Dont hyphenate if the first element of the compound modifier is a comparative or superlative adjective. Do you ever wonder when to use a hyphen with your modifier. A compound modifier consists of two words connected by a hyphen, which act together like one adjective. The hyphenated compound adjectives called compound modifiers are.
Open compounds school bus, living room are commonly used together but are written. Use of hyphens when writing repeated compound words that have common parts a bit of hard work it may be but sorry, you just have to write out. The hyphenated compound adjectives called compound modifiers are where things get a little more complicated. The chicago manual of style addresses the question of hyphenating the second element of a compound in a title in paragraph 8. Because i believe that hyphens are the cause of more writing mistakes in american english than anything else. However, when compound modifiers come after a noun, they are not hyphenated. The words yellow and green, and salt and pepper are adjectives modifying the nouns teeth and mustache. Capitalizing the elements of a compound word in a title. Write compounds as two words when the compounds appear with the words in their customary order and when the meaning is clear. As for the absence of hyphenated compound modifiers in law journals, well, legal writers are not in the habit of using. A compound modifier is formed when multiple words come together to describe a subsequent noun.
A compound modifier also called a compound adjective, phrasal adjective, or adjectival phrase is a compound of two or more attributive words. In english grammar, a modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that functions as an adjective or adverb to provide additional information about another word or word group called the head. Legal writing pro llc, po box 593, falls church, va, 220400593, you can revoke your consent. Compound nouns are words for people, animals, places, things, or ideas, made up of two or more words. Contracted verb forms in english list of contracted verb. A compound modifier is a string of two or more words that modify a noun. Compound modifiers are grammatically equivalent to singleword modifiers, and can be used in combination with other modifiers. The hyphens main job is to connect two or more things that are closely. Compound modifiers are groups of two or more words that make a single adjective. Chicago manual of style height and weight creative. This is that the hyphen is not an ornament but an aid to being understood, and. Compound modifiers are consist of two words connected by a hyphen which act together like an adjective and modify a noun compound modifiers rule. Two common types of modifiers are the adverb a word that describes an adjective, a verb, or another adverb and the adjective a word that describes a noun or pronoun. When in doubt about a compound word, look it up in a dictionary or style manual.
In many cases, such compounds are hyphenated when found before the noun they describe, but no hyphen is necessary when the compound is found in the predicate. This means a new discount for customers, but i bet the writer meant a discount for new customers. A compound modifier refers to two or more words expressing a single concept. In many software programs, an emdash is created by typing two hyphens in a. A compound adjective also known as a compound modifier or a phrasal adjective is created by two or more words that work jointly to modify the same noun. Dont hyphenate if the second element of the compound modifier is just a letter. The use of the hyphen in compound modifiers search by. When you have a multipleword, or compound, modifier, those words are hyphenated when they come before the noun they modify and not hyphenated when they come after. The hyphens main job is to connect two or more things that are. In many cases, such compounds are hyphenated when found before the noun they describe, but no.
His yellowgreen teeth were visible beneath a saltandpepper mustache. Closed compounds flowerpot, keyboard, notebook, bookstore mesh two words together. Dont hyphenate if the second element of the compound modifier. A hyphen is usually used in apa style when two or more words modify a common noun and that noun comes after the modifiers, for example, 7point scale or clientcentered counseling. Keep in mind that different writing style guides have different rules about how to use the hyphen in compound modifiers. Since they appear before the noun, they are hyphenated. This section covers the most common problem areas in writing mechanics. And thats a good thing because the presence or absence of them is one of the clearest indicators of the quality of writing and editing for a given piece. Also called a compound modifiers, compound adverbs are sometimes written as one word e. The compoundmodifier hyphen connects and clarifies legible. Most compound nouns are made with nouns that have been modified by adjectives or other nouns in many compound. Usually, compound modifier words could be understood as individual modifiers or nouns, so the hyphen is required to clarify the function of the words. However, they do not show examples of height and weight as compound modifiers before. How do you know when to use a hyphen with compound modifiers and why is it important.
Hyphenated compounds motherinlaw, merrygoround not surprisingly use a hyphen between two or more words, often to prevent ambiguity. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. Stacked modifiers often complicate your sentences needlessly. The compoundmodifier hyphen connects and clarifies take advantage of our new customer discount. Some common examples of when to use compound modifiers. A modifier is a word or phrase that describes another word or phrase.
She is in middle school and already taking higher level math courses. With these, writers need to know the rules and cant rely on a dictionary. Definition and examples of modifiers in english grammar. The use of modifiers in legal english 1 please purchase the course before starting the lesson. Hawking hyphens in compound modifiers duke law scholarship. We add a hyphen or hyphens to the mix to clarify this, as the meaning of a sentence can sometimes. The most annoying hyphenation mistake that i see in legal writing could very well be. A modifier is a word or group of words that limits or describes another word or words. Learn the following contracted verb forms in english and use them in informal writing, not in formal writing. Capitalize the second element of a compound in a title unless its an article, a preposition, a coordinating conjunction and, but, for, or, nor or a modifier. The compound modifier the other day i was commissioned to translate a will into english in which the heir inherited voting rights to a jointly owned company. Compound modifiers when two words act together as an adjective to modify a noun, a hyphen is often used to join them. When pluralizing compound words, the s is properly attached to the word thats being pluralized, though you see that more in writing than in everyday speech.
The devil on my shoulder tempted me to add a hyphen jointlyowned to the compound modifier. The use of the hyphen in compound modifiers peter gawn terminology update, volume 7, number 8, 1974, page 1is a hyphen necessary in a compound modifier that precedes the word it modifies, and if. Write compounds as single words no spaces between joined words when the first word of the compound receives the major stress in pronunciation. The use of modifiers in legal english 1 translegal. Some legal writers doubt the rule and say they dont see compoundmodifier hyphens in other writing. Good legal writing should be written in plain language that is easy to read and understand and that clearly and directly communicates. The compoundmodifier hyphen connects and clarifies.
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