Tagged Questions
2
votes
1answer
100 views
Is it preferable to generally use nested prepositional phrases or a hyphenated adjectival phrase?
I've recently run into some sticky situations involving how to write out complicated concept descriptions. Take this example:
Which metrics are appropriate for evaluating the accuracy of a ...
1
vote
1answer
127 views
How do I write 'first and second order' properly?
I am writing about first-order and second-order quantities. Should I put one hyphen, as in
"first and second-order",
or two, as in
"first- and second-order".
Or should I do something ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
Game-development-oriented or game development-oriented? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen?
“Hardware-counter-based tools” or “hardware-counter based tools”?
As the title states, which is the correct hyphenation ...
1
vote
3answers
114 views
1D vs. one-dimensional vs. 1-dimensional?
In much of the scientific literature, the words 1D, one-dimensional, 1-dimensional, and 1-D occur frequently. Which of these is the best practice? Are there general principles for deciding which is ...
22
votes
5answers
930 views
Is a lengthy combination of words with hyphens like “the worst not-technically-in-a-recession year in American history” a new fashion of writing?
I found a hyphenated word , “not-technically–in-a-recession” in the sentence of September 28 New York Times’ article titled “Why Obama Is Winning,” written by co-ed columnist, Ross Douthat. It reads:
...
0
votes
2answers
89 views
“Inward-pointing” or “inward pointing” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?
To hyphenate or not?
Which one is correct?
The normal vector we mean is the inward-pointing ...
4
votes
4answers
884 views
“Runtime”, “run time”, and “run-time”
The CLR under .NET is referred to as the "Common Language Runtime." It seems that the convention is "runtime" for a noun and "run-time" for the adjective. Is this correct or should it be "runtime" ...
1
vote
2answers
373 views
“adjective noun noun”: which noun does the adjective refer to (“electrical system operators”) [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How does the hyphen change the meaning in expressions like “high performance” and “high-performance”?
Is there a grammar rule behind the hyphen in the phrase 'one-act play'?
...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Use of comma separating two adjectives
If I had the phrase
two blond haired, blue eyed people
would the comma be out of place?
should I hyphenate "blond haired" and "blue eyed"?
0
votes
2answers
633 views
Hyphenation in compound adjectives [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
To hyphenate or not?
When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?
When is it appropriate to use a hyphen?
In the sentence "Portland is known to ...
2
votes
4answers
360 views
How to write dashes in “a 2-4-room-apartment”?
I want to write in the announcement a description of an eventual apartment, which I am searching as a rental. I am interested in apartments with 2, 3, or 4 rooms. How should I write the compound ...
5
votes
1answer
365 views
Hyphenating “steady state” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When is it appropriate to use a hyphen?
I am unsure if and when to hyphenate steady state (in a mathematical context), i.e.:
We now calculate the steady-state ...
10
votes
2answers
507 views
Is the use of a hyphen between “non” and an adjective strictly necessary?
Do I need to put a "-" between "non" and an adjective? As an example in physics we say "a non isolated photon", "non tight photon"... The context is very formal (paper publications and similar). Is ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
Hyphen or no hyphen when modifying an adjective with a quantity?
I have a sentence which has an object that is described with an adjective:
We need to inform our interested patrons of this change.
If I modify "educated" with "more" or "less", do I connect the ...
2
votes
2answers
604 views
“One-Day Only Promotion” or “One-Day-Only Promotion”
A copywriter I'm working with wrote "One-Day Only Promotion" but my feeling is that "One-Day-Only Promotion" is correct. The first three words describe 'Promotion'. I know you don't hyphenate adverbs, ...
5
votes
3answers
535 views
Is there a grammar rule behind the hyphen in the phrase 'one-act play'?
I noticed that the phrase 'one-act play' always uses a hyphen between 'one' and 'act'.
Is there a grammar rule in play here, how does it work?
5
votes
3answers
810 views
Is it correct to write “a 5-mm-thick layer”?
Do I need hyphens? Should I use the indefinite article or zero article?
3
votes
3answers
6k views
“on time” vs. “on-time”
I'm in the "on-time" camp when it comes to describing, for example, delivering something by the deadline. Is this the correct usage?
8
votes
2answers
257 views
Chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped?
Is it chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped? And with what kind of former words to use "-" properly?
14
votes
2answers
570 views
How to connect a word and a phrase with a hyphen?
For example, "file system" and "related". Is it "file system-related"? It will appear as if it is a compound of "file" and "system-related", won't it?
12
votes
4answers
4k views
Should I use “ related” or “-related”
What is the correct use of the term "related?" For example, should I use it like computer related, or is it more proper to use computer-related (where the word "computer" is just part of my ...
