Jul 27, 2006 10:48
17 yrs ago
5 viewers *
English term

use of hyphen

English Other Linguistics general grammar
I have some doubts about using term "industry-based projects" - should the hyphen be used? The term describes projects assigned to students during their course where they work for a client in the industry relevant to their course.
So should it be "industry-based projects" or "industry based projects"? Any suggestions and advice is appreciated.
Responses
4 +22 yes
Change log

Jul 27, 2006 10:58: Elena Petelos changed "Field (specific)" from "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" to "Linguistics"

Responses

+22
6 mins
Selected

yes

The hyphen should be used. "Industry-based" the modifier (in l. adjective) for projects.


In most cases, use a hyphen between words or between abbreviations and words combined to form a unit modifier that precedes the word modified. This applies particularly to combinations in which one element is a present or past participle.

Minneapolis-St. Paul airport
thought-provoking argument
second-quarter sophomore
U.S.-flag ship
up-to-date information
(but information that is up to date)


Hyphenate compounds that include well- and ill- when they precede the noun. Do not hyphenate if the expression carries a modifier.

a well-known woman
(but a very well known woman)


Use a hyphen when confusion could exist between a modifier and the word it modifies.

a light (weight) green jacket/a light-green (color) jacket
a new book sale/a new-book sale


Use hyphens where two or more hyphenated compounds have a common basic element that is omitted in one or more of the terms.

three- or four-member committee
seaweed- and barnacle-covered ships (not seaweed and barnacle-covered ships)
a student-owned and -operated radio station


Do not use a hyphen in a two-word modifier if the first clement is a comparative or superlative.

upper division courses
better paid worker
best liked films
higher income bracket


Do not use a hyphen to form a temporary compound if the meaning is clear and readability is not aided by adding one. Refrain from forming hyphenated compounds when the words are used in normal sequence.

chemical dependency program
interior design certificate
health care institution
world affairs center


Do not hyphenate -ly phrases.

severely injured patients
unusually accurate predictions


Do not use a hyphen in a unit modifier containing a foreign phrase.

a priori knowledge
bona fide original


Do not use a hyphen in a unit modifier containing a letter or a numeral as its second clement.

grade A cultured buttermilk
section 2 beds of the prison

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NUMERICAL EXPRESSIONS

Use a hyphen between the elements of compound numbers from 21 to 99 (when they are spelled out).

Fifty-three percent of the students polled agreed.
March the first, nineteen hundred and seventy-nine


Use a hyphen in adjectival compounds with a numerical first element. Do not use a hyphen with numerical compounds used as nouns.

10-hour day
20th-century novel
The 31st precinct was the most liberal.


Use a hyphen with the symbols for chemical elements used in combination with figures. Do not use a hyphen with superior figures or when the element name is spelled out.

U-235
uranium 235
U 235
235U


Do not use a hyphen with spelled out fractions used as nouns. Hyphenate spelled out fractions used as adjectives.

three fourths of an inch
two-thirds majority
Example sentence:

http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/style/hyphens.html

Peer comment(s):

agree Nesrin : WOW
1 min
:)
agree Rachel Fell
2 mins
:)
agree Mark Nathan : impressive
3 mins
:)
agree French Foodie : definitely a hyphen
4 mins
:)
agree Alison Jenner : great (and extensive!) explanation
7 mins
Thank you! :)
agree Nick Lingris : Excellent source and very good examples. See also: 6.15 in http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdo...
10 mins
Danke! :)
agree Vicky Papaprodromou : :-)))
17 mins
:)))
agree Refugio : Although a hyphen is now sometimes omitted in such an adjectival phrase through laziness, it is really needed most of the time to make the meaning clear.
1 hr
Thanks!
agree Caryl Swift : And I agree with Nesrin - WOW! :-)
1 hr
:) Very kind of you. Thank you!
agree Sven Petersson
1 hr
:)
agree Peter Shortall
1 hr
:)
agree Jack Doughty
1 hr
:)
agree Alfa Trans (X)
2 hrs
:)
agree María Teresa Taylor Oliver : Great explanation, no room for doubt! And thanks for the link :D
3 hrs
Pleasure! (...and many thanks!) :)
agree jccantrell : Wow! all that for the tiny hyphen. But yes, as a single modifier, you get the hyphen for no extra cost.
3 hrs
:))))
agree NancyLynn
4 hrs
:))
agree Suzan Hamer : and with all the other comments.
4 hrs
Thanks!
agree conejo
6 hrs
:)
agree Yavor Dimitrov
7 hrs
:
agree Tony M : Well done! ... except I've forgotten what the original question was now...
10 hrs
:) You....! :))))
agree Zhuoqi Mills (X)
2 days 9 hrs
:)
agree Richard Benham : I would say a "US-flagged ship" rather than a "US-flag" ship.
120 days
;-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, this will become a great resource for me in the future!"
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