Hyphens
Only hyphenate two adjectives that combine to describe a following noun (not a previous one.) Example: He bought a six-foot ladder.
Also use a hyphen when two or more separated words or word elements modify the same noun: Did he buy a six- or eight-foot ladder? pre- and post-testing.
Other uses for hyphens include to avoid doubling a vowel or tripling a consonant (bell-like), after prefixes ex- and self-, and to clarify pairs of words beginning with re- when one of them has a special meaning (resign and re-sign.)
And, of course, use a hyphen at the end of a line to indicate a division of word syllables. Oh, and for special words like anyone-in-law or the aforementioned thumb rule.
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1 Comments:
Excellent tip. Sometimes I have to think twice about this.
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