Suspended Hyphens
©Judy Vorfeld
Ever seen a word in a group followed by a hyphen and a space that looks strange? Like this:
ABC Mortgage Company offers special rates and handling of fifteen- and thirty-year mortgages.
OR
Studies have determined the distinctions between right- or left-brain functions.
Welcome to the world of suspended hyphens. When one or more hyphenated adjectives** has a common basic element and this element is shown only with the last term, insert a suspending hyphen after each of the incomplete adjectives to indicate a relationship with the last term.
Here are more examples:
- A three- or four-color glossy cover
- Two- and four-wheel drive
- Pre- and post-war
- First-, second-, and third-graders
- 25-, 35-, 45-, and 55-year-olds
If you don't like using suspended hyphens, why not re-cast their sentences to avoid them? Example: using the heading of this article, you could recast to say, "There will be a delay of between two and six days."
** Adjectives: Word that describes what kind, how many, or which one. Adjectives can be single words or a group of words. Modifies the meanings of nouns and pronouns.
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