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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Adjective: hyphenate or not in predicate position

Hi,

I have difficulty in knowing whether hyphenation is need for adjectives that come after a verb. I think Mr. M or a guru said something to the effect that mostly those that are hyphenated before a noun is not hyphenated when placed after a verb.

Let us look at the words 'color coordinated'. I think in a position before a noun, it would be hyphenated.

a nicely color-coordinated shirt

But if place after a verb, I think it would not be hyphenated like this:

The shirt is color coordinated with blue and purple.

Then, if we try to put the kinds of words like 'very', I think we need to hyphenate this that is otherwise not hyphenated, if I am not wrong:

The shirt is very color-coordinated with blue and purple.

Is that right?

Can you tell me which one are hyphenated after a verb (in a predicate position??) and not hyphenated before a noun (in premodifying position??)?
How could I tell which one is one that doesn't require hyphenation despite the positional changes and one that requires hyphenation in changes of their positions? Should I learn by examples?
  

Top answer

Anonymous a nicely color-coordinated shirt Correct. coordinated is a participle. Anonymous The shirt is color coordinated with blue and purple.

  • Anonymous a nicely color-coordinated shirt Correct.
  • coordinated is a participle.
  • Anonymous The shirt is color coordinated with blue and purple.
  • Correct.
  • color coordinated is used in the predicative position.
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1 Answers
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Anonymousa nicely color-coordinated shirt
Correct. coordinated is a participle.
AnonymousThe shirt is color coordinated with blue and purple.
Correct. color coordinated is used in the predicative position.
AnonymousThe shirt is very color-coordinated with blue and purple.

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