More Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives

More Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives More Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives More Hyphenation of Phrasal Adjectives By Mark Nichol Three types of phrasal adjectives are treated according to the same basic rules, as shown in the following (erroneous) examples, which are discussed and revised below each sentence. First, a definition: A phrasal adjective is a phrase consisting of two or more words that, when combined, constitute a single expression of modification of a noun. Phrasal adjectives are usually hyphenated when they precede a noun but left open when they follow one. 1. Embracing change is the only viable alternative to becoming a victim of the never ending cycle and escalating speed of innovation. The words never and ending team up to serve as a synonym for endless. Because they precede cycle, they are hyphenated to communicate their interrelationship as modifying elements: â€Å"Embracing change is the only viable alternative to becoming a victim of the never-ending cycle and escalating speed of innovation.† 2. The researchers highlighted the follow the herd mentality the students exhibited. A phrasal adjective can also consist of more than two words, as in this verb-article-noun idiom, which modifies mentality: â€Å"The researchers highlighted the follow-the-herd mentality the students exhibited.† 3. For New York Stock Exchange-listed organizations, the audit committee charter must include the committee’s duties and responsibilities. When a proper noun consisting of more than one word is linked with another word to form a phrasal adjective, an en dash is employed as a â€Å"superhyphen† to indicate that despite the number of words in the phrasal adjective, it consists of only two elements- the proper noun and the adjective listed: â€Å"For New York Stock Exchange–listed organizations, the audit committee charter must include the committee’s duties and responsibilities.† The original treatment mistakenly implies that the phrasal adjective is Exchange-listed, and that the three preceding words are unrelated, and the alternative â€Å"For New-York-Stock-Exchange-listed† is unwieldy and suggests that the elements of the proper noun are discrete. However, a better solution is to relax the sentence as shown here: â€Å"For organizations listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the audit committee charter must include the committee’s duties and responsibilities.† 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 Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowDoes "Mr" Take a Period?The Difference Between "Shade" and "Shadow"