Booher's Rules of Business Grammar - Dianna Booher 2009

Messing with my head
Misspelled and misused words

HYPHENATE? SOLID? TWO WORDS?

“Why don’t you follow up with me after the meeting?” Do you need a hyphen in the previous sentence? “The manager read the follow-up report and grew livid.” How about the hyphen in the previous sentence? Both are correct—with and without the hyphens. How can that be possible?

Actors play many roles during their careers. In one movie, an actor may be an astronaut exploring the unknown in a spacesuit. In another, he’s a pistol-toting bank robber. In still another, he’s sacrificed millions to don a monk’s robe.

Similarly, words play different roles in a sentence. If hyphenation confuses you, maybe it’s not the words themselves but the roles they play in a particular sentence that create the problem. Just as actors dress “in character,” here are the rules of the varying roles for words:

Nouns are written as either a solid or a hyphenated compound.

Verbs are written as two words.

Two related adjectives before a noun are hyphenated.

Correct:

Pongo asked for client follow-up after the meeting. (noun)

Pongo will follow up with the client after the meeting. (verb)

Pongo gave me a follow-up report after the meeting. (adjective)

Give me a breakdown on the cost. (noun)

Please break down the costs for travel by individual. (verb)

The break-down instructions for the trade-show booth are sketchy. (adjective)

The step-up in royalty payments is only 2 percent. (noun)

Why don’t you step up your efforts to close the deal. (verb)

The step-up plan for payment seems reasonable. (adjective)

Memory tip

Think of the movies: Ask yourself what role the words play in the sentence. Then hyphenate accordingly.