Search results for 'tag:Articles tag:Hyphens' matching tags 'Articles' and 'Hyphens'

Re: "all-hyphenated" noun

Clive — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:58:17 GMT

Hi,

How would you justify the use of hyphens to denote what seems to be a noun? I wouldn't try to justify it. At best, it's extremely casual, and at worst it's just lazy and unstructured English.

I think this string of words can be thought as a big noun made of little parts.

Could it be in quotations without hyphens and would it make a difference or no difference? It would make it more acceptable and common.

I think a problem might result if put quotation marks around it is that "way" is a noun.Why do you think that? What problem?

Then again, putting quotation marks makes it kind of an uncountable noun and I think we don't need to think about articles unless we are thinking of making it a type or an instance of it.

I think certain words like "am" or "so" are not hyphenated when used as part of a hyphenated noun or a hyphenated adjective. Why is that? I'm not sure what you mean. Can you give some sentences that include the kind of thing you are talking about?

... can dodge the big issue by settling into the cocoon of just-living-my-life-and-doing-what-I-can-in-my-own-little-way.

Could this be this? Yes >>>>>... can dodge the big issue by settling into the cocoon of "just living my life and doing what I can in my own little way."

Is there some reason that you can't just omit the quotation marks altogether?

Best wishes, Clive

"all-hyphenated" noun

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:01:11 GMT

Hi,
How would you justify the use of hyphens to denote what seems to be a noun? I think this string of words can be thought as a big noun made of little parts.

Could it be in quotations without hyphens and would it make a difference or no difference? I think a problem might result if put quotation marks around it is that "way" is a noun.

Then again, putting quotation marks makes it kind of an uncountable noun and I think we don't need to think about articles unless we are thinking of making it a type or an instance of it.

I think certain words like "am" or "so" are not hyphenated when used as part of a hyphenated noun or a hyphenated adjective. Why is that?

... can dodge the big issue by settling into the cocoon of just-living-my-life-and-doing-what-I-can-in-my-own-little-way.

Could this be this?

... can dodge the big issue by settling into the cocoon of "just living my life and doing what I can in my own little way."

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Jackson6612 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:05:10 GMT

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Question: I would have written ''Clinton's turmoil''. Why didn't the author use apostrophe?

BY CRAIG GORDON AND TOM BRUNE | <email addresses removed by mod.>
August 13, 2008

Question: Why is semicolon used instead of comma to separate the email addresses above?

WASHINGTON - In a fresh postmortem (=an examination of a plan or event that failed, done to discover why it failed, =autopsy) on Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid (=attempt to obtain or do something), newly published staff memos (=a short official note to another person in the same company or organization) and e-mails reveal a campaign hobbled (=to hobble something or someone means to make it more difficult for them to be successful or to achieve what they want) by internal rivalries (=a situation in which two or more people, teams, or companies are competing for something), faulty planning, bloated (=more than needed, =excessive) spending - and perhaps most important, Clinton's own failure to make the hard decisions.

Clinton offered herself to voters as a hyper-competent (=extra competent) executive ready to be president from day one. But atop (=on top of something) her own campaign, she was a hesitant leader, who allowed bitter infighting (=when members of the same group or organization argue, or compete with each other in an unfriendly way) to fester (=If an argument or bad feeling festers, it continues so that feelings of hate or dissatisfaction increase) among staffers over whether to go negative against Barack Obama, according to the Atlantic magazine.

The most bare-knuckled (=characterized by disorderly action and disregard for rules) lines of attack came from Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, who urged Clinton to highlight Obama's "lack of American roots" due to his upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii - saying he could only win if he faced Attila the Hun ((?406-453 AD) a king of the Huns (=an ancient people from Asia) who attacked and took control of large parts of the Roman Empire. He is famous for being violent and cruel).

But Clinton didn't embrace Penn's flag-waving (=the expression of strong national feelings, especially when these feelings seem too extreme) approach (=way of doing something), which campaign aides (=someone whose job is to help someone who has an important job, especially a politician) insist was never seriously considered.

Question: Clinton didn't embrace Penn's approach because she did not consider it seriously. Therefore, what campaign aides were saying is redundant.

The article also says that Clinton at times grew frustrated and short-tempered - including on the morning after her stunning third-place finish in Iowa in January, when aides on a call were silent. Clinton's camp dismissed the story as "inside-the-Beltway gossip" and "old news." And former campaign aides sharply disputed the notion of Clinton as an indecisive leader, with one campaign veteran saying, "Nobody seems to want to remember the fact that we had so many successes and come-from-behind victories in this campaign ... and they are due in large part to Senator Clinton's leadership."

Question: What does the line including on the morning...when aides on a call were silent mean? If she finished third place, then why would the author describe it as stunning? What does call mean in when aides on a call were silent?

Question: What does the phrase inside-the-Beltway gossip mean?

Question: What does the line Nobody seems to want to remember...to Senator Clinton's leadership'' mean?

But the e-mails and memos offer vivid (=very clear and detailed) new details about what had long been reported - that Clinton's headquarters was beset (=to make someone experience serious problems or dangers) by caustic (=bitter) internal battles involving Penn and former President Bill Clinton, who wanted to forcefully attack Obama, and others who wanted the New York senator to take a more positive tack (=method, =way of doing something). At one point, it was Bill Clinton - and not Hillary - who approved the famed 3 a.m. phone call ad.

Question: what had long been reported is passive past perfect tense. Am I right?

Question: I think headquarters should take plural verb. What do you say?

Question: Why are the hyphens used in -and not Hillary-? I believe commas would do instead?

Adding to the turmoil was the fact that the campaign had little strategy and no money left to seriously compete in the post-Super Tuesday contests - having (=the form having with a past participle can be used to introduce a clause in which you mention an action which had already happened before another action began) burned through $106 million before Iowa. That allowed Obama to win 12 straight contests and effectively wrap up (=to finish a job, meeting etc) the nomination.

Question: What does burned through mean?

In the end, the campaign's strategy came to reflect some of the internal turmoil, as Clinton veered (=changed course) from attacking Obama to emphasizing her personal side.

Question: What does her personal side mean?

Penn did offer some advice in March 2007 that proved on the mark - Clinton's path to victory lay with women and lower- and working-class voters.

Question: What does proved on the mark mean? I couldn't find it in the dictionary.

But by the time Clinton finally settled on that strategy to win the later primaries, it was too late.

Excerpts from the memos

"All of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared towards showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light ... It also exposes a very strong weakness for him - his roots to basic American values and culture are at best (=even when considered in the most positive way) limited. I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values." Strategist Mark Penn, from a March 19, 2007, memo to Hillary Rodham Clinton advising her to attack Barack Obama for his "lack of American roots."

Question: What does centre mean in the above context?

"The right knows Obama is unelectable except perhaps against Attila the Hun, and a third party would come in then anyway." Penn, from the same memo.

Question: Does right refer to right wing in the above context?

"This has been a very instructive call, talking to myself." Clinton, before angrily hanging up on a staff conference call the day after coming in third in Iowa in January. "She complained of being outmaneuvered (=to gain an advantage over someone by using cleverer or more skilful plans or methods) in Iowa and being painted as the establishment candidate," according to the Atlantic - but was met with near-silence.

Question: I would have written This has been..., talking to me. Why did she use myself?

Question: What is a conference call? Is it some kind of telephone call which address many poeple?

Question: Why is in used in coming in third?

"STOP IT!! I have help my tongue for weeks. After this morning's WP story, no longer. This makes me sick. This circular firing squad that is occurring is unattractive, unprofessional, unconscionable, and unacceptable ... It must stop." Robert Barnett, a Clinton lawyer and Washington insider, from a March 6, 2008, e-mail to campaign staff after a Washington Post story detailed the infighting.

Question: What does I have help my tongue for weeks mean?

Question: What does This circular firing squad mean?

Question: Were the comments in the last paragraph made by Robert Barnett?

Re: deliver the goods in the future

RayH — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:38:29 GMT

The fifteenth SAARC summit begins in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, with the member states calling for joint actions to combat terrorism, poverty and price hikes. But the basic questions remain: what has SAARC ~~the grouping of the South Asian nations~~ ~~has~~ achieved in the ~~last~~ fifteen years of its existence and will ~~whether~~ it ~~would~~ be able to deliver on its promises ~~the goods~~ in the future? The relations between the two most important member states - India and Pakistan - have been strained once again since the terrorist attack on the embassy of India in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The two have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947.

You should review the use of the dash/hyphen. Try this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash#Hyphen

Is it okay as ~~for a~~ journalistic writing?
You should probably give some indication of when the summit begins. "The fifteenth SAARC summit begins today in Colombo..." or "The fifteenth SAARC summit begins next week in Colombo", etc.
It doesn't seem like price hikes belongs in the same category with terrorism and poverty but if that is SAARC's stated agenda you are (as a reporter) stuck with it.
"the goods" seems too informal compared to the rest of the article.

Re: Article not needed?

Clive — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:42:14 GMT

Hi,
Please tell me why no article is needed here. You need an article.

we will meet on the second Saturday night ( from my birthday ).

I think we usually place the definite article 'the' before situations like this.

He is the second-tallest person I have ever met. This is fine (but use a hyphen to make a compound adjective).

Best wishes, Clive

Re: A half hour

Cool Breeze — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:21:01 GMT

Yes. Many would prefer a hyphen: a half-hour, probably because the indefinite article is normally after half: half an hour.

Re: A sequel to an article before a gerund question

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:25:48 GMT

Hi,

I think I have seen more than enough cases where what people call a verbal noun has the indefinite article 'a' in front of it and at the very least, the sheer number (should it be - sheer numbrs??) of it warrants some good explanations from experts in this forum. I think I can laid out a similar framework of argument for a quoted content too.

These days, students from where I use to live don't study hard. A lot of people seem to feel "sit in your chair and do nothing for eight hours" should be replaced with a quality "sit-in-your-chair-and-do-some-work hours." -- I think I made into a type. I was trying to make it an instance of it though. Do you think all the hyphens in quote in allowed? I think Mr. M said we should use either a hyphen or quotation marks, but usually not both.

I must say, the indefinite article "a" doesn't seem to go well with "hours" in the quotes but see nothing wrong with it, IMO.

grammar doubts!

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:37:19 GMT

(1) As a small child, Sarah witnessed a horsewhipping of one of the slaves and, even at five years old, she detected something inherently wrong. On March 7, 1870, when she was seventy-nine years old, Sarah led a procession through a blizzard to the local polling place.

Chicago style guide says to use hyphen in the following cases:

A three-year-old, a five-year-old child, eight- to ten-year-olds, fifty-five-year-old woman (should be hyphenated in both noun and adjective forms)

So, can we use hyphen in the above sentence as "five-years-old" or is it wrong to use? Please clarify.

(2) Sarah responded with a series of articles in the Boston Spectator, comparing the attitude of the church to the witch trials in early American history and countering their arguments point by point. Her knowledge of scripture was likely more refined than most of her contemporaries, including many of those in power in the pulpit.

Does the second sentence need any correction or rephrasing? Please advise.

(3) Sarah sold the copies from door-to-door and donated the money to a woman's suffrage journal.

Do we need hyphen in door-to-door? Please clarify.

(4) During the period, she learned that Dumont had illegally sold her son, Peter, to an Alabama plantation owner. At the time New York state law forbade the selling of slaves to anyone who lived outside of the state.

Can "At the time" changed to "At that time"?

(5) Considered the first feminist pioneer, Margaret Fuller's battles on behalf of woman's rights were equal to any of the other women in the field, although the bulk of her protests were offered through the written word.

Please check S-V agreement in "the bulk of her protests were"? Should it be was?

(6) To compensate her in some way for her unselfishness, family friends introduced Fuller to Ralph Waldo Emerson who invited her to visit with him and his family for three weeks during the summer.

Should it be to "visit him"? Please advise.

(7) Through Emerson, Fuller was introduced to the Transcendentalist movement, a group of intellectuals and writers with a Utopian vision of life, and through that movement, she met Bronson Alcott, who offered her a position teaching languages at his progressive Temple School in Boston.

Should it be "who offered her a position of teaching languages"? Please advise.

article - title

Anonymous — Sat, 10 May 2008 06:54:17 GMT

Hi,

I think a long time ago, CalifJim covered this extensively and well but it is hard to find out where that is. If I want to look for it, what word or phrase followed by a hyphen and his name should I use?

Anyway, my question is "When you have title that is part of phrases like 'known as', 'considered as', 'treated as', etc., do I need to write any article before them?" I think I don't have to since titles are what is used there.

He is known as company treasurer

He is considered as treasurer.

He is treated as treasurer

But if it is not a title, then an article seems to be needed:

He is considered/treated as a VIP.

Re: article usage

Clive — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:39:01 GMT

Hi,

(1) During the debate and the discussion on the definition of marriage, I was asked over and over again, "How would this change your marriage to include same-sex couples in the definition of marriage? How could making marriage more inclusive harm the institution?"

Can the be deleted before discussion? Please advise Yes.

(2) If it is nurtured in its traditional or historic form, it is sustained as the foundation for the raising of children. It is family-centered.

Can the hyphen be deleted in family-centered? Please advise. I suggest that you keep the hyphen. ( In Canada, we favour the British spelling, ie 'centred'. )

Best wishes, Clive