Prepared and Compiled By:

Ragia Magdeldin Youssef

A compound word is made of two or

more words that together express a
single idea.
a. An open compound means that the
words of the compound are written
separately, (New Years Eve, credit card,
sea salt).
b. A hyphenated compound separates
the words by hyphen(s) (brother-in-law,
high-maintenance, force-feed).

c. A solid compound is formed when the two

words are written as one word (typewriter,
breakfront, oatmeal). Solid compounds
generally begin as two separate words, then
start to be used as hyphenated words, and
finally become solid compounds (one word).
Compound words may be permanent or
temporary. A permanent compound has been
used so often and so widely that it is now in
common usage and can be found in the
dictionary. A temporary compound is one that
joins words by hyphen(s) as needed, we can
create our own temporary compounds. They
say what WE want to convey to the reader.

Hyphens
A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to
join the separate parts of a compound
word.
Examples:
well-oiled (as in "well-oiled machine")
6-foot (as in "6-foot shark")
cooking-oil
ex-President

Why do we even bother with a hyphen?

To avoid confusion. When we join an
adjective to a noun to create a compound
adjective, without a hyphen the reader
isnt sure what is describing (modifying)
what. A tall tree stump indicates that
the stump is from a tall tree, but if you
are writing about the tall stump of a tree,
a tall-tree stump tells people that the
stump was tall. The hyphen makes that
clear.

A compound adjective is a single adjective comprising

more than one word. The words in a compound adjective are
usually grouped together using hyphens.
Examples:
* a never-ending story
* an all-bearing circuit device
* a spine-chilling experience
* a brain-hammering advertisement

- This is a well-run business.

- Our professor is a well-read man.
*
*
*
*

a many-sided polygon
a single-handed sailor
an absent-minded person
a tight-fisted father

Nancy owns a three-bedroom apartment.

Robert drives a four-door car.
Kylie's a long-haired woman.
Robert married a fair-skinned lady.

One way to decide if a hyphen is necessary

is to see if the phrase might be ambiguous
without it. For example, "large-print paper"
might be unclear written as "large print
paper" because the reader might combine
"print" and "paper" as a single idea rather
than combining "large" and "print." Another
such example is "English-language learners."
Without the hyphen, a reader might think we
are talking about English people who are
learning any language rather than people
who are learners of the English language.

1. Compound Adjectives need to be formed when

you use two or more adjectives that need to be used
together to modify the noun. These compounds
should be hyphenated, or you can get a sentence
that doesnt say what you meant it to say.
Incorrect: The short legged dog ran for the door.
(You are saying that the dog is short and had legs!)
Correct: The short-legged dog ran for the door.
(Now you are saying that the dogs legs are short.)

Incorrect: Her red orange car was easy to see from

a distance. (Was the car red or orange?)
Correct: Her red-orange car was easy to see from a
distance. (Now you are saying that the car was a
color that was a combination or red mixed with
orange.)

Some compound adjectives formed with

1)an adverb or a noun plus a past
participle
a great-looking car.
2) a noun, adjective, or adverb with a
present participle are always hyphenated
when they come before the noun:
a well-liked President, the well-written
essay. red-cheeked child, ice-covered
streets, a great-looking car.

IF the compounds come after the noun,

they are not hyphenated. The President
was well liked. Her essay was well
written. The child was red cheeked. All
the streets are ice covered. That car is
great looking! Sometimes these
compounds become permanent, and are
hyphenated even after the noun,
sometimes they become permanent solid
compounds (merge into one word).
Thats why its important to use your
dictionary if you have any doubt at all.

Some compound adjectives use an

adjective and a noun to which -d or
-ed has been added: blue-eyed man,
curly-haired woman, multi-grained bread.

Some of these compounds become

permanent hyphenated or solid
compounds after years of use.

we must use hyphenation is to join a word

to a past participle to create a single
adjective preceding the noun it modifies:
"a well-intentioned plan," for example, or
"a horseshoe-shaped bar." Be aware,
however, that we do not hyphenate these
same phrases when they FOLLOW the
nouns they modify:
--This is a government-mandated program.
--The program is government mandated.
--She is a well-respected student.
--She is well respected as a teacher.

Another basic rule is that we never hyphenate

compounds that are created with "-ly" adverbs,
even when they PRECEDE the nouns they
modify: "a fully developed plan," for example, or
"a nationally certified teacher." Here are more
examples:
--We sent in heavily fortified troops.
--The troops were heavily fortified.
--All newly employed nurses must be evaluated
regularly.
--All the nurses on the eighth floor are newly
employed.
--A beautifully designed room can be both
relaxing and invigorating.
--The living room is beautifully designed.

TEST YOURSELF
Can you spot any errors in the use of
compounds in the following sentences?
1. The war in Iraq has been a closely-monitored
media event.
2. The Department of Transportation maintains
rights-of-way alongside all roadways.
3. Follow up activities have been scheduled for
June and July.
4. We must follow up on these changes.
5. Long term planning must be an essential
goal of this company.
6. The committee centers all of its
recommendations in performance based
standards.

ANSWERS
1. The war in Iraq has been a closely monitored
media event. [No hyphen with an "-ly" adverb, even
though here it helps form a compound adjective
preceding a noun.]
2. correct [Webster's hyphenates "right-of-way" and
the plural form "rights-of-way" in all circumstances-even when the phrase is functioning as a noun, as in
this sentence.]
3. Follow-up activities have been scheduled for June
and July.
4. correct
5. Long-term planning must be an essential goal of
this company.
6. The committee centers all of its recommendations
in performance-based standards.

Ragia Magdeldin Youssef