Writing and Editing Services
  Rosebud Communications
  • Home
  • About
  • Projects
    • Clients
  • Rose's Red Pen Blog
  • A Rose in Oz Blog
  • Photos Down Under
  • Contact

Hyphen or No Hyphen?

1/21/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
To hyphenate or not to hyphenate ...
The other day, I sent back an edited manuscript to a client, and she had a reasonable question. Why did the phrase “search and rescue” have hyphens in some places and not in others?

The answer came down to parts of speech.  What part of speech the phrase was in a particular sentence determined whether it took hyphens. If “search and rescue” is a noun—such as “I work in search and rescue” or “I do search and rescue,” then the phrase does not need a hyphen. However, if the phrase is a compound adjective that describes a noun, such as “a search-and-rescue dog” or “a search-and-rescue mission,” then the phrase takes hyphens.

So the same words in a manuscript sometimes need hyphens and sometimes do not. When a compound adjective appears before a noun, then hyphens help readers to see that the words make up a single unit to describe the noun. For instance, in this sentence—“I have a washer-and-dryer unit in my apartment”—it’s clear that the writer is referring to one appliance; without the hyphens, the meaning is unclear. In the sentence, “I have a washer and dryer unit in my apartment,” it’s possible that there are two appliances: a washer and a dryer unit (whatever that is). Also, if “washer and dryer” are nouns in the sentence, such as “the stacked unit combines a washer and dryer,” then no hyphens are needed since the meaning is clear.

Here are other examples of phrases that will take hyphens when used as compound adjectives but will not when they appear in the sentence as nouns:
Picture
When deciding whether to add hyphens, look at the phrase. What part of speech is it in the sentence? If the words are nouns, then they likely do not need a hyphen between them. If they are adjectives and make up a single unit that describes a noun, then add the hyphens.
2 Comments
FCS
2/19/2016 03:44:48 pm

I love it!

Reply
Rose Ciccarelli
2/20/2016 07:45:50 am

I'm glad you do -- thanks for taking the time to read it!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Action
    Books
    Dialogue
    Editing
    Grammar
    Mechanics
    Punctuation
    Usage
    Verbs
    Writing

    Author

    Rose Ciccarelli offers writing and editing services through Rosebud Communications.

    Archives

    July 2019
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Camp Pinewood YMCA, ChrisL_AK, sylvrilyn, Banjo Brown, OC Always, CapCase, John-Morgan, quinn.anya, poppet with a camera, quinn.anya, Moyan_Brenn, pierre bédat, iansvendsplass, Philippe Put, Hackley Public Library, mrhayata, amslerPIX, romana klee, n_sapiens, perpetualplum, Images_of_Money, trophygeek, fontplaydotcom, Thomas Leth-Olsen, reynermedia, U.S. Army Europe Images