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Guest
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89207
Tue, 12 Apr 05 03:11 PM
I'm tutoring a foreign graduate student in computer science and we are in doubt when to hyphenate certain words.
In her paper she talks about " real user movements" (the real movements of mobile computer users.)
I told her to hyphenate it as "real user-movements" to indicate that "real" modifies both "user" and "movement". Am I right? And does "user movement" still need to be hyphenated when it isn't modified by an adjective?
How about: "I have studied the user movements on the college campus over a period of three months." ? Does it need to be hyphenated here?
Can someone clarify hyphenation rules for me?
I know that "a reckless car-owner" should be hyphenated, but how about: "many car owners neglect to change oil regularly" ?
Thanks!
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Inbox
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MrPedantic
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Wed, 13 Apr 05 12:59 AM
Hello Inbox
I would hyphenate some of your examples slightly differently:
1. real-user movements (because the phrase 'real user' is here used attributively, as an adjective).
2. user movement (I wouldn't hyphenate here either).
3. I have studied the user movements on the college campus over a period of three months. (Nor here.)
4. A reckless car owner.
5. Many car owners neglect etc.
As a general rule of thumb, I would hyphenate:
a) where there's a real chance of confusion ('a deep-blue lake', where 'deep blue' is a colour; a 'pink-spotted handkerchief', where the spots are pink);
b) where a phrase is used as an adjective ('a rule-of-thumb generalisation');
That said, there doesn't seem to be a standard practice among publishers or copy editors for hyphenation; and no doubt many posters will disagree with what I've written here!
MrP
Joined on
Tue, Oct 12 2004
Veteran Member
12,592
...opella forensis / adducit febris...
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