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Grammatically Correct 11/30/04
A weekly grammar tip created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors.
University of Houston-Victoria
3007 N. Ben Wilson
Victoria, TX 77901
Using Hyphens in Compound Adjectives (and Exceptions to the Rule)
by John Davis
Using hyphens with certain word combinations can be tricky because a word combination’s hyphenation can change over time as it becomes more popular. Before deciding whether to use or omit a hyphen, look the term up in the latest dictionary you have and see what form the dictionary uses. Here are a few rules to follow when deciding whether or not to use a hyphen.

If two or more words are being used as an adjective unit directly before a noun then you may need to use a hyphen to combine them. When the same two words appear after the noun, a hyphen should not be used.

Examples (before noun):
Brown-eyed girl (Clearly, brown-eyed is a single unit of meaning describing girl.)
Fur-lined coat (Fur-lined is a single adjective unit modifying coat.)
Tone-deaf violinist (Tone-deaf is a single adjective unit describing violist.)

Examples (after noun):
The girl was brown eyed.
The coat was fur lined.
The violinist was tone deaf.


There are exceptions when a compound adjective appears before a noun.

Exception #1
Do not use a hyphen after an adverb ending in -ly.

Examples:
Freshly painted wall
Sickly sweet odor

Exception #2
Do not use a hyphen in a compound using a comparative (-er) or superlative (-est).

Examples:
Better sounding speakers
Oldest surviving member

Exception #3
Do not use a hyphen in a chemical term.

Examples:
Codeine phosphate solution
Monomethyl ether compound

Exception #4
Do not use a hyphen in a compound that uses a letter as the second part of of the adjective.

Examples:
Section 8 discharge
Type A personality

 

Recommended Grammar Website of the Week
by John Davis

The information above is only one of several aspects of the correct use of hyphens. One website that discusses hyphens in more detail is the University of Minnesota’s Style Manual. Their discussion on hyphens can be found at http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/style/hyphens.html


Test Your Knowledge
by John Davis
Some of theses require hyphens and some don’t, place a hyphen in the appropriate examples.

1. The man sat in the high backed chair.

2. The former treasurer was promoted to a higher paid position.

3. The bottle contained a sodium pentathol base.

4. The windows were lined with mauve colored curtains.

5. It was a red letter day.

6. The Eskimo’s hands were frost bitten.

Answers

1. The man sat in the high-backed chair.

2. The former treasurer was promoted to a higher paid position. (Correct)

3. The bottle contained a sodium pentathol base. (Correct)

4. The windows were lined with mauve-colored curtains.

5. It was a red-letter day.

6. The Eskimo’s hands were frost bitten. (Correct)

 

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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