Notes

Outline

Putting Hyphens into Unit Modifiers

Unit Modifiers Before doing these exercises, review the rules on using hyphens with unit modifiers (also called “compound adjectives”) in the University of Minnesota’s style manual.

Unit Modifiers 1.  Your memo was first rate.

Unit Modifiers 1.  Your memo was first rate.

Unit Modifiers 2.  Your first rate memo helped persuade the board to support our proposal.

Unit Modifiers 2.  Your first-rate memo helped persuade the board to support our proposal.

Unit Modifiers 3.  Before Susan can submit her second year end report, she must finish editing her first year end report.

Unit Modifiers 3.  Before Susan can submit her second year-end report, she must finish editing her first year end report.

Unit Modifiers 3.  Before Susan can submit her second year-end report, she must finish editing her first year-end report.

Unit Modifiers 4.  Carol Bly is a well known Minnesota author.

Unit Modifiers 4.  Carol Bly is a well-known Minnesota author.

Unit Modifiers 5.  Tom Clancy is a very well known author who tried to buy the Minnesota Vikings.

Unit Modifiers 5.  Tom Clancy is a very well known author who tried to buy the Minnesota Vikings.

Unit Modifiers 6.  Our CEO asked us to form a five  or six member committee to resolve the problems caused by the worker devised and  executed plan.

Unit Modifiers 6.  Our CEO asked us to form a five- or six member committee to resolve the problems caused by the worker devised and  executed plan.

Unit Modifiers 6.  Our CEO asked us to form a five- or six-member committee to resolve the problems caused by the worker devised and  executed plan.

Unit Modifiers 6.  Our CEO asked us to form a five- or six-member committee to resolve the problems caused by the worker-devised and  executed plan.

Unit Modifiers 6.  Our CEO asked us to form a five- or six-member committee to resolve the problems caused by the worker-devised and -executed plan.

Unit Modifiers 7.  Despite long term trends toward greater equity, women continue to work as lower paid managers than men.

Unit Modifiers 7.  Despite long-term trends toward greater equity, women continue to work as lower paid managers than men.

Unit Modifiers 7.  Despite long-term trends toward greater equity, women continue to work as lower paid managers than men.

Unit Modifiers 8.  The mysterious symptoms of  four high school students confounded the team of well known health care professionals.

Unit Modifiers 8.  The mysterious symptoms of  four high school students confounded the team of well known health care professionals.

Unit Modifiers 8.  The mysterious symptoms of  four high school students confounded the team of well-known health care professionals.

Unit Modifiers 8.  The mysterious symptoms of  four high school students confounded the team of well-known healthcare professionals.

Unit Modifiers 9.  The better known health care professionals, however, correctly diagnosed the illness.

Unit Modifiers 9.  The better known health care professionals, however, correctly diagnosed the illness.

Unit Modifiers 9.  The better known healthcare professionals, however, correctly diagnosed the illness.

Unit Modifiers 10.  The greatly extended deadlines improved the short term morale of the workers.

Unit Modifiers 10.  The greatly extended deadlines improved the short term morale of the workers.

Unit Modifiers 10.  The greatly extended deadlines improved the short-term morale of the workers.

Unit Modifiers Two examples of why hyphens are not just for English majors.

Example No. 1 A cross-section of the public objected to every initiative.

Example No. 1 A cross section of the public objected to every initiative.

Smile

Example No. 2 The pickled-herring merchant joked with his customers.

Example No. 2 The pickled herring merchant joked with his customers.