3 Responses to “Hyphenation”

1. 

   January 17, 2011 at 12:42 pm

   Hi again.

   I appreciate your implied confidence in our collective hyphenation skills. I was hoping to find a little more content here, though.

   Thanks,
   Blair
2. 

   January 17, 2011 at 7:45 pm

   Hi, Blair.

   The Associated Press Stylebook offers good help with hyphenation basics. Here's my condensed book report on AP's rules:

   Use a hyphen to form a compound modifier that comes before a noun -- that is, to connect two words that together form an adjective: "a cupcake-obsessed kid."

   The exception: "ly" adverbs. No hyphen needed. "a quickly devoured cupcake"

   When the compound comes after the noun, hyphenate if the verb is form of "to be."

   "That kid is cupcake-obsessed."

   But don't hyphenate after-the-verb compounds when the verb isn't "to be."

   "He wants a full-time job because he now works only part time."

   AP also says to use hyphens anytime you believe they can prevent confusion: "small-vehicle owners" vs. "small vehicle owners."

   All that is for modifiers, though. When it comes to nouns and verbs - make-up/makeup/make up, water-ski, etc. - there is no rule. For these, all we can do is check a dictionary.

   These are all guidelines, though. Not clear rules. It's often said that no two editors hyphenate alike. All we can do is keep these basic guidelines in mind and use our own judgment when the rules fail us.

   Does that help? I hope so!
3. 

   March 1, 2012 at 4:49 pm

   The summary in your comment is very helpful. Thank you!

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