hyphens

Question 1

Which of these require a hyphen? Why?

a. a half hour
b. a half hour session

Answer 1

b. a half-hour session

In the first case half hour is a noun; in the second it’s an adjective. The adjective requires a hyphen.

Question 2

Why is one hyphenated and the other is not?

an over-the-counter drug
it is sold over the counter

Answer 2

the first is located before a noun= hyphen
the second is located after a noun= open

This is an adjectival phrase (over the counter)

Question 3

What would it look like if someone spelled a word in a transcript?

Answer 3

It would have hyphens between each letter.
It would be all caps or lowercase.
If the first letter would be capitalized normally, it’s capitalized for the spelling as well.

or M-A-R-Y

Example: M-a-r-y.

Thoms, T-h-o-m, as in Mary, -a-s.

Question 4

Add the hyphens

It’s a yes or no question.

Answer 4

It’s a yes-or-no question.

Hyphenate a compound adjective before a noun. (If two or more adjectives are being used to describe one word, they should be hyphenated.)

Question 5

What is a predicate?

Answer 5

A predicate is the grammatical term for the words in a sentence or clause that describe the action but not the subject.
In other words, the predicate explains what the subject does.

a predicate includes all the words in a sentence or clause except the subject (and words that modify the subject).

Question 6

What is a predicate adjective?

Answer 6

when the words following a linking verb are adjectives or adjective phrases that modify the subject.

Dave was happy with the first date.