Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
an easy-to-use device
English answer:
an easy-to-use device
English term
an easy-to-use device
Please confirm the following two forms are correct:
The device is easy to use. (no hyphens)
This is an easy-to-use device. (hyphens)
A little worried that I may be a bit old-fashioned here. Perhaps this type of hyphen use has fallen away, or use of hyphens in patents is generally avoided?
Thanks for your help!
| 5 +13 | an easy-to-use device |
Stephen D
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Aug 11, 2011 10:02: Tony M changed "Field" from "Law/Patents" to "Other" , "Field (specific)" from "Sports / Fitness / Recreation" to "Linguistics"
Non-PRO (1): Jim Tucker (X)
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Responses
an easy-to-use device
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Note added at 11 mins (2011-08-11 10:02:28 GMT)
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http://styleguide.yahoo.com/editing/punctuate-proficiently/h...
Examples
The well-behaved dog won first prize.
He was well-behaved.
Positive reinforcement made him well behaved.
Sign up now for our trouble-free service.
The service is trouble-free.
It’s an easy-to-use tool.
The tool is easy to use. (Adjective + infinitive exception)
Sample our fresh-from-the-field produce.
Our produce is fresh from the field. (Adjective + prepositional phrase exception)
Her redder-than-red face betrayed her embarrassment.
Her face was redder than red. (Adjective + “than” exception)
This is an often-referred-to section.
This section is often referred to. (Adverb + past participle + preposition exception)
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Note added at 13 mins (2011-08-11 10:04:17 GMT)
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Look at the ambiguity of "a small appliance industry", written without a hyphen.
| Thank you. Steve for confirmation and thanks to all for the lovely prompt discussion and links. I shall carry a few extra hypens in my handbag/purse, now that I do not need quite so many commas! |
| agree |
Tony M
: And me too; although modern US usage seems to be to omit these hyphens, I feel this is to be deprecated, as generally they help comprehension — and we see enough questions in this forum where the failure to understand arises from lack of helpful hyphens
2 mins
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Thanks Tony
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| agree |
Charles Davis
6 mins
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Thanks Charles
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| agree |
Melanie Nassar
: Correct US usage requires hyphenation for use as adjectives; actual US usage varies (widely) from person to person.
11 mins
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Thanks Melanie
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| agree |
Jenni Lukac (X)
: Agree with Melanie. Check Chicago Manual of Style or Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary online when in doubt.
26 mins
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| agree |
Jack Doughty
45 mins
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| agree |
ClaraVal
45 mins
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| agree |
Thayenga
1 hr
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| agree |
Arabic & More
: I am fron the U.S. and would definitely use the hyphens.
2 hrs
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| agree |
Armorel Young
2 hrs
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| agree |
amarpaul
3 hrs
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| agree |
LJC (X)
: Definitely with hyphens; it's a compound adjective.
3 hrs
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| agree |
Sonia Geerlings
3 hrs
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| agree |
Jim Tucker (X)
: there is some question about whether it should be used with an adverb ("often" above ) -- in any case, the hyphen is certainly to be avoided after -ly adverbs
4 hrs
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Discussion
I was always taught that the hyphens should be omitted even in preposed compound adjectives if they are preceded by an intensifier, which may be the "adverb ending in -ly" that JT was thinking of:
an easy-to-use tool
a very easy to use tool
As for patents, for obvious practical reasons there can be restrictions on the use of certain characters (including sometimes hyphens) in specific fields subject to computer search, but I don't think there's a general ban on hyphens in the description. Here's an example in a US patent, for what it's worth:
"The present invention relates to a device and method to assist in regulating a diet and more specifically to a portable, easy-to-use device and method to calculate and track the number of calories from each of several food groups consumed in a day."
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5382165/description.html
I think some people think they're simplifying English by omitting the hyphens etc. but often it can cause more confusion.
Personally, I am prepared to be labelled old-fashioned and pedantic for the sake of clarity of understanding; I think the modern US trend to omit these hyphens causes a lot of misunderstanding.