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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Choices: Hyphenate or Quote?
Hi,
I wonder what is the guidelines for deciding whether to use hyphens or quotation marks for cases like these.
... his way was a my-life-for-yours way. (Could one have written it using quotation markslike this: ... his way was a "my life for yours" way?)
He had talked about my-life-for-yours as the Way and ... (Could one have written it this way? He had talked about "my life for yours" as the Way and .."
I am not sure but I think Mr. M said something about this in a thread and I think he said something like quoting is better when you have a choice between quoting and using hyphens. But I think in text, the method of putting quotation marks around a content is more often done for a non-clause type of word strings like "a how-to-do seminar," whereas when a clause or what looks like that is involved, quotation marks are used: a "how are you?" song. Can a question mark be inside the quotation marks?
I wonder what is the guidelines for deciding whether to use hyphens or quotation marks for cases like these.
... his way was a my-life-for-yours way. (Could one have written it using quotation markslike this: ... his way was a "my life for yours" way?)
He had talked about my-life-for-yours as the Way and ... (Could one have written it this way? He had talked about "my life for yours" as the Way and .."
I am not sure but I think Mr. M said something about this in a thread and I think he said something like quoting is better when you have a choice between quoting and using hyphens. But I think in text, the method of putting quotation marks around a content is more often done for a non-clause type of word strings like "a how-to-do seminar," whereas when a clause or what looks like that is involved, quotation marks are used: a "how are you?" song. Can a question mark be inside the quotation marks?
Top answer
) in such a phrase? For anything longer, use quotes instead of hyphens. If you want to, write a few sentences and we can have a look at them for you.
- ) in such a phrase?
- For anything longer, use quotes instead of hyphens.
- If you want to, write a few sentences and we can have a look at them for you.
- Best wishes, Clive
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5 Answers
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Hi,
Didn't you and I discuss this in an earlier thread, in which I advised you not to use more that a few hyphens (did I say 3?) in such a phrase? For anything longer, use quotes instead of hyphens.
If you want to, write a few sentences and we can have a look at them for you.
Best wishes, Clive
Didn't you and I discuss this in an earlier thread, in which I advised you not to use more that a few hyphens (did I say 3?) in such a phrase? For anything longer, use quotes instead of hyphens.
If you want to, write a few sentences and we can have a look at them for you.
Best wishes, Clive
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Hi,
Didn't you and I discuss this in an earlier thread, in which I advised you not to use more that a few hyphens (did I say 3?) in such a phrase? For anything longer, use quotes instead of hyphens.
If you want to, write a few sentences and we can have a look at them for you.
Best wishes, Clive
Didn't you and I discuss this in an earlier thread, in which I advised you not to use more that a few hyphens (did I say 3?) in such a phrase? For anything longer, use quotes instead of hyphens.
If you want to, write a few sentences and we can have a look at them for you.
Best wishes, Clive
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Yes, I think you did. At that time though, I think I was referencing a string of words used as adjectives (although theoretically or practically? the same as this one - after all, both are acting as adjectives, in my opinion) for a product (hand drill in this case) like this:
I used this example in a thread named "hyphenate or do not hyphenate.":
12-volt-powered, twin-handle, alter
I used this example in a thread named "hyphenate or do not hyphenate.":
12-volt-powered, twin-handle, alter
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Hi,
First, let me comment on your example, his way was a my-life-for-yours way.
Whether you hyphenate this or put it in quotes, you meaning is not very clear to the reader, in my opinion. eg Do you mean he was willing to give his life to save mine? Or that he was willing to sacrifice his life in order to kill me? Or something else entirely?
As the writer, you have an obl
First, let me comment on your example, his way was a my-life-for-yours way.
Whether you hyphenate this or put it in quotes, you meaning is not very clear to the reader, in my opinion. eg Do you mean he was willing to give his life to save mine? Or that he was willing to sacrifice his life in order to kill me? Or something else entirely?
As the writer, you have an obl
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AnonymousI wonder what is the guidelines for deciding whether to use hyphens or quotation marks for cases like these.I was taught that hyphens are always used in these cases -- if I understand clearl
... his way was a my-life-for-yours way. (Could one have written it using quotation markslike this: ... his way was a "my life for yours" way?)
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