I came across an error while reading a published novel the other day, and (after I quit chuckling) I decided it was time to do a grammar post on hyphens.
I had avoided this topic in the past because it is so complex. So, instead of trying to teach you every rule, I'm going to touch on a few, and then give you links to resources that will tackle the rest.
I'm sure you've heard the joke: Commas save lives (Let's eat, Grandma. vs Let's eat Grandma.). Silly as it is, it impresses upon us how much a simple mark of punctuation can drastically alter the meaning of a sentence. The same goes for hyphens.
The error that had me chuckling was this:
"[You're] smart, pretty, funny, sweet, and the hardest working girl I've ever met[.]"
Oh really? 0_o
The line was meant as a compliment, but without a hyphen, it's an insult.
As you've probably deduced, without the hyphen, hard modifies working girl. With the hyphen, hard-working modifies girl.
Though there are exceptions (such as when the first word ends in -ly), the general rule of thumb is: hyphenate two adjectives when they come before the noun they modify and act as a single idea.
Now, if we write That girl is very hard working, we don't need a hyphen, because the adjectives come after the noun they modify.
Compound nouns often use hyphens, too. To determine whether a compound noun is written as one word, two words, or is hyphenated, consult a dictionary. They aren't always written as you think. The examples given by GrammarBook.com are eyewitness, eye shadow, and eye-opener.
The form compound words take can also depend on their function in the sentence. Ex: Break+down is written as one word when used as a noun, but it is written as two words when used as a verb.
Engines break down; they will eventually suffer a breakdown.
For other hyphen uses, see C.S. Lakin's post, in which she gives a link to the Chicago Manual of Style's hyphen rules chart (a downloadable PDF).
I had avoided this topic in the past because it is so complex. So, instead of trying to teach you every rule, I'm going to touch on a few, and then give you links to resources that will tackle the rest.
I'm sure you've heard the joke: Commas save lives (Let's eat, Grandma. vs Let's eat Grandma.). Silly as it is, it impresses upon us how much a simple mark of punctuation can drastically alter the meaning of a sentence. The same goes for hyphens.
The error that had me chuckling was this:
"[You're] smart, pretty, funny, sweet, and the hardest working girl I've ever met[.]"
Oh really? 0_o
The line was meant as a compliment, but without a hyphen, it's an insult.
As you've probably deduced, without the hyphen, hard modifies working girl. With the hyphen, hard-working modifies girl.
Though there are exceptions (such as when the first word ends in -ly), the general rule of thumb is: hyphenate two adjectives when they come before the noun they modify and act as a single idea.
Now, if we write That girl is very hard working, we don't need a hyphen, because the adjectives come after the noun they modify.
Compound nouns often use hyphens, too. To determine whether a compound noun is written as one word, two words, or is hyphenated, consult a dictionary. They aren't always written as you think. The examples given by GrammarBook.com are eyewitness, eye shadow, and eye-opener.
The form compound words take can also depend on their function in the sentence. Ex: Break+down is written as one word when used as a noun, but it is written as two words when used as a verb.
Engines break down; they will eventually suffer a breakdown.
For other hyphen uses, see C.S. Lakin's post, in which she gives a link to the Chicago Manual of Style's hyphen rules chart (a downloadable PDF).
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That's all for today.
Thanks for visiting. :)
Good point. I probably would've missed that.
ReplyDeleteI'm still honing my hyphen skills, too.
DeleteI was thinking about this and realized that, when hearing someone say it, the listener would assume the hyphen from context. But in the written version, the mistake becomes obvious.
I probably would have missed it too but it's a funny mistake. Yikes! :D
ReplyDeleteThat's why I shy away from hyphens....to avoid such disasters :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tip!
You're so helpful. :) I never would have caught that one.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips on remember a few ways to use hyphens. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHah! Nice catch. :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha ha ha....
ReplyDeleteAnother classic and the pictures were perfect :)
ReplyDeletePS... hope you had a great time with your Dad :)
Yeah, you got to be careful with hyphenated words! I've caught more than one glaring mistake in my own work. Nothing like hard working girl vs. hard-working girl, though.
ReplyDeleteLOL. That made me laugh. But so true that it's a great idea to keep an eye on that sort of thing!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Definitely important to get this one right... ;-)
ReplyDeletewhat an awesome reminder! my wonderful editor showed me how many thousand places i needed hyphens and commas!
ReplyDeletewill think of this example every time i wonder if i need one!
Hyphens confuse the heck out of me, but things just got a little clearer thanks to your post! I will definitely remember your catchy examples. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the hyphen rules link!
:) All I have to say is ba ha :) Awesome post!
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(From Sarah, with Joy)
I didn't know hard working girl would mean that. I'll be more careful with those. :)
ReplyDeleteHard or hardest is actually an adverb here though... i.e. HOW she was working... just to be super pedantic
ReplyDelete