well established or well-established

[Vicente Gimenez]

Hi everyone,

I am not sure if the next sentences are correct:

The link between alcohol and cancer is well established.

There is a well-established link between alcohol and cancer.

Thank you

 

[GoesStation]

They are correct. You need the hyphen only when you use a phrase as an adjective.

This rule is often violated by native speakers. Congratulations for applying it right.

 

[MikeNewYork]

The phrase is an adjective in both sentences. In the first use it is a predicate adjective; in the second it is an attributive adjective.

 

[GoesStation]

The phrase is an adjective in both sentences. In the first use it is a predicate adjective; in the second it is an attributive adjective.

Good point. Nothing is ever simple where languages are concerned. The rule, then, is that predicate adjective phrases must be hyphenated. This helps the reader see them as functioning like a single-word adjective. When read aloud, only the second word in a predicate adjective phrase like well-established will be stressed.