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When used as an adjective or an adverb, fractions are always hyphenated, as in “They got a one-third share” and “The money is three-quarters gone.”… The hyphen can be thought of as standing in for the division bar in a fraction when the digits are written out.
Should we hyphenate one of the halves?
Instead of hyphenating a half, hyphenate one-half of the phrase. Use hyphens to separate compound adjectives that come before a noun, such as in the phrase “a half-serious comment.” When such compounds come after a noun, do not hyphenate them unless Webster’s indicates that they should be hyphenated: He wasn’t entirely serious about it. Adverbs are not to have hyphens, such as in a half-joking manner.
Do you hyphenate two thirds of the sentence?
Always use hyphens in fractions when writing them as words, regardless of whether the fraction serves as a noun (two-thirds is more than one-half), adjective (a two-thirds majority), or adverb (two-thirds of the population), etc.
When written down, are fractions denoted with hyphens?
Words are used when fractions are spelled out. Only when they are placed directly in front of the noun, in what is known as a “direct” adjective position, are they hyphenated.
Is there a hyphen in the one fourth?
Should we include a hyphen in front of “one fourth of a cup” or not? I appreciate your careful consideration. We make use of the hyphen when the modifier is combined with another word, such as in “one-fourth cup,” for example. Nevertheless, in your second example, you have the word “of” in the middle, which makes a prepositional phrase and modifies the phrase “one fourth.” Because of this, you do not want to use a hyphen.
A Piece of Advice About Punctuation: Hyphens, Fractions, and Numbers
Found 36 questions connected to this topic.
Is it a third or a third of the whole?
Senior Member. The expression “one-third” is how the fraction “one-third” is written out in American English. One third of it is done informally. To be completely accurate, the fraction should be written as a third of one.
Is it ten years old with a hyphen?
Since the age itself functions as a noun, the phrase “year old” must still be hyphenated. Take, for instance: The child of 10 years old had a very loud voice.
Should “two years old” be hyphenated?
Next, let’s talk about the times when you don’t need to hyphenate ages: You do not use a hyphen in the age when it is included in an adjective phrase that comes after the noun. Take Beyoncé, for instance; she is 37 years old. Both of John’s boys will turn 2 years old in just a few short months.
Should there be a hyphen between two fifths and fifths?
(The phrase “two-fifths” is hyphenated in this illustration because it quantifies the word “reduced.”)
Should fractions be written out in their entirety?
Rule: When writing simple fractions, you should always spell them out and use hyphens. As an illustration, one-half of the pies have been consumed so far. Rule: You can use either words or numbers to indicate a mixed fraction, as long as it is not the opening word of a statement.
Is it two and a third or two and a third?
2/3 is equal to two thirds.
What is the correct way to type two thirds?
Two-thirds of a number, for instance, can be expressed either as a fraction (written as 2/3), or as a decimal (written as 0.667). Either way, you can calculate two-thirds of a number by multiplying that number by itself.
Is there a hyphen between three and hour?
When two or more words occur before a noun that they alter and act as a single idea, it is common practice to hyphenate those terms. This type of adjective is known as a compound adjective. In accordance with this guideline, the phrase “three hours” should be hyphenated.
Is the phrase “two hours” hyphenated?
Because you are converting what is really a plural noun, namely two hours, into a singular noun, the phrase “two-hour session” should have a hyphen in it.
Is there a hyphen in between miles and hours?
AP A note on style: the abbreviation mph may be used in any context where the term “miles per hour” is mentioned. When used with a figure, the hyphen is not necessary: 60 miles per hour.
Should the phrase “thirty minutes” be hyphenated?
Decide whether you are attempting to use the number of minutes as an adjective or a noun in your description. If that’s the case, add a hyphen…. It is not necessary to hyphenate the number of minutes if they are not part of the modifier phrase for the noun. In the sentence “Lisa’s jog lasted 30 minutes,” for instance, you would not hyphenate the phrase because “30 minutes” is not an adjective in this context.
Is there a hyphen in “twenty first”?
Compound or combined numerals
When they are written out, compound cardinal and ordinal numerals from twenty-one (twenty-first) to ninety-nine (ninetieth) should be hyphenated as follows: The committee is made up of a total of twenty-nine members.
What does the year 2021 look like when written out in words?
The Numeric Value 2021 Expressed in Words
The year 2021 is the twenty-first number after the thousandth.
Should it be written as 10 years old or 10 years old?
When modifying a noun with an adjective, the term that should be used is year old. A young boy of 10 years old is currently lounging on the couch. While functioning as a verb construct, it is essential that the quantity be consistent with that of the preceding word. The young man who is currently lounging on the couch is ten years old.
Should there be a hyphen between 18 and year old?
The general guideline states that hyphens should be utilized whenever an age is used as an adjective before a noun or as a substitute for a noun. If you are merely reporting the age of something, you should not use hyphens in your sentence.
Is a child still considered to be 18 years old?
According to the law, the term “kid” can refer to someone who has not yet reached the age of majority or another specified age limit. A child is defined as “a human being below the age of 18 years unless under the legislation applicable to the child, majority is acquired earlier.” This definition is taken from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Is there a hyphen in high school?
“High school” is an example of an open compound term, which should not be hyphenated and which we rarely see hyphenated. In the case of compound words, it is generally recommended to adhere to Merriam-Webster’s preferred spelling; nevertheless, there are exceptions to this rule. Closed compound words may occasionally gain popularity over time.
But is it possible to begin a statement with this word?
There is no restriction that states a sentence must begin with the word but. That beginner writers should avoid beginning a sequence of phrases with but is, without a doubt, a sound piece of advice handed down by English teachers to students in middle school. The month of July found us at Six Flags. On the other hand, it rained that day.
Which is correct, five years old or five years old?
— Because it is an adjective that modifies the noun “boy,” the sentence is hyphenated, and the word “year” is singular. He is 5 years old at this point. — In this context, “old” functions as a predicate adjective, and “5 years” functions as an adverb that modifies “old.” No hyphens should be used.
Is one third written with a capital letter?
According to the dictionaries that I consulted, the spelling that includes the hyphen is the one that should be used.