5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words

5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words 5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words 5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words By Mark Nichol The complexity of rules about those little dashes that separate many words for various reasons causes so much misunderstanding that many writers just leave them out of the recipe or spill them randomly into the mixing bowl. But your compositional cuisine need not be so undisciplined. The rules may seem complicated at first, but soon you’ll be able to put hyphens in their place. 1. Adjectives Hyphenate two adjectives united to modify a noun: â€Å"a well-trained writer.† But do so only before the noun: â€Å"a writer who is well trained.† Keep in mind, though, a convention that has arisen in which permanent open compounds, words that have been bonded together to form perpetual concepts, like â€Å"income tax† or â€Å"ice cream,† don’t take a hyphen even in phrases like â€Å"income tax records† and â€Å"ice cream cone.† How do you know which compounds have bonded and which remain free agents? If an open compound is listed in the dictionary, it’s permanent. 2. Adverbs But notice that these rules apply to adjectives but not to a similar-looking class of words; adverbs ending in â€Å"-ly† aren’t hyphenated to the verbs they modify: â€Å"a brightly colored shirt,† â€Å"a quickly memorized poem.† But most other adverbs are (â€Å"little-known fact,† â€Å"best-kept secret†); compounds with â€Å"least,† â€Å"less,† â€Å"most,† and â€Å"more† are exceptions. 3. Nouns Nouns are usually compounded, too, of course (â€Å"footstep,† â€Å"mountaintop†) but some, like â€Å"life-form† and â€Å"mind-set,† resist the closure that most of their like have accepted. Compounds that can be used as verbs and nouns alike differ in that the former are often hyphenated (â€Å"I had to jump-start his car†) and the latter aren’t (â€Å"He asked me for a jump start†). Another example is â€Å"fast track†: â€Å"We fast-tracked the project,† but â€Å"It’s on the fast track.†) 4. Multiword Coumpounds Multiword compounds like â€Å"right-of-way,† â€Å"back-to-back,† and â€Å"up-to-date† always include hyphens. Beware, though: â€Å"Head to toe,† although a common expression, does not appear in the dictionary with or without hyphens, so omit them (unless the phrase modifies a noun: â€Å"a head-to-toe inspection†). Familiar word strings that modify nouns are usually hyphenated before and after: â€Å"next-to-last person in line,† â€Å"the reply was matter-of-fact.† 5. Confusing Words Some words in which you wouldn’t expect a hyphen to persist remain to avoid confusion with a similar word with a different meaning (â€Å"re-cover,† as opposed to â€Å"recover†; â€Å"re-creation† instead of â€Å"recreation†). Had enough? We haven’t even covered every hyphen rule yet, but I’ll save some for later. The bottom line about this floating line, though, is: â€Å"When in doubt, look it up.† 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:12 Greek Words You Should Know75 Synonyms for â€Å"Talk†10 Tips About How to Write a Caption

Funny Quotes for Graduation Speeches

Funny Quotes for Graduation Speeches If youve been asked to speak at a high school or college graduation or celebration, you may be searching for the perfect icebreaker. But how do you get a group of serious-minded students and their parents to crack a smile? Fortunately, plenty of famous (and not-so-famous) writers and orators have been in the same situation before you, and have come up with some clever, witty quotes to borrow. Funny Quotes About Education and Learning High schools and colleges take academics very seriously, but there is a funny side to learning! UnknownOne thing about the school of experience is that it will repeat the lesson if you flunk the first time. George ForemanI think sleeping was my problem in school. If  school  had started at 4:00 in the afternoon, Id be a  college graduate  today. Oscar WildeEducation  is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught. Theodore  Roosevelt  A  man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car. But if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. Funny Quotes About Graduation Graduation is a formal event with lots of pomp and circumstance. Seen through the right lens, though, it is pretty funny! Robert OrbenA graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that individuality is the key to success. Gary BoldingYour families are extremely proud of you. You cant imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time to ask for money. Doug LarsonThe trouble with learning from experience is that you never graduate. James DarcyIt was only when I finished the course and left my graduation diploma on the bus that I realized Id become an actor. Garry TrudeauCommencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated. Robert GoheenIf you feel that you have both feet planted on level ground, then the university has failed you. UnknownThe tassel’s worth the hassle! Erma Bombeck  Graduation day is tough for adults. They go to the ceremony as parents. They come home as contemporaries. After twenty-two years of child-raising, they are unemployed.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jon StewartThe unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective. Bill Watterson  So, what’s it like in the real world? Well, the food is better, but beyond that, I don’t recommend it. Funny Quotes About Succeeding in Life Most commencement speakers have something to say about success in life and the road ahead. Here are some quotes to add a little humor to your sage advice. ProverbYou cannot get to the top by sitting on your bottom. Ed HelmsSo long as your desire to explore is greater than your desire to not screw up, youre on the right track. Frank A. Clark  If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesnt lead anywhere. UnknownAll that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is the ladder.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ellen DeGeneres  Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone elses path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that.