That code is called punctuation, and one important symbol is the humble hyphen.
Hyphens may be small, but they're mighty. Their absence or presence and use convey a surprising amount of information.
You already know this, but let's do a quick review. Hyphens merge separate things so they function as a unit. For example, we use hyphens to:
Join a prefix to another word (self-serve, mid-July, etc.)Hyphens are also used to divide one word, at the end of a line of text. For example:
Connect two names (Bradley Smythe-Jones, Sheri-Ann)
Deal with compound numbers (forty-one)
Communicate fractions (two-thirds) in text
Link compound adjectives BEFORE a noun, so they read as one (This is state-of-the-art technology)
Your report contains many complicated ideas, but you've ex-Eliminating hyphens from compound modifiers, even when they precede the noun, is a common trend. This is A Bad Idea. Why? Skipping the hyphen is like omitting a crucial symbol from a string of code. Things just won’t work quite right.
pressed them with great clarity.
Here's why. Your brain recognizes a hyphen and instantly knows "those words are intended to express a unified thought." Without the hyphen alert, you must pause to decipher what the writer intended. A missing hyphen can lead to some funny interpretations:
Without: He is a small time crook.When in doubt, choose clarity over fashion. Here are a few handy hyphen hints:
With: He is a small-time crook.
Do use hyphens to
Join words that work together AND precede a noun (see above)
Form “ex” words (ex-patriot, ex-pilot)
Form “self” words (self-guided, self-directed)
Do not use hyphens toToday, “co” words are usually written without the hyphen: cooperate, copilot, coordinate. The same is true for many “re” words: refocus, redesign, reengineer. Ditto for “wide” words: areawide, citywide, districtwide.
Join "ly" modifiers (He is a highly qualified candidate)
Connect compound modifiers after the noun (This technology is state of the art)
Last but not least, there’s another little thing hyphens do. They tell us when a new idea, captured by hyphenated words, has evolved into a distinct, recognizable concept in its own right.
For example, e-mail combined "electronic" and "mail" into a new entity, email. The evolution looks like this:
1. electronic mailUp through the 1940s, for example, the word “tonight” was often written as “to-night.” The digital age has given us countless examples that demonstrate how words express evolving concepts. Many people still use "on-line," but in my world it's been one word (online) for a long time.
2. electronic-mail
3. e-mail
4. email
English is remarkable, robust and resilient. Hyphens are small and humble elements in that picture, but they’re powerful tools. Use them wisely and well.
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Related
It’s Official, Email has No Hyphen
Before & After | Blogging Through Time
The Great Comma Controversy
Pesky Periods & Parentheses
Writing | Respect the Semicolon
