Hyphens Exercise (679)
In each sentence, determine whether one or more hyphens should be inserted or omitted.
Answers and Explanations
1.
Original: He buys only drinks that are sugar-free.
Correct : He buys only drinks that are sugar free.
The phrasal adjective "sugar free" needs a hyphen only when it appears before a noun.
2.
Original: She sang her anthemic hit song outdoors with background dancers wearing bright colors that added to the song’s summer-feel.
Correct : She sang her anthemic hit song outdoors with background dancers wearing bright colors that added to the song’s summer feel.
The phrase "summer feel" needs no hyphen.
3.
Original: The legislation would have created a no-fly zone of 350-feet over private property.
Correct : The legislation would have created a no-fly zone of 350 feet over private property.
The phrasal adjective "no fly" is correctly hyphenated before a noun, but the hyphen in "350 feet" is an error.
4.
Original: A large vehicle operated by a third-party doing construction work in the area ran into an electric transmission tower.
Correct : A large vehicle operated by a third party doing construction work in the area ran into an electric-transmission tower.
The hyphen in the noun phrase "third party" is extraneous," but "electric transmission," a phrasal adjective modifying "tower," should be hyphenated before that word.
5.
Original: This bill, while well-intentioned, could expose people to burdensome litigation.
Correct : This bill, while well intentioned, could expose people to burdensome litigation.
The phrasal adjective "well intentioned" requires a hyphen only when it precedes a noun.
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