about hyphen

Yoshihiro_1 · Feb 4, 2012

I know the rule that adjective phrase, preposition phrase, and infinitive phrase modify a noun from the behind,but sometimes they modify a noun from the front as stated below, using hyphen.
[adjective phrase]
a rule easy to remember
an easy-to-remember rule
[preposition phrase]
the book on the table
the on-the-table book
his manner in your face
his in-your-face manner
[infinitive phrase]
a high-level group soon to be appointed
a soon-to-be-appointed high-level group
Please tell me what is the difference between them(a rule easy to remember and an easy-to-remember rule / the book on the table and the on-the-table book /
a high-level group soon to be appointed and a soon-to-be-appointed high-level group).

BobK · Feb 4, 2012

Yoshihiro_1 said:
I know the rule that adjective phrase, preposition phrase, and infinitive phrase modify a noun from the behind,but sometimes they modify a noun from the front as stated below, using hyphen.
[adjective phrase]
a rule that is easy to remember (Just about acceptable without 'that is')
an easy-to-remember rule OK, but most people would say 'an easily-remembered rule'

[preposition phrase]
the book that is on the table (but OK without the 'that is' in many contexts)
the on-the-table book :cross:, but occasionally used in special cases (like 'over-the-counter medicines' - which you can buy at a chemist/pharmacy without a doctor's prescription) - not as a general rule that you can apply wherever you like

his manner in your face :?:
his in-your-face manner

[infinitive phrase]
a high-level group soon to be appointed
a soon-to-be-appointed high-level group:tick:

Please tell me what is the difference between them(a rule easy to remember and an easy-to-remember rule / the book on the table and the on-the-table book /
a high-level group soon to be appointed and a soon-to-be-appointed high-level group).

I know of no rule, but 'the on-the-table book' sounds very odd. Don't coin such usages at will. A good dictionary, under the preposition, should list the possible phrases, such as 'in-service benefits' (under 'in'), 'off-the-record comments (under 'off', and probably also listed as an idiomatic expression), 'at-risk persons' (under 'at' and with 'at-risk' probably also listed as an idiomatic expression...etc

b

PS The key is context. Read as much as you can. Don't expect to become a competent user of the language just by consciously learning and applying rules.

TheParser · Feb 6, 2012

Yoshihiro_1 said:
CAUTION: NOT A TEACHER

I thought of your thread when I read this sentence this morning in a business magazine:

The almost-70-person company has raised a total of $21 million and became

cash-flow positive in 2010.

about hyphen

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TheParser

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