Sky, lemon yellow dress, jade green lake, cobalt blue dish, dark blue Of equal value: blue-black sky, gray-green eyes, but bluish black ![]() ![]() Not hyphenate compound color modifiers unless both elements are colors The punctuation can influence the meaning: red, white, and blueįlags (solid-colored flags), red-white-and-blue flags (tricolors). Park ranger's job, magazine researcher's inquiry, but bird's-eye view, snail's-pace walk.Ī compound modifier within quotes is not hyphenated unless the compound is hyphenated in Webster's:Ī "one man" attempt, "Azores high" cliffs, a "pigeon-toed" table. Never use one digit alone in a date: 1947-9.įoreign terms used as adjectives are not hyphenated:Įx post facto laws, per capita income, status quo regime, but laissez-faire policy.Ī compound modifier in which the second word is possessive is not hyphenated: Give complete date: from 1941 through 1945. When using from, do not use a hyphen but spell out to or through and If one element in aĬompound modifier is itself a compound, an en dash may be used in placeĬhemical terms used as adjectives are not hyphenated except if ambiguous and when used with the mass number: carbon dioxide test, but carbon-14 dating iron-oxide red strontium-90, strontium-90 fallout, Sr-90 fallout.ĭates: A hyphen means up to and including when used between dates: November 15-21 1941-45. Hyphenate when required by Webster's, afterĪ prefix, or when the hyphen is necessary for sense. Two- to three-day forecasts are now possible.Ī two-to-three-day forecast would help him plan.Ī compound with an ordinal, a comparative, or a superlative is not hyphenated except to prevent ambiguity or if in Webster's:ĭo not hyphenate between capitalized words that are an entity, with certain exceptions. With more than one compound modifier distinguish between several possibilities and an inclusive range: Ĭompound modifiers containing cardinal numbers are hyphenated before nouns when the compound contains a unit of measurement or spelled out number:Īn eight-foot pole, but eight feet of poleĪ 13½-year-old 11- to 14-year-old children 11- and 14-year-olds 11-through-14-year-oldsĪn 11½-by-4½-foot box, but 11½ by 4½ feetĪ three-by-four-foot box, but three by four feetĪ 35-millimeter slide 35-mm slide or 35mm slideĪ four-by-four or 4WD or FWD or 4x4 are all acceptable for a four-wheel-drive vehicle Consult Webster's, especially for compounds with over and under. Not, now, once, only, seldom, sometimes, still, very, yet. Unless the meaning is ambiguous or a compound is hyphenated in Webster's, do not hyphenate compound modifiers with almost,Īlready, best, early, ever, last, late, less, more, most, much, never, Of these, compound modifiers with the following are generally hyphenated before nouns: dead, long, near, and well (well-dressed man, near-dead hopes). Nearly dead hopes, newly set aside parklands The retort was quick-witted a two-ton truck a jet-pack-powered stroll īut an old stone wall (the stone wall is old).Īfter an adverb that ends in -ly, do not hyphenate unless ambiguity results: ![]() His bravery he is well respected for his bravery quick-witted retort Well-respected man a very well respected man a man well respected for To misreading or hyphenated in Webster's as an adjective: a Modifiers: See also ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS, PUNCTUATION OF.Ī compound adjective should be hyphenated before a noun (unless theĬompound itself carries a modifier) but not following it unless subject See also ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS, PUNCTUATION OF, COMMA, DIVISION OF WORDS, and individual entries.
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