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

Re: stress

AlpheccaStars — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:04:10 GMT

Dear Learn:

They are not really compound words. True compound words are written without a hyphen. Examples are blackboard (black + board) and shipwreck (ship + wreck). The two words together may have a different meaning together than their individual words.

These hyphenated two-word combinations are usually found functioning as adjectives, and one (or more) of the words is normally a noun. They still have their individual meanings (such as glass-enclosed), and are pronounced as if they were separate words.

When a hypenated word becomes an idiom and takes on a different meaning, then it is on its way to becoming a compound word. (dog-eared for example.) You should find these in the dictionary, and there may be both the hyphenated and compound listings.

hyphenated noun

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:56:37 GMT

Hi,
I wonder what I need to conceptualize better what is involved in the use of a hyphento denote one aggregate noun.

possible instruction in a language game:

Let's play a "wh" game with wh-words.

At first, I think I can see why the word "wh-words" in linked with a hyphen and when the word "wh" is in quotation marks, but this knowledge is elusive. Sometimes, I think I get it and sometimes, I don't.

How about this?

She is a teacher-student.

I think I can see why it has been made a noun where two seemingly unlikely nouns are held together by a hyphen to form an aggregate noun (if I can call it that), but a clear explanation is escapiing me. Can you tell me what your explanation is for this kind of situation (if I have made it clear).

Re: all adjective questions

Avangi — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:24:15 GMT

1. These are always a little uncomfortable for me. I think it's okay, but I'd probably repeat the "a," a spiritual and a literal interpretation, OR a spiritual vs. a literal interpretation, OR spiritual and literal interpretations

2. The duties are the same whether it's the EO, a typical EO, or all EO's in some large organization. In my opinion, you may choose singular or plural as it fits the situation. If there's only one such position, and it's duties are unique, it would seem strange to use the plural, unless there's a high rate of turnover, and you wish to stress that these rules will apply to all successors. (You might even choose to add the possessive, as these are his duties.)

3. Sorry, no tips. I don't think the adjectival function would necessarily exempt it from the hyphen, as long as both words are modifying a noun which follows. Otherwise, you'd say, "The task is long finished." (It still modifies the same noun, but I shouldn't think the hyphen would fit.)

Best not take my word on this, as there are probably ESL rules.

- A.

Re: when to hyphenate adjectives and when not

Grammar Geek — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:08:34 GMT

Anonymous
a combination of higher-ed administrations

This is not a comparative: it's short for "higher education"

When you have two words that modify a noun, you often (usually) hyphenate them. Higher-education administrators, full-time students, 30-foot pole.

When they do not modify a noun you usually do NOT hyphenate. He chose a career in higher education, she goes to school full time, the pole measured 30 feet. (Note that it changed to singular when it modified the noun, but that's a different story.). Use a dictionary to see which words take the hyphen all the time, even when not modifying a noun.

(Also, do not use a hyphen with adverbs that end in -ly, like "highly paid job.")

Re: "all-hyphenated" noun

Clive — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 05:25:14 GMT

Hi,

Thank you so much.

You asked/said:

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?

I believe I have used the same or a similar example in another post about adjectives.

He has this I'm-so good-and-I-deserve-it-all attitude.

Would you say the hyphenation is properly done? From what I have learned/saw, "be" verbs (possibly all verbs?? I don't know) and words like "so" are not hyphenated. Why is that? If you want to use a string of hyphens like this, I can' think of any reason why you couldn't include such words in the hyphenation.

However, as I tried to make clear before, my advice is not to use hypens like this. It will make your writing seem lazy and clumsy. Just put it all in quotes. Or, if you want to be more formal and precise, structure your meaning in another way. eg he has this attitude that he is so good and that he deserves it all.

Clive

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

Re: adjective

Grammar Geek — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:31:12 GMT

You've chosen words/phrases that are hypenated all the time.

The "use the hypen before the noun but not after" rules works only if the two words wouldn't have a hyphen normally.

She is a full-time student. She is going to school full time.

"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."

adjective

Anonymous — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:26:25 GMT

Hi,
I was looking online for some help on adjectives and came upon a help (tip) source called "Grammatically Correct." In it, in the section called "Using Hyphens in Compound Adjectives (and Exceptions to the Rule) by John Davis, he seemed to have said something to the effect that when you use two or more words used before a noun and after a noun, the hyphenation rule differs and when you use before a noun, use a hyphen but after a noun, no hyphen.

It gave these three examples:

Examples (before a noun):
Brown-eyed girl
Fur-lined coat
Tone-deaf violinist

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

This explanation surprised me because my limited knowledge on this was that only in a limited cases like "a well-known person," do the "use-a-hyphen before and no-hyphen-after" rule apply. Does the rule stated above meant to apply in all cases??

Re: word classes

Clive — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:46:59 GMT

Hi,

When she was 16-years-old a 16-year-old is a noun. 16 years old (ie no hyphens) is an adjectival phrase
she ran away (preposition) from home and moved to London, then (adverb) New York to work as (adverb) a nurse. During (preposition) her time in New York, she kept in contact with (preposition) her sister. She said âI donât know what (pronoun) Iâll do about it, but I donât see why (noun) we should just (adverb) waitâ¦ And I always (adverb) had that picture in my mind, all adverb through this time.â

German (adjective?) inventor (noun) John Smith...

She travelled far, crossing (verb present participle) several army (noun used as an adjective?) checkpoints, until she was expelled from (preposition) the country.

Some of these words are not easy to classify.
Best wishes, Clive