do not hyphenate the common prefixes such as pre, anti, multi, and so on<\/h3>\r\n(Unless failing to do so spells some other word or just looks hopelessly weird)\r\n\r\n \t- prehistoric<\/li>\r\n \t
- pre-exist<\/li>\r\n \t
- reusable<\/li>\r\n \t
- re-sent<\/li>\r\n \t
- antisocial<\/li>\r\n \t
- anti-icing<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- self-lubricating hinges<\/li>\r\n \t
- mid-1970s<\/li>\r\n \t
- micro-universe<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\r\nThe unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.\r\n\r\n \t- 5-year grant<\/li>\r\n \t
- 10-month period<\/li>\r\n \t
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\r\n \t
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\r\n \t
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\r\nCompound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)\r\n\r\n \t- below-average rainfall<\/li>\r\n \t
- warm-up period<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
on-board timer<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
pay-off period<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThey may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.\r\n
\r\n \t- drought-producing system<\/li>\r\n \t
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\r\n \t
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\r\n \t
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Watch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\r\nThink of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.\r\n\r\n \t- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\r\n \t
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\r\n \t
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\r\n \t
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\r\n \t
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Don't hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- highly developed country<\/li>\r\n \t
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\r\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\r\n \t
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\r\n \t
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\r\n \t
- big-name automakers<\/li>\r\n \t
- large-scale production<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don't use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner's Modern English Usage<\/em>; see \"Phrasal adjectives.\"<\/p>\r\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won't be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\r\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\r\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
Here's what the different marks look like:<\/p>\r\n
hyphen-<\/p>\r\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\r\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\r\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>","rendered":"
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4560\/2019\/06\/29000338\/Dashes.png\")
<\/p>\n“Dashes” by Aptiva, is licensed CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
According to the style manual of the Oxford University Press, “If you take hyphens seriously, you will surely go mad.”[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\nHyphens are supposed to keep us from misreading things and show us how words in complex phrases relate to each other. The problem is that the rules for hyphens just cannot be applied absolutely consistently\u2014you end up hyphenating everything, including the-kitchen-sink. (*Note: that hyphenation is incorrect.) Professional editors keep long lists of exactly which word pairs they will hyphenate in a specific document (so they don’t end up in therapy).<\/p>\n
Hyphens do matter, however. Our language culture seems to encourage piling up ambitious noun phrases. These sentences verge on having a problem called noun stacks<\/em> or noun strings<\/em>. To read this kind of stuff, we need hyphens\u2014they show us what goes with what. Hyphens show that a pair of words is acting as a unit, perhaps as an adjective or a compound noun, and must be read as one thing. The common types of unit modifiers\u2014which are two or more words acting as a unit\u2014are discussed in this section, but this is by no means exhaustive coverage of the topic. Different organizations have different in-house rules and style guides that specify their preferences regarding hyphenation. Consult the appropriate style guide when you are writing for an organization that has one. But below are a few general guidelines.<\/p>\n\ndo not hyphenate the common prefixes such as pre, anti, multi, and so on<\/h3>\n
(Unless failing to do so spells some other word or just looks hopelessly weird)<\/p>\n
\n- prehistoric<\/li>\n
- pre-exist<\/li>\n
- reusable<\/li>\n
- re-sent<\/li>\n
- antisocial<\/li>\n
- anti-icing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)<\/h3>\n\n- self-lubricating hinges<\/li>\n
- mid-1970s<\/li>\n
- micro-universe<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\n
The unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.<\/p>\n\n- 5-year grant<\/li>\n
- 10-month period<\/li>\n
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\n
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\n
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\n
Compound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)<\/p>\n
\n- below-average rainfall<\/li>\n
- warm-up period<\/li>\n
- \n
on-board timer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
pay-off period<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
They may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.<\/p>\n
\n- drought-producing system<\/li>\n
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\n
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\n
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nWatch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\n
Think of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.<\/p>\n
\n- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\n
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\n
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\n
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\n
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Don’t hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\n\n- highly developed country<\/li>\n
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\n
\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\n
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\n
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\n
- big-name automakers<\/li>\n
- large-scale production<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don’t use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner’s Modern English Usage<\/em>; see “Phrasal adjectives.”<\/p>\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won’t be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\n
Here’s what the different marks look like:<\/p>\n
hyphen-<\/p>\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t CC licensed content, Original<\/div>- This chapter is a derivative of Online Technical Writing by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License<\/strong>: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em>. License Terms<\/strong>: Technical Writing Essentials by Kim Wozencraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise indicated.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>
hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- self-lubricating hinges<\/li>\r\n \t
- mid-1970s<\/li>\r\n \t
- micro-universe<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\r\nThe unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.\r\n\r\n \t- 5-year grant<\/li>\r\n \t
- 10-month period<\/li>\r\n \t
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\r\n \t
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\r\n \t
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\r\nCompound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)\r\n\r\n \t- below-average rainfall<\/li>\r\n \t
- warm-up period<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
on-board timer<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
pay-off period<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThey may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.\r\n
\r\n \t- drought-producing system<\/li>\r\n \t
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\r\n \t
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\r\n \t
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Watch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\r\nThink of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.\r\n\r\n \t- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\r\n \t
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\r\n \t
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\r\n \t
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\r\n \t
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Don't hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- highly developed country<\/li>\r\n \t
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\r\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\r\n \t
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\r\n \t
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\r\n \t
- big-name automakers<\/li>\r\n \t
- large-scale production<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don't use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner's Modern English Usage<\/em>; see \"Phrasal adjectives.\"<\/p>\r\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won't be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\r\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\r\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
Here's what the different marks look like:<\/p>\r\n
hyphen-<\/p>\r\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\r\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\r\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>","rendered":"
<\/p>\n“Dashes” by Aptiva, is licensed CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
According to the style manual of the Oxford University Press, “If you take hyphens seriously, you will surely go mad.”[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\nHyphens are supposed to keep us from misreading things and show us how words in complex phrases relate to each other. The problem is that the rules for hyphens just cannot be applied absolutely consistently\u2014you end up hyphenating everything, including the-kitchen-sink. (*Note: that hyphenation is incorrect.) Professional editors keep long lists of exactly which word pairs they will hyphenate in a specific document (so they don’t end up in therapy).<\/p>\n
Hyphens do matter, however. Our language culture seems to encourage piling up ambitious noun phrases. These sentences verge on having a problem called noun stacks<\/em> or noun strings<\/em>. To read this kind of stuff, we need hyphens\u2014they show us what goes with what. Hyphens show that a pair of words is acting as a unit, perhaps as an adjective or a compound noun, and must be read as one thing. The common types of unit modifiers\u2014which are two or more words acting as a unit\u2014are discussed in this section, but this is by no means exhaustive coverage of the topic. Different organizations have different in-house rules and style guides that specify their preferences regarding hyphenation. Consult the appropriate style guide when you are writing for an organization that has one. But below are a few general guidelines.<\/p>\n\ndo not hyphenate the common prefixes such as pre, anti, multi, and so on<\/h3>\n
(Unless failing to do so spells some other word or just looks hopelessly weird)<\/p>\n
\n- prehistoric<\/li>\n
- pre-exist<\/li>\n
- reusable<\/li>\n
- re-sent<\/li>\n
- antisocial<\/li>\n
- anti-icing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)<\/h3>\n\n- self-lubricating hinges<\/li>\n
- mid-1970s<\/li>\n
- micro-universe<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\n
The unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.<\/p>\n\n- 5-year grant<\/li>\n
- 10-month period<\/li>\n
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\n
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\n
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\n
Compound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)<\/p>\n
\n- below-average rainfall<\/li>\n
- warm-up period<\/li>\n
- \n
on-board timer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
pay-off period<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
They may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.<\/p>\n
\n- drought-producing system<\/li>\n
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\n
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\n
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nWatch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\n
Think of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.<\/p>\n
\n- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\n
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\n
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\n
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\n
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Don’t hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\n\n- highly developed country<\/li>\n
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\n
\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\n
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\n
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\n
- big-name automakers<\/li>\n
- large-scale production<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don’t use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner’s Modern English Usage<\/em>; see “Phrasal adjectives.”<\/p>\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won’t be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\n
Here’s what the different marks look like:<\/p>\n
hyphen-<\/p>\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t CC licensed content, Original<\/div>- This chapter is a derivative of Online Technical Writing by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License<\/strong>: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em>. License Terms<\/strong>: Technical Writing Essentials by Kim Wozencraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise indicated.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\r\nThe unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.\r\n\r\n \t- 5-year grant<\/li>\r\n \t
- 10-month period<\/li>\r\n \t
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\r\n \t
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\r\n \t
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\r\nCompound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)\r\n\r\n \t- below-average rainfall<\/li>\r\n \t
- warm-up period<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
on-board timer<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
pay-off period<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThey may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.\r\n
\r\n \t- drought-producing system<\/li>\r\n \t
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\r\n \t
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\r\n \t
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Watch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\r\nThink of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.\r\n\r\n \t- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\r\n \t
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\r\n \t
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\r\n \t
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\r\n \t
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Don't hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- highly developed country<\/li>\r\n \t
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\r\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\r\n \t
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\r\n \t
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\r\n \t
- big-name automakers<\/li>\r\n \t
- large-scale production<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don't use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner's Modern English Usage<\/em>; see \"Phrasal adjectives.\"<\/p>\r\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won't be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\r\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\r\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
Here's what the different marks look like:<\/p>\r\n
hyphen-<\/p>\r\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\r\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\r\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>","rendered":"
<\/p>\n“Dashes” by Aptiva, is licensed CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
According to the style manual of the Oxford University Press, “If you take hyphens seriously, you will surely go mad.”[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\nHyphens are supposed to keep us from misreading things and show us how words in complex phrases relate to each other. The problem is that the rules for hyphens just cannot be applied absolutely consistently\u2014you end up hyphenating everything, including the-kitchen-sink. (*Note: that hyphenation is incorrect.) Professional editors keep long lists of exactly which word pairs they will hyphenate in a specific document (so they don’t end up in therapy).<\/p>\n
Hyphens do matter, however. Our language culture seems to encourage piling up ambitious noun phrases. These sentences verge on having a problem called noun stacks<\/em> or noun strings<\/em>. To read this kind of stuff, we need hyphens\u2014they show us what goes with what. Hyphens show that a pair of words is acting as a unit, perhaps as an adjective or a compound noun, and must be read as one thing. The common types of unit modifiers\u2014which are two or more words acting as a unit\u2014are discussed in this section, but this is by no means exhaustive coverage of the topic. Different organizations have different in-house rules and style guides that specify their preferences regarding hyphenation. Consult the appropriate style guide when you are writing for an organization that has one. But below are a few general guidelines.<\/p>\n\ndo not hyphenate the common prefixes such as pre, anti, multi, and so on<\/h3>\n
(Unless failing to do so spells some other word or just looks hopelessly weird)<\/p>\n
\n- prehistoric<\/li>\n
- pre-exist<\/li>\n
- reusable<\/li>\n
- re-sent<\/li>\n
- antisocial<\/li>\n
- anti-icing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)<\/h3>\n\n- self-lubricating hinges<\/li>\n
- mid-1970s<\/li>\n
- micro-universe<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\n
The unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.<\/p>\n\n- 5-year grant<\/li>\n
- 10-month period<\/li>\n
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\n
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\n
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\n
Compound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)<\/p>\n
\n- below-average rainfall<\/li>\n
- warm-up period<\/li>\n
- \n
on-board timer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
pay-off period<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
They may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.<\/p>\n
\n- drought-producing system<\/li>\n
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\n
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\n
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nWatch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\n
Think of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.<\/p>\n
\n- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\n
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\n
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\n
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\n
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Don’t hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\n\n- highly developed country<\/li>\n
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\n
\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\n
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\n
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\n
- big-name automakers<\/li>\n
- large-scale production<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don’t use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner’s Modern English Usage<\/em>; see “Phrasal adjectives.”<\/p>\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won’t be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\n
Here’s what the different marks look like:<\/p>\n
hyphen-<\/p>\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t CC licensed content, Original<\/div>- This chapter is a derivative of Online Technical Writing by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License<\/strong>: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em>. License Terms<\/strong>: Technical Writing Essentials by Kim Wozencraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise indicated.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\r\nCompound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)\r\n\r\n \t- below-average rainfall<\/li>\r\n \t
- warm-up period<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
on-board timer<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
- \r\n
pay-off period<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThey may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.\r\n
\r\n \t- drought-producing system<\/li>\r\n \t
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\r\n \t
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\r\n \t
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Watch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\r\nThink of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.\r\n\r\n \t- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\r\n \t
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\r\n \t
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\r\n \t
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\r\n \t
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Don't hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- highly developed country<\/li>\r\n \t
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\r\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\r\n \t
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n\r\n \t- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\r\n \t
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\r\n \t
- big-name automakers<\/li>\r\n \t
- large-scale production<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don't use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner's Modern English Usage<\/em>; see \"Phrasal adjectives.\"<\/p>\r\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won't be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\r\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\r\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
Here's what the different marks look like:<\/p>\r\n
hyphen-<\/p>\r\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\r\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\r\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>","rendered":"
<\/p>\n“Dashes” by Aptiva, is licensed CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
According to the style manual of the Oxford University Press, “If you take hyphens seriously, you will surely go mad.”[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\nHyphens are supposed to keep us from misreading things and show us how words in complex phrases relate to each other. The problem is that the rules for hyphens just cannot be applied absolutely consistently\u2014you end up hyphenating everything, including the-kitchen-sink. (*Note: that hyphenation is incorrect.) Professional editors keep long lists of exactly which word pairs they will hyphenate in a specific document (so they don’t end up in therapy).<\/p>\n
Hyphens do matter, however. Our language culture seems to encourage piling up ambitious noun phrases. These sentences verge on having a problem called noun stacks<\/em> or noun strings<\/em>. To read this kind of stuff, we need hyphens\u2014they show us what goes with what. Hyphens show that a pair of words is acting as a unit, perhaps as an adjective or a compound noun, and must be read as one thing. The common types of unit modifiers\u2014which are two or more words acting as a unit\u2014are discussed in this section, but this is by no means exhaustive coverage of the topic. Different organizations have different in-house rules and style guides that specify their preferences regarding hyphenation. Consult the appropriate style guide when you are writing for an organization that has one. But below are a few general guidelines.<\/p>\n\ndo not hyphenate the common prefixes such as pre, anti, multi, and so on<\/h3>\n
(Unless failing to do so spells some other word or just looks hopelessly weird)<\/p>\n
\n- prehistoric<\/li>\n
- pre-exist<\/li>\n
- reusable<\/li>\n
- re-sent<\/li>\n
- antisocial<\/li>\n
- anti-icing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)<\/h3>\n\n- self-lubricating hinges<\/li>\n
- mid-1970s<\/li>\n
- micro-universe<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\n
The unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.<\/p>\n\n- 5-year grant<\/li>\n
- 10-month period<\/li>\n
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\n
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\n
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\n
Compound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)<\/p>\n
\n- below-average rainfall<\/li>\n
- warm-up period<\/li>\n
- \n
on-board timer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
pay-off period<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
They may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.<\/p>\n
\n- drought-producing system<\/li>\n
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\n
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\n
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nWatch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\n
Think of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.<\/p>\n
\n- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\n
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\n
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\n
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\n
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Don’t hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\n\n- highly developed country<\/li>\n
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\n
\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\n
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\n\n- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\n
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\n
- big-name automakers<\/li>\n
- large-scale production<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don’t use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner’s Modern English Usage<\/em>; see “Phrasal adjectives.”<\/p>\nOnce you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won’t be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\nRead pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\n
Here’s what the different marks look like:<\/p>\n
hyphen-<\/p>\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t CC licensed content, Original<\/div>- This chapter is a derivative of Online Technical Writing by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License<\/strong>: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em>. License Terms<\/strong>: Technical Writing Essentials by Kim Wozencraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise indicated.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>
on-board timer<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
pay-off period<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThey may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.\r\n
- \r\n \t
- drought-producing system<\/li>\r\n \t
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\r\n \t
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\r\n \t
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Watch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\r\nThink of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.\r\n
- \r\n \t
- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\r\n \t
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\r\n \t
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\r\n \t
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\r\n \t
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
Don't hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- highly developed country<\/li>\r\n \t
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\r\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\r\n \t
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\r\n
- \r\n \t
- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\r\n \t
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\r\n \t
- big-name automakers<\/li>\r\n \t
- large-scale production<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don't use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner's Modern English Usage<\/em>; see \"Phrasal adjectives.\"<\/p>\r\n
Once you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won't be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\r\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\r\n
Read pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\r\n
Here's what the different marks look like:<\/p>\r\n
hyphen-<\/p>\r\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\r\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\r\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>","rendered":"
<\/p>\n“Dashes” by Aptiva, is licensed CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
According to the style manual of the Oxford University Press, “If you take hyphens seriously, you will surely go mad.”[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n
Hyphens are supposed to keep us from misreading things and show us how words in complex phrases relate to each other. The problem is that the rules for hyphens just cannot be applied absolutely consistently\u2014you end up hyphenating everything, including the-kitchen-sink. (*Note: that hyphenation is incorrect.) Professional editors keep long lists of exactly which word pairs they will hyphenate in a specific document (so they don’t end up in therapy).<\/p>\n
Hyphens do matter, however. Our language culture seems to encourage piling up ambitious noun phrases. These sentences verge on having a problem called noun stacks<\/em> or noun strings<\/em>. To read this kind of stuff, we need hyphens\u2014they show us what goes with what. Hyphens show that a pair of words is acting as a unit, perhaps as an adjective or a compound noun, and must be read as one thing. The common types of unit modifiers\u2014which are two or more words acting as a unit\u2014are discussed in this section, but this is by no means exhaustive coverage of the topic. Different organizations have different in-house rules and style guides that specify their preferences regarding hyphenation. Consult the appropriate style guide when you are writing for an organization that has one. But below are a few general guidelines.<\/p>\n
\ndo not hyphenate the common prefixes such as pre, anti, multi, and so on<\/h3>\n
(Unless failing to do so spells some other word or just looks hopelessly weird)<\/p>\n
- \n
- prehistoric<\/li>\n
- pre-exist<\/li>\n
- reusable<\/li>\n
- re-sent<\/li>\n
- antisocial<\/li>\n
- anti-icing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)<\/h3>\n
- \n
- self-lubricating hinges<\/li>\n
- mid-1970s<\/li>\n
- micro-universe<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate a unit modifier<\/h3>\n
The unit<\/em>\u00a0in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.<\/p>\n
- \n
- 5-year grant<\/li>\n
- 10-month period<\/li>\n
- 28-gigabyte memory<\/li>\n
- 8-oz. cup<\/li>\n
- 4-gallon tub<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word<\/h3>\n
Compound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)<\/p>\n
- \n
- below-average rainfall<\/li>\n
- warm-up period<\/li>\n
- \n
on-board timer<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
pay-off period<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
They may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.<\/p>\n
- \n
- drought-producing system<\/li>\n
- water-repellent fabric<\/li>\n
- coffee-flavored ice cream<\/li>\n
- government-sponsored programs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nWatch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun<\/h3>\n
Think of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.<\/p>\n
- \n
- a case-by-case basis<\/li>\n
- a three-to-one ratio<\/li>\n
- the right-to-die statutes<\/li>\n
- the air-to-ground voice transmission<\/li>\n
- on-the-job experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Don’t hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.<\/h3>\n
- \n
- highly developed country<\/li>\n
- fully equipped computer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:<\/p>\n
adjective + noun + noun<\/p>\n
noun + noun + noun<\/p>\n
\nIf the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.<\/h3>\n
- \n
- embryonic stem cells<\/li>\n
- poor economic performance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.<\/h3>\n
- \n
- cell-replacement strategies<\/li>\n
- cell-surface markers<\/li>\n
- big-name automakers<\/li>\n
- large-scale production<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don’t use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner’s Modern English Usage<\/em>; see “Phrasal adjectives.”<\/p>\n
Once you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself\u2014could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won’t be misread, give your hyphen key a break.<\/p>\n
Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen<\/em> and an em dash<\/em> or an en dash<\/em>. When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence\u2014such as this phrase\u2014a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.<\/p>\n
Read pages 274\u2013298. (en dash)<\/p>\n
The Yankees beat the Rangers 7\u20134. (en dash)<\/p>\n
Here’s what the different marks look like:<\/p>\n
hyphen-<\/p>\n
en dash \u2013<\/p>\n
em dash \u2014<\/p>\n
Using these punctuation marks\u2014the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash\u2014correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCC licensed content, Original<\/div>- This chapter is a derivative of Online Technical Writing by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License<\/strong>: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em>. License Terms<\/strong>: Technical Writing Essentials by Kim Wozencraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise indicated.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>
- This chapter is a derivative of Online Technical Writing by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License<\/strong>: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em>. License Terms<\/strong>: Technical Writing Essentials by Kim Wozencraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise indicated.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>