| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
|
Page 255
|
| |
| rare-book store, real-life experiences. If there is no possibility of confusion, or if the hyphen would look clumsy, omit the hyphen: bubonic plague outbreak, chemical engineering degree, temp agency employee. | 1 |
| When a noun that is an open compound is preceded by an adjective, the compound is often hyphenated to avoid confusion: wine cellar, damp wine-cellar; broom closet, tiny broom-closet; house cat, old house-cat. | 2 |
| Compound adjectives formed with high- or low- are generally hyphenated: high-quality programming, low-budget films. | 3 |
| Compound adjectives formed with an adverb plus an adjective or a participle are often hyphenated when they occur before the noun they modify: a well-known actor, an ill-advised move, best-loved poems, a much-improved situation, the so-called cure. However, when these compounds occur after the noun, or when they are modified, the hyphen is usually omitted: the actor is well known; an extremely well known actor. | 4 |
| If the adverb ends in -ly in an adverb-adjective compound, the hyphen is omitted: a finely tuned mechanism, a carefully worked canvas. | 5 |
| Compound adjectives formed with an adverb or a noun and a past participle are always hyphenated when they precede the noun they modify: well-kept secret, above-mentioned reason, helium-filled balloons, snow-capped mountains. Many compounds of this type have become permanent and are therefore hyphenated whether they precede or follow the noun they modify: a well-worn shirt, his shirt was well-worn; the tongue-tied winner, she remained tongue-tied. | 6 |
| Also hyphenate compound adjectives formed with an adjective and a noun to which -d or -ed has been added: yellow-eyed cat, fine-grained wood, many-tiered cake, stout-limbed toddler. Many of these compounds have become permanent hyphenated or solid compounds: middle-aged, old-fashioned, lightheaded, kindhearted. | 7 |
| Compound adjectives formed with a noun, adjective, or adverb and a present participle are hyphenated when the compound precedes the noun it modifies: a bone-chilling tale, two good-looking sons, long-lasting friendship. Many of these compounds have become permanent solid compounds: earsplitting, farseeing. Many other compounds have become permanent and are hyphenated whether they precede or follow the noun they modify: far-reaching consequences; the consequences are far-reaching. | 8 |
| Compound nouns formed with a noun and a gerund are generally open: crime solving, house hunting, trout fishing. Many of these compounds, however, have become permanent solid compounds: faultfinding, housekeeping. | 9 |
|
|
| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
