got those right. Before we go, here's a vocabulary test. When you're reading, make a note of compound adjectives and nouns with and without hyphens, keep a list and check it regularly.

Yes, there's more about this at ABC Learning English dot com. Join us again for more six minute vocabulary.

Goodbye by six minutes from the BBC. But. He's defeated the most formidable super villains known to man now the world's most famous superhero faces the ultimate challenge. Parenthood from the creators of The Flash becomes the new series Superman and Lois. Will Clark and Lois, his teenage sons, be able to handle the truth about their dad's true identity? The Kent family's most amazing adventure is about to begin. Catch the two hour season premiere event, Superman and Lois Tuesday on the CW or stream three next day on The CW at.