Hyphen

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Allen165

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"I won't be there until mid August."

"I won't be there until mid-August."

Is the hyphen necessary?

Thanks.
 

2006

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"I won't be there until mid August."

"I won't be there until mid-August."

Is the hyphen necessary? I wouldn't use a hyphen in your sentence.
But if the two words together form an adjective, it should be hyphenated.

It will be discussed at the mid-August meeting.
Thanks.
2006
 
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Barb_D

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I'd hyphenate mid-August.


See this: Dr. Grammar's Frequently Asked Questions Page
Mid- or just Mid?
"In forming compounds, mid- is normally joined to the following word or element without a space or hyphen: midpoint. However, if the second element begins with a capital letter, it is separated with a hyphen: mid-May. It is always acceptable to separate the elements with a hyphen to prevent possible confusion with another form, as, for example, to distinguish mid-den (the middle of a den) from the word midden. The adjective mid is a separate word, and as is the case with any adjective, it may be joined to another word with a hyphen when used as a unit modifier: in the mid Pacific but a mid-Pacific Island" (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language)

or, my favorite reference, the OWL at Purdue:
Purdue OWL
Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex- (meaning former), self-, all-; with the suffix -elect; between a prefix and a capitalized word; and with figures or letters:
ex-husband
self-assured
mid-September
all-inclusive
mayor-elect
anti-American
T-shirt
pre-Civil War
mid-1980s
 
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