Tuesday, November 5, 2019
How to Style Compounds After the Noun
How to Style Compounds After the Noun How to Style Compounds After the Noun How to Style Compounds After the Noun By Mark Nichol Most but not all phrasal adjectives (two words that combine to modify a noun hence the alternate name, compound modifiers) are hyphenated, which is confusing enough though easily resolved: If a permanent compound is listed in the dictionary as open, no hyphen is necessary; otherwise, hyphenate. But that applies only before the noun. What happens after the noun is a whole other matter: Usually, phrasal adjectives and similar (or similar-looking) constructions are left open in that position. Hereââ¬â¢s a rundown on hyphenation rules for various types of compounds: Categories Age compound: ââ¬Å"The eighteen-year-old (boy),â⬠but ââ¬Å"He is eighteen years old.â⬠Color compound: ââ¬Å"The sky-blue paint,â⬠but ââ¬Å"The paint is sky blue.â⬠Fraction compound: ââ¬Å"A half-mile walk,â⬠but ââ¬Å"a walk of a half mile.â⬠Number, spelled out: ââ¬Å"Fifty-one,â⬠ââ¬Å"five hundred,â⬠five hundred one,â⬠ââ¬Å"two thousand twenty-two.â⬠(Hyphenate tens-ones figures in isolation and in larger figures, but leave open all other combinations of places.) Number plus noun: ââ¬Å"A five-year plan,â⬠but a plan that will take five yearsâ⬠; ââ¬Å"a four-and-a-half-inch gap,â⬠but ââ¬Å"a gap of four and a half inchesâ⬠; ââ¬Å"the fourth-floor office,â⬠but ââ¬Å"an office on the fourth floor.â⬠Number plus superlative: ââ¬Å"The third-tallest player,â⬠but ââ¬Å"a player who is third tallest.â⬠Time: ââ¬Å"Theyââ¬â¢re going to the eight oââ¬â¢clock screeningâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The meeting starts at six (oââ¬â¢clock)â⬠; ââ¬Å"I have a five-thirty plane to catch,â⬠but ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll meet you at five thirtyâ⬠(always open when time is on the hour, and hyphenated before the noun but open after when time is between hours). Parts of Speech Adjectival phrase: ââ¬Å"His matter-of-fact manner,â⬠but ââ¬Å"His manner was matter of fact.â⬠Adjective plus noun: ââ¬Å"A low-class joint,â⬠but ââ¬Å"The joint is low class.â⬠Adjective identifying origin or location plus noun: ââ¬Å"An Indo-European languageâ⬠and ââ¬Å"the French-Spanish border,â⬠but ââ¬Å"She is a Japanese Americanâ⬠and ââ¬Å"the latest Middle East crisisâ⬠(open unless the first term is a prefix or there is a sense of a distinction between the elements). Adjective plus participle or adjective: ââ¬Å"His long-suffering wife,â⬠but ââ¬Å"his wife is long suffering.â⬠Adverb ending in -ly plus participle or adjective: ââ¬Å"Her rapidly beating heartâ⬠(always open). Adverb not ending in -ly plus participle: ââ¬Å"The little-read novel,â⬠but ââ¬Å"The novel is little read.â⬠(See ââ¬Å"More About Adverbs,â⬠below.) Noun phrase: ââ¬Å"A feather in your cap,â⬠but ââ¬Å"Heââ¬â¢s a jack-of-all-tradesâ⬠(open unless hyphenated in the dictionary). Noun plus adjective: ââ¬Å"The family-friendly restaurant,â⬠but ââ¬Å"The restaurant is family friendly.â⬠Noun plus gerund: ââ¬Å"A note-taking lesson,â⬠but ââ¬Å"a lesson in note taking.â⬠(But beware of closed noun-plus-gerund compounds like matchmaking.) Noun plus noun, the first one modifying the second: ââ¬Å"A tenure-track position,â⬠but ââ¬Å"Sheââ¬â¢s on the tenure track.â⬠(But leave permanent compounds like ââ¬Å"income taxâ⬠open even before a noun, and check for closed noun-plus-noun compounds like bartender.) Noun plus noun, equivalent: City-state, nurse-practitioner (always hyphenated). Noun plus letter or number: ââ¬Å"A size 34 waist,â⬠ââ¬Å"the type A personalityâ⬠(never hyphenated). Noun plus participle: ââ¬Å"A problem-solving exercise,â⬠but ââ¬Å"time for some problem solving.â⬠Participle plus noun: ââ¬Å"Working-class families,â⬠but ââ¬Å"members of the working class.â⬠Participle plus prepositional adverb plus noun: ââ¬Å"Turned-up nose,â⬠but ââ¬Å"Her nose was turned up.â⬠More About Adverbs When less or more modifies an adjective, such as in ââ¬Å"a less frequent occurrenceâ⬠/ââ¬Å"an occurrence that is less frequentâ⬠or ââ¬Å"a more qualified candidateâ⬠/ââ¬Å"a candidate who is more qualified,â⬠the phrase is not hyphenated either before or after a noun. The same is true of least and most unless ambiguity is possible. For example, ââ¬Å"a lesser-known rivalâ⬠is a rival who is not as well known, but ââ¬Å"a lesser known rival,â⬠by contrast, might be a known rival of lesser consequence. Likewise, ââ¬Å"the most-quoted oratorsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"the most quoted oratorsâ⬠refer, respectively, to orators most frequently quoted and a majority of quoted orators. Again, however, the hyphenated version would be left open when it follows a noun, and would likely be worded differently than its counterpart that is not hyphenated before the noun, either. Also, when an adverb that is part of a modifying phrase is modified by another adverb, as in ââ¬Å"a very much praised debut,â⬠the phrase is not hyphenated at all, even though a hyphen would appear in ââ¬Å"a much-praised debut.â⬠Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business EmailsAwoken or Awakened?Particular vs. Specific
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