Hyphens with Common Prefixes, Part 2
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Hyphens with Common Prefixes, Part 2
The current trend is to do away with unnecessary hyphens with common prefixes.
Examples:
noncompliance
copayment
semiconscious
unending
However, there are exceptions.
Exception: Hyphenate all words beginning with the prefix self.
Examples:
self-assured
self-respect
self-addressed
Exception: Use a hyphen with the prefix ex.
Example: His ex-wife sued for nonsupport.
Exception: Hyphenate prefixes when they come before proper nouns.
Examples:
un-American
non-English speaker
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
Do you hyphenate minutes? For example, is it proper to say:
ten minute
ten minutes
ten-minute
ten-minutes
It should only be hyphenated if it is used as a compound adjective in front of a noun.
Examples:
The class took a ten-minute break.
I will only be gone for ten minutes.
Which constructions below are correct, hyphen or no hyphen?
No deaths in a platoon of 200 soldiers.
The no-death platoon
The no-death phenomenon
or
The no deaths platoon
The no deaths phenomenon
Except for No deaths in a platoon of 200 soldiers, your examples all require hyphens. Also, “no-death,” singular, seems preferable to “no-deaths.”
To denote a category of persons who are not members of the Senate, may one write “non- Senate members” (space after hyphen?
There should not be spaces around hyphens. Therefore, write “non-Senate members.”