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B2 Grammar Sprint ⏱️ 12-Minute Lesson

Unit: Cashless Payments & Digital Banking

Mastering Compound & Participle Adjectives

Learn how to describe digital banking tools, fraud risks, and payment habits using compound words and -ing / -ed adjectives.

👩‍🏫 For Teachers

Guide learners through the 4 rules in 4 minutes, then run the 12-minute practice sprint.
Check answers instantly with the feedback buttons and review the "Why this works" tips together.

🎯 For Learners

Read the 4 grammar rules and sample patterns in the reference table first.
Complete the 12 interactive challenges below from easy to advanced to test your skills.

Unit Keywords Vault:

contactless wallet terminal currency transaction withdraw balance fraud encrypted phishing

📐 Grammar Rules: Cashless Banking Focus

Four quick rules to build clear, accurate descriptions in everyday English.

Rule 1

Building Compound Adjectives

Join two words with a hyphen to create a single descriptive adjective before a noun. You can combine a noun with an adjective, an adverb with a participle, or an adjective with a noun. Never leave out the hyphen when both words act together as one description.

Examples:

✅ "The new terminal has a user-friendly screen."

✅ "They use highly-encrypted data for each transaction."

❌ "The terminal has a user friendly screen."

Rule 2

Hyphens & Number Compounds

When a number and a noun describe another noun, keep the number word singular and add a hyphen. Do not add an "-s" to the measurement inside the compound. If the compound adjective comes after the verb "be", it usually drops the hyphen.

Examples:

✅ "We had a ten-minute wait at the till."

✅ "This digital currency is well known."

❌ "We had a ten-minutes wait."

Rule 3

-ing vs. -ed Adjectives

Use -ing to describe the thing, situation, or person that creates a feeling or result. Use -ed to describe the person who experiences that feeling. Be careful not to use an -ed adjective to describe the cause of the reaction.

Examples:

✅ "The number of online phishing attacks is worrying."

✅ "Fraud victims feel shocked."

❌ "The attack was worried."

Rule 4

Fixed Prepositions with -ed

Many -ed adjectives pair with a specific fixed preposition before a noun or an -ing verb. For instance, we say concerned about, interested in, and surprised at. Do not swap these partners for general prepositions like "with" or "for".

Examples:

✅ "Many older customers are concerned about paying online."

✅ "Shoppers are interested in contactless wallet payments."

❌ "She is concerned for paying online."

Interactive Practice (Items 1 to 12)

From easy recognition to real-world sentence building and error editing.

Question 1 of 12 Choose the correct sentence

Which sentence describes the store terminal correctly?

(hyphen)

____ a. The cashier pointed to a touch screen terminal on the counter ____ b. The cashier pointed to a touch-screen terminal on the counter ____ c. The cashier pointed to a touch-screens terminal on the counter

Question 2 of 12 Choose the correct sentence

Which sentence correctly describes a small payment limit?

(singular)

____ a. You can tap your wallet for a fifty-pounds transaction ____ b. You can tap your wallet for a fifty pounds transaction ____ c. You can tap your wallet for a fifty-pound transaction

Question 3 of 12 Choose the correct sentence

Which sentence describes the user's emotion when discovering card fraud?

(feeling)

____ a. The customer was relieved when the bank blocked the fake charge ____ b. The customer was relieving when the bank blocked the fake charge ____ c. The customer felt relieving after checking the updated balance

Question 4 of 12 Rewrite the sentence

Rewrite the sentence using the compound adjective time-consuming:

"Going to the branch to withdraw cash takes a lot of time."

(compound)

Complete the sentence:

Going to the branch to withdraw cash is ____ .

Question 5 of 12 Rewrite the sentence

Rewrite the sentence using the compound adjective password-protected:

"This mobile wallet is protected by a password."

(hyphen)

Complete the sentence:

This is a ____ wallet.

Question 6 of 12 Rewrite the sentence

Rewrite the sentence using the compound adjective long-term:

"Holding this digital currency brings security over a long term."

(noun-modifier)

Complete the sentence:

Holding this digital currency brings ____ security.

Question 7 of 12 Fill gaps

Fill in the missing word describing the suspicious message.

(cause)

"Receiving an unverified text message asking you to confirm your account balance is very ____ because it could be a fake link."

Question 8 of 12 Fill gaps

Fill in the correct fixed preposition after the participle adjective.

(preposition)

"Many branch customers were surprised ____ how simple it was to withdraw funds without their plastic card."

Question 9 of 12 Fill gaps

Fill in the hyphenated compound adjective describing the payment feature.

(compound)

"The coffee shop installed a ____ terminal so shoppers can pay with their phones instantly."

Question 10 of 12 Correct the error

Find and fix the error in this chat message sent through a banking app:

Message from Alex:

"Hey! I just sent you a twenty-pounds transfer to cover dinner last night."

(singular)

Select the corrected phrase:

____ a. a twenty pounds transfer ____ b. a twenty-pound transfer ____ c. a twenty-pounds transfer

Question 11 of 12 Correct the error

Find and fix the preposition mistake in this support chat:

Support note from Agent:

"The user was confusing about the new security token and asked for help."

(feeling)

Select the corrected phrase:

____ a. The user was confused about ____ b. The user was confused of ____ c. The user was confusing with

Question 12 of 12 Correct the error

Find and fix the punctuation error in this group message:

Message from Sarah:

"Download the updated digital wallet because it is a very user friendly app."

(hyphen)

Select the corrected phrase:

____ a. a userfriendly app ____ b. a users-friendly app ____ c. a user-friendly app

Grammar: Adjectives in Digital Banking

Mastering Compound & Participle Adjectives

👩‍🏫 For Teachers

🎯 For Learners

📐 Grammar Rules: Cashless Banking Focus

Building Compound Adjectives

Hyphens & Number Compounds

-ing vs. -ed Adjectives

Fixed Prepositions with -ed

Interactive Practice (Items 1 to 12)

Related lessons

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