5 Examples of Extraneous Hyphens

5 Examples of Extraneous Hyphens 5 Examples of Extraneous Hyphens 5 Examples of Extraneous Hyphens By Mark Nichol Hyphens are helpful little things that aid in reader comprehension. Although confusion is not at great risk in phrases like â€Å"sharp-dressed man† (though the omission of the hyphen suggests that the passage literally refers to a dressed man who is sharp) others, such as â€Å"small-business owner,† can at the very least conjure distracting imagery if they omit the hyphen. And such hyphenated word strings as â€Å"song-and-dance man† and â€Å"customer-relationship-management software† help keep the reader focused, though judiciously relaxing a phrase is often a welcome solution: The former phrase isn’t exhausting to read, but how about â€Å"software for customer-relationship management† in lieu of the latter? On the other hand, sins of commission regarding hyphenation are as endemic as those of omission. Here are examples of superfluous usage: 1. â€Å"Mergers and acquisitions ground to a near-halt in 2001.† â€Å"Near-halt† and its cousins â€Å"near-disaster† and â€Å"near-miss† are results of a misunderstanding: When near modifies another adjective, it should be hyphenated to its teammate (â€Å"near-fatal accident†), but a hyphen serves no use in linking near in isolation directly to a noun. 2. â€Å"The recently-launched firm survived by limiting itself to modestly-scaled projects.† Adverbs ending in -ly never are never hyphenated, though suffix-free adverbs are: â€Å"longer-lasting freshness.† 3. â€Å"The mostly flat paved trail is an inline-skater’s dream.† There was a time when compound nouns that are now open or closed, such as â€Å"income tax† or â€Å"taskmaster,† were likely to be hyphenated. That usage, however, is now considered archaic (with some puzzling exceptions such as mind-set and life-form). Safely assume that just about any such linkage you see is incorrect though, to be safe, I offer the inverse of a piece of all-purpose advice: Distrust, but verify. 4. â€Å"She realized that the police department was less-than-dedicated to assisting her.† Step back and ponder what benefit of comprehension accrues from creating the wagon train of â€Å"less-than-dedicated,† then excise the offending hyphens. 5. â€Å"The starting center is seven-feet tall.† The necessity of hyphenating physical dimensions in phrasal adjectives (â€Å"the seven-foot-tall center†) confuses many writers into believing that any phrasing having to do with size or weight or distance must be linked. â€Å"Seven-foot-tall center† is hyphenated so as not to suggest that the tall center has seven feet, but no such ambiguity attends â€Å"seven feet tall.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†What is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?Prepositions to Die With

Advanced English Grammar Review Quiz

Advanced English Grammar Review Quiz Intensive grammar review quizzes are a great way for English students to test their knowledge. This exam covers some of the  most important upper-intermediate level English tenses, structure, and functions. Use it in class or at home to improve your reading and comprehension or to study for an ESL, EFL, or TEFL test. Grammar Quiz Choose the correct word to fill in the blank. Answers can be found in the next section, along with explanations for each sentence. 1. If she _________ about his financial situation, she would have helped him out. had knownknewwould have known 2. Ill be _______________ their cat while they are away on holiday. looking intolooking atlooking after 3. He made his children _____ their homework every afternoon. to dodoingdo 4. The test was _____ difficult she had problems finishing it on time. suchsoas 5. By the time she arrives, we _________________ our homework. finishwill finishwill have finished 6. She _________ lunch by the time we arrived. finishedhad finishedwas finished 7. The sun ______ at 9 last night. satsettedset 8. When I stopped __________ to Mary, she was picking some flowers in her garden. speakingto speakspeak 9. Despite ___________ hard, he failed the exam. he studiedstudiedstudying 10. That room ____________ for a meeting this afternoon. is usedis being useduses 11. We _______ play tennis every day when we were young. usedwould towould 12. If I __________ you, I would get a better job. wasarewere 13. Hell give you a call as soon as he _______. arriveswill arriveis going to arrive 14. He  really didnt want to come last night. ______________ So did I.Neither I did.Neither did I. 15. Do you think he knows what ________? he wantsdoes he wantwants he 16. I think San Francisco is ______ exciting _____ New York. as ... thanas .... soas ... as 17. Why are your hands so dirty? Well, I ______________ in the garden. have workedhave been workingworked 18. Did you remember __________ the door? lockinglockto lock 19. ____________ 250 mph? Which model does goWhich does model goWhich model goes 20. That is the man ________ grandfather founded Kentucky Root Beer. whowhosethat 21. I could hardly ___________ the ship in the distance. see outmake throughmake out 22. Look at those clouds! It ___________ rain. s going towillshall 23. _________________, we wont have much to talk about. If not he comesUnless he comesSince he comes 24. He has _____ interest in continuing the project. anynot anyno 25. Where do you think Jane was yesterday? She __________ at home. must bemust have beenmust go 26. Jack told me he ___________ come the next day. is going towillwas going to 27. He drove the car __________ the garage and left for work. out ofoutinto 28. Jack ______________ a fortune when his great uncle passed on. came alongcame intocame through 29. Unfortunately, Peter has ______ friends in Tacoma. a fewa lotfew 30. I will finish that project soon. Ken said he ________ finish that project soon. werewouldwill 31. In his position _____ managing director, he is responsible for more than 300 employees. likeasso 32. She wished she __________ the new car. boughtwould buyhad bought 33. Fiestas ____________ in Cologne, Germany for many years now. have been madehave been makinghave made 34. I think you ___________ see a doctor. should better tooughthad better 35. Youll be leaving for Tokyo soon, _______? arent youwill youwont you 36. ______ the last market session the Dow Jones dropped 67 points. DuringWhileFor Answers and Explanations If she  had known  about his financial situation, she would have helped him out. Use the past perfect (had past participle) in the if clause of the third conditional to talk about unreal past situations.Ill  be looking after  their cat while they are away on holiday. The phrasal verb to look after means to take care of.He made his children  do  their homework every afternoon. The verbs make and let combine with an object plus the base form (without to) of the verb. Other verbs use the infinitive form of the verb (with to).The test was  so  difficult she had problems finishing it on time. Use so with an adjective and such with a  noun phrase.  By the time she arrives, we  will have finished  our homework. With the time clause by the time... use the future perfect to describe something that will have happened up to that point in time.She  had finished  lunch by the time we arrived. Use the past perfect (had participle) to express an action finished before another action in the past. The sun  set  at 9 last night. The verb to set is irregular.When I stopped  to speak  to Mary, she was picking some flowers in her garden. When using the verb to stop, use the infinitive form to express an action that you stopped in order to do. Use the gerund to express an action that you have stopped doing (and doesnt continue).Despite  studying  hard, he failed the exam. Use the gerund or having   past participle following despite. Use a verb clause when  following  although.That room  is being used  for a meeting today. Is being used is the present continuous form of the  passive voice  that is required by this sentence.We  would play  tennis every day when we were young. Would do something and used to do something both express a habitual action in the past. Used to do something also expresses the idea that you do not do that action anymore.If I  were  you, I would wait a while to begin investing. Use were in the second conditional if clause for all subjects.Hell give you a call as soon as he  arrives. In a future time clause use the present simple. The construction is the same as for the first conditional. He really didnt want to come last night.  Neither did I. Use neither followed by the opposite form of the helping verb to  state negative agreement.Do you think  he knows what he wants?  Be careful to change questions to standard sentence structure when asking an  indirect question.I think San Francisco is as  exciting as  New York.  Use as ... as to show equality.Why are your hands so dirty? Well, I have been working  in the garden.  Use the present perfect continuous to show what has caused a present result.Did you remember  to lock  the door? The verb stop can  change meaning when used with a gerund or infinitive.Which model goes  250 mph?  Subject questions  take standard positive sentence structure but begin with who, whom or which.That is the man  whose  grandfather founded Kentucky Root Beer. Whose is the  possessive relative pronoun  required in this sentence.I could hardly make out  the ship in the distance.  Make out  is a phras al verb meaning to see in the distance.Look at those clouds! Its going to rain.  Its is a contraction of it is, the present tense. Use the future continuous when making a prediction based on the evidence at hand. Unless he comes, we wont have much to talk about.  Unless he comes is a conditional clause.He has no interest in continuing the project. Use no when preceding a noun that lacks an article.Where do you think Jane was yesterday? She must have been at home. Use might have participle for a past modal verb of probability. The other forms include could have participle - possibility, must have participle - almost certain, cant have participle - almost certain in a negative way.Jack told me he  was  going to  come the next day.  Use the past progressive tense to refer to events that occurred in the past.He drove the car  out of  the garage and left for work. Use the prepositions out of when exiting a building.Jack  came into  a fortune when his great uncle Jack passed on. The phrasal verb to come into means to inherit.Unfortunately, Peter  has  few  friends in Tacoma. Use few to express a small amount that is considered negative in a disappointing sense.I will fin ish that project soon. Ken said he  would  finish that project soon.Will becomes would in reported speech. In his position  as  managing director, he is responsible for more than 300 employees. Use as to indicate function, use like to indicate similarity.She wished she  had bought  a new car. The use of the verb wish in the past is followed by the past perfect similar to the third conditional.Fiestas  have been made  in Cologne, Germany for many years now. Have been made is the correct present perfect passive form required in this case.I think you  had better  see a doctor. Had better, ought to, and should are all ways of giving advice.Youll be leaving for Tokyo soon,  wont you? Use the opposite of the auxiliary for a question tag.During  the last market session, the Dow Jones dropped 67 points. Use during with a noun, while with a verb clause.