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Victo Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Suspended Hyphenation
***As ugly as they may appear to you, there has to be a correct way of writing these if these were actual quoted dialogue.***
If we spell out the following monetary ranges, I believe we need two hyphens in "ten-million-" (in the first sentence below) to form part of the connective suspensive hyphenation, and to show its relation to "twenty-million-dollar-a-year."
1. Jack said, "I may be getting a ten-million- to twenty-million-dollar-a-year contract."
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
We could also write:
2. Jack said, "I may be getting a ten- to twenty-million-dollar-a-year contract."
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
3. Jack said, "I may be getting a $10-million- to $20-million-a-year contract."
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
4. Jack said, "I may be getting a $10- to $20-million-a-year contract.
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
Thank you.
If we spell out the following monetary ranges, I believe we need two hyphens in "ten-million-" (in the first sentence below) to form part of the connective suspensive hyphenation, and to show its relation to "twenty-million-dollar-a-year."
1. Jack said, "I may be getting a ten-million- to twenty-million-dollar-a-year contract."
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
We could also write:
2. Jack said, "I may be getting a ten- to twenty-million-dollar-a-year contract."
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
3. Jack said, "I may be getting a $10-million- to $20-million-a-year contract."
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
4. Jack said, "I may be getting a $10- to $20-million-a-year contract.
**Correctly punctuated, yes or no?
Thank you.
Top answer
France has the Academie Francaise as the official guardian of the French language. For English, there is no such body. So, may I ask you to clarify what you mean by 'correct'?
- France has the Academie Francaise as the official guardian of the French language.
- For English, there is no such body.
- So, may I ask you to clarify what you mean by 'correct'?
- Clive
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7 Answers
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France has the Academie Francaise as the official guardian of the French language. For English, there is no such body.
So, may I ask you to clarify what you mean by 'correct'?
Clive
So, may I ask you to clarify what you mean by 'correct'?
Clive
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What do you mean by 'correct'?
eg Do you mean that all the style guides agree?
eg Do you mean that all grammar books agree?
eg Do you mean that all educated speakers agree?
Here is a little
eg Do you mean that all the style guides agree?
eg Do you mean that all grammar books agree?
eg Do you mean that all educated speakers agree?
Here is a little
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You're welcome.
But you still didn't answer my question.
I'm not trying to needle you. It's just that you seem to think that there is one very precise, correct answer to every very detailed question. My opinion is that that is not the case in English.
But you still didn't answer my question.
I'm not trying to needle you. It's just that you seem to think that there is one very precise, correct answer to every very detailed question. My opinion is that that is not the case in English.
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'No, of course not' in reply to your three questions. It's all relative, though – ie everything is quantifiable in terms of individual perception or opinion. This language of ours possesses an unequivocal elasticity in terms of 'rules'. In mathematics, one plus one equals two, but not in the English language.
Now please answer my questions.
Now please answer my questions.
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Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by 'an unequivocal elasticity'. These words seem mutually contradictory to me.
As regards answering your questions, all I can tell you what I would write or sometimes recast, as a reasonably educated native speaker. But my impression is that that is not what you are looking for. Is it?
As regards answering your questions, all I can tell you what I would write or sometimes recast, as a reasonably educated native speaker. But my impression is that that is not what you are looking for. Is it?
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