As a Word Nerd, I take my love of punctuation pretty seriously. I also get oddly excited whenever I learn a new grammar rule. Suddenly, it seems like the misuse of said rule pops up everywhere. For a few months, I then aim—perhaps obsessively—to use my newfound word/phrase/rule properly, even if it means annoying my friends, family, and coworkers in the process. (Sorry, friends, family, and coworkers!)
Looking back at the past year or so, though, there are several rules that have definitely boosted my word-nerdiness for the better. Drumroll, please...
- Most adverbs ending in -ly do not need hyphens. For instance, one would write "the overly complicated homework assignment" instead of "the overly-complicated homework assignement." Other examples: "newly minted coin" instead of "newly-minted coin"; "recently released report" instead of "recently-released report"; and "dimly lit path" instead of "dimly-lit path." Trust me—you'll start seeing this unnecessary hyphen everywhere. (A word of caution: not all words ending in -ly are adverbs!)
- En dashes (i.e. –) are used as a substitute for the word "through" in a range of inclusive numbers or months. Best not to get me started on my love of en dashes. Let's say we're writing about a range of dates; that would require an en dash instead of a hyphen. For example: National Dictionary Day was established in honor of Noah Webster (1758–1843), who is rumored to have written the first-ever truly American dictionary. (That's my nod to Dictionary Day, which, unfortunately, I missed last week.) Writing about a range of page numbers (e.g. 22–25)? That would also require an en dash instead of a hyphen.
- An en dash also replaces a hyphen in a compound term when one element of the compound is a hyphenated or nonhyphenated two- or three-word element. (h/t The Copyeditor's Handbook). Yup. Another bullet point dedicated to the en dash. Instead of "New York-based," one would write "New York–based," since New York itself is an open (nonhyphenated) two-word element. Other examples: Post–World War II; Pulitzer Prize–winning; ex–vice president. You can learn more about the en dash here.
What are your life-changing grammatical lessons? We'd love to hear 'em!
Image via Adam Rifkin on flickr.
