The Grammar Cop

I received a question today about compound words.  When do you hyphenate?  Or do you?

Language evolves, and hyphenated words are no exception.  We used to use make-up, now it’s makeup.  Oversensitive, outmaneuver, and underachiever began their lives as separate or hyphenated words.  Hyphens are used to clarify, particularly modifiers.  For instance in the sentence: His beet red face betrayed his embarrassment is acceptable, but His beet-red face betrayed his embarrassment is clearer because beet modifies red not face.  Beet-red is a compound adjective.  Beetred isn’t a word.

Fortunately, we have Spellcheck® to alert us to words that are not yet accepted without a hyphen.  Unfortunately, its database isn’t perfect.

Take the case of e-mail.  The e in e-mail is short for electronic.  Same with e-book or e-commerce or e-anything.   If you eliminate the hyphen, you have incorrectly formatted the technological compound word.  Alas, it’s a losing battle.  AOL, Yahoo!, and the computer world insists on ignoring the rule and creating new words: email, ebook, etc.  I encourage you to take up the good fight, however, and continue to hyphenate e-mail in your writing.

When do you avoid the hyphen?  Never use a hyphen in a combined modifier that includes an adverb: overly dressed, excessively jealous, very dark.

Hyphenated words are disappearing from usage, though.  Look for more and more pairs of words to evolve into new single words, like multitasking. It wasn’t long ago, I multi-tasked.  Oh, well, such is progress.

I just finished reading Martha Brockenbrough’s book Things That Make Us [sic] and have to recommend it for all writers. It’s more than a quick reference for grammar; it’s a fun read. Since I agree that good literature should both delight and instruct, I classify Things That Make Us [sic] good literature. Bravo, Martha Bee!

I don’t know Martha, but I’ve been a reader of her SPOGG¹ Blog for two years now. She exposes bad grammar from Hollywood celebrities to elected officials.  She offers grammar help at her website (http://spogg.org) and works to promote the use of good grammar. The book is a concise culmination of years of collected infractions. For more on the book, visit the website at http://thingsthatmakeussic.com.

¹Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar

Spellcheck won’t catch ‘em, your ear won’t catch ‘em, but your editor sure will. I’m referring to homophones, words that sound alike or similar but have different meanings. The subject arose yesterday when a friend of mine referred to our chapter’s profits from the bizarre. Fatigue clouded her brain. Of course, she knew better and meant bazaar, but it’s an easy mistake to make.Thank God we don’t edit each other’s e-mails because I’m guilty of homophones myself, such as reign when I mean rein or peek when I mean pique. I may call myself Grammar Guru but without proofreading, I’m Grammar Goofy.

too, to, two
seam, seem
hem, him
hear, here
your, you’re
forth, fourth
for, four, fore
led, lead
need, knead
their, they’re, there
its, it’s
bridle, bridal
peek, peak, pique
tents, tense
cents, sense, since
sheik, chic
stationery, stationary
capital, capitol
rain, rein, reign
affect, effect
accept, except
sheer, shear
die, dye
lie, lye
peal, peel
aloud, allowed
banned, band
passed, past
doe, dough
deer, dear
rapt, wrappedAre there others not on this list that have confused you in your writing? Come on, share with Cher!

We’re winding down at the end of the year, so I’ve compiled a mixed bag of grammar questions from recent e-mails.  I’ve changed the names for privacy reasons. Remember, you may post your questions here or e-mail them to grammar@cherylnorman.com.

1. Tom writes: I don’t want to embarrass myself with my boss.  Is “Counties” capitalized in the following sentence?  The letter was mailed to the residents of Santa Clara , Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties .

Answer:  Yes.  To be sure, I looked it up in The Chicago Manual of Style 14th Edition), and if even one of the counties’ proper name is used, you capitalize County.