Hyphenation question

CathleenT · Jan 9, 2019

So, Grammarly didn't have any problem with this passage, except that they said it "showed significant plagiarism," which I find amusing, since I wrote it. Anyway, it's from my bio, so I'd really rather not have any punctuation blarts in it. Here's the passage:

"With her husband, Cathleen lives in California’s beautiful gold country, which is fortunate because that encourages her to leave her keyboard and take her dogs for walks. In her mind, the oak and pine-studded hills are also home to dwarves and dragons, but they persist in lurking unseen."

The phrase in blue: the oak and pine-studded hills, I'm pretty sure I've seen formatted like this before: the oak- and pine-studded hills. Are both of these correct? If so, I'll use the version I've got now because it's less awkward. But if only the second is correct, obviously I'd prefer to use that.

Thanks in advance to anyone who chimes in.

ETA: Another nitpick question: Would it be better to change "...Cathleen lives in California’s beautiful gold country, which is fortunate because that encourages her..." to "...Cathleen lives in California’s beautiful gold country, which is fortunate because it encourages her..."

Thanks again. :greenie

GregFH · Jan 9, 2019

http://editingandwritingservices.com/suspended-hyphens/

Ari Meermans · Jan 9, 2019

They're both correct as long as there is no ambiguity—see Grammar Girl. Her page also shows some of the funnier things that can happen when the hyphen is missing. Upshot: Your sentence is fine without the dangling or suspended hyphen.

Additional question: Whether it's fortunate or unfortunate depends on the context and what you mean to convey.

Chase · Jan 9, 2019

CathleenT said:
In her mind, the oak and pine-studded hills are also home to dwarves and dragons, but they persist in lurking unseen.

As Greg's URL offers, if you don't like the very correct "oak- and pine-studded hills," (you're always going to find those who might find the unfamiliar to be awkward :greenie

) then you could rewrite it to:

In her mind, the hills amply studded with pine and oak are also home to dwarves and dragons, but they persist in lurking unseen.

I like the line either way. :flag:

CathleenT · Jan 9, 2019

Thanks, everyone. I think I'll use the suspended hyphen (now that I know what to call it) version.

BethS · Jan 10, 2019

CathleenT said:
So, Grammarly didn't have any problem with this passage, except that they said it "showed significant plagiarism," which I find amusing, since I wrote it. Anyway, it's from my bio, so I'd really rather not have any punctuation blarts in it. Here's the passage:

"With her husband, Cathleen lives in California’s beautiful gold country, which is fortunate because that encourages her to leave her keyboard and take her dogs for walks. In her mind, the oak and pine-studded hills are also home to dwarves and dragons, but they persist in lurking unseen."

The phrase in blue: the oak and pine-studded hills, I'm pretty sure I've seen formatted like this before: the oak- and pine-studded hills. Are both of these correct? If so, I'll use the version I've got now because it's less awkward. But if only the second is correct, obviously I'd prefer to use that.

Thanks in advance to anyone who chimes in.

ETA: Another nitpick question: Would it be better to change "...Cathleen lives in California’s beautiful gold country, which is fortunate because that encourages her..." to "...Cathleen lives in California’s beautiful gold country, which is fortunate because it encourages her..."

Thanks again.

According to what I was taught, it should oak-and-pine-studded hills. The phrase from "oak" to "studded" functions as a single adjective modifying "hills."

Re the other question, the second version sounds better to me.

Hyphenation question

CathleenT

I write

GregFH

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

CathleenT

I write

BethS