MLP: Bridge the divide

Your Mrs. Language-Person is loath to argue. Yet quibble she did with a certain, determined J. R. - much to her chagrin, as witnessed by other official-meeting-persons.

By now, Dear Reader, a hyphen or two, and perhaps a rather awkwardly placed dash, have caught your critical eye. Yes; hyphens were the sticking-point of this shameful (yet playful) bickering. Do they all belong? Let us see.

Begin does your MLP with the simplest function of the hyphen: To divide the printed word dangling at the end of a line. Take care, Dear Reader, to create this pause only between syllables, lest the speaker's breath catch at an awkward moment. One would not like to say,

"Jerry pushed the throttle forward, se-

nding his aircraft soaring."

Best to place the break where it feels more natural:

"Elizabeth pushed the throttle forward, sen-

ding her aircraft soaring "

Well done, Elizabeth. When placement is in doubt, divide suc-ces-sive con-so-nants; better yet, let that hyphenated, authoritative Merriam-Webster's dictionary be your guide.

Another common use of the hyphen (and never the dash, Dear Reader) is with number ranges, such as the years 1952-2011 and the book reference found in pp. 31-44. Note the proper abbreviation for pages is "pp." (for one, simply p.).

Now, the subject of MLP's shameful little quibble was the hyphen which unites two parts of a compound adjective. Should your MLP be Mrs. Language Person, as heretofore she has presented, or is it Language-Person? If we go there, J. R., where does it end, oh where does it end?

Clarity, Dear Reader. Let clarity be the determinant of the discerning writer.

Charles Dickens was a 19th century writer. Was he number 19 of a succession of writers known as "century writers," or was he a writer of the century known as the 19th? The hyphen provides clarity, uniting the two adjectives describing the writer:

"Charles Dickens was a 19th-century writer." Aha.

However - and here was MLP's objection so poorly worded to J. R., no hard and fast rule exists, even for adjectives. Easiest to discern is when two words clearly function as a noun: "Dickens lived in the 19th century."

No hyphen needed; one adjective (19th) describes the noun (century), which together form a non-hyphenated unit. Function over form; here "century" does not describe Dickens, so it does not function as adjective. Dickens is a well-known writer, and Dickens is well known. No hyphen when he is well known, as these two words both follow, rather than precede, the noun.

Ask if the two words must join to form the image, or are they separate words describing a noun? J. R. is a long-time acquaintance of your MLP. She has known him a long time, so a hyphen-quibble between two such "grammar Nazis" (grammar-Nazis?) does no harm. In general, a hyphen is not necessary when clarity is not in question, but to avoid the evocation of politics rather than mere love of syntax, perhaps a hyphen for that one. Touche.

Occasionally a hyphen is placed only to distinguish two potential meanings. Consider "resigned:"

Rose resigned. Rose re-signed.

Did Rose resign her position, or re-sign her contract? The hyphen literally delineates. Similar misunderstandings may occur with re-form (form again, or change?) and re-pair (pair again, or fix?).

Note, Dear Reader, that while with other prefixes, including ex- , pro-, post-, all-, and self-, hyphens are included as a rule. This is also true when such prefixes precede a capitalized word, such as anti-Belgian. However, your MLP is anti anything to do with poor grammar, even with herself as offender (no hyphen with "self" is a suffix).

In some cases, hyphens have been removed after years of accepted use so as to make clarity undisputed. Christmas tree and postpartum. Grade point average and health care reform. Blackbird (distinct from a black bird) and bookkeeper.

Now, before she departs a brief mention of the dash - that indicator of added thought, that brief interruption. Try not to overdo them, Dear Reader - your MLP never, never overdoes the dash, when simple punctuation will do. Try a semicolon, colon, or parentheses; one of these may suffice nicely.

"Jane carefully packed her van - the van which would be her home for the next month."

"Jane's friends - John, Joy, and Josiah - were sad to see her go."

While not incorrect, alternatives exist.

"Jane carefully packed her van; it would be her home for the next month."

"Jane's friends (John, Joy, and Josiah) were sad to see her go."

These little lines are like house guests. A little presence goes a long way; too much, and they merely annoy. Don't wear them out.

Mrs. Language Person (no hyphens, please) and Sholeh Patrick are columnists for the Hagadone News Network. Contact them at Sholeh@cdapress.com.