Hyphen question
- Thread starter Spookster
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Yes, because it's modifying the word "trip." Any time you have more than one word modifying a noun, the words should be hyphenated.
high-school student
real-estate market
high-powered tool
drug-induced trip
The only exception is if the first word is an adverb; in that case, there wouldn't be a hyphen. (Example: "readily available work.")
high-school student
real-estate market
high-powered tool
drug-induced trip
The only exception is if the first word is an adverb; in that case, there wouldn't be a hyphen. (Example: "readily available work.")
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Drug-induced in this usage is a temporary compound adjective, formed by two (or more) words used together to describe or modify the noun trip. They become a compound when the two words together assume a different meaning than their separate meanings. (It's not a drug trip and an induced trip.)
Writers who form temporary compound adjectives should generally hyphenate them when they appear before the noun. If the compound adjective appears after the noun, hyphenate only if it’s needed for clarity.
Examples of compound adjectives (all hyphenated because they are both temporary and come before the noun): hard-nosed boss, ill-fated voyage, mass-produced shoes, wacked-out psycho, thrown-together salad, up-to-the-minute news.
To test whether you've created a compound adjective or just put two descriptive words together, see if you can remove either word without making nonsense or changing the meaning of the remaining word.
A tall frosty glass of beer still makes sense if either tall or frosty is removed, while blue-ribbon pie requires both blue and ribbon and should therefore be hyphenated before the word pie.
Maryn, know-it-all (<--compound noun)
Writers who form temporary compound adjectives should generally hyphenate them when they appear before the noun. If the compound adjective appears after the noun, hyphenate only if it’s needed for clarity.
Examples of compound adjectives (all hyphenated because they are both temporary and come before the noun): hard-nosed boss, ill-fated voyage, mass-produced shoes, wacked-out psycho, thrown-together salad, up-to-the-minute news.
To test whether you've created a compound adjective or just put two descriptive words together, see if you can remove either word without making nonsense or changing the meaning of the remaining word.
A tall frosty glass of beer still makes sense if either tall or frosty is removed, while blue-ribbon pie requires both blue and ribbon and should therefore be hyphenated before the word pie.
Maryn, know-it-all (<--compound noun)
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Yes, "-ly" adverbs are exceptions, but there are other exceptions, and British and American conventions differ. Publishers hyphenate to different degrees. Individual ones may or may not hyphenate "high school student." For consistency, consult a style book appropriate to your genre.AltoRose said:
Uh-huh, but this here's the hyphen thread, see. Ya want the comma thread, go down the hall, turn left. Knock twice and ask for Vinny.Sage said:
Agreed with the general concensus. The "high school student" reference is an example of what I always understood as an exception for word combinations that were commonly known/used. Since we all read "high school" as a noun, and we read it without confusion, there's no need for a hyphen. The point of the hyphen is clarity, and if the meaning is obvious, then it is not necessary.
I hope that made sense. I'm tired.
I hope that made sense. I'm tired.
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