Compound Modifiers

Defining a compound modifier – or adjective phrase – is easy. It’s two or more words – a compound – that work together to describe – modify – a noun.

full-time employee

better-qualified candidate

well-known policy

evidence-based practice

pandemic-related closures

10-mile road

If the compound modifier appears before the noun, all words are linked together by hyphens.

The LFC and LESC style manuals also clarify that you never use the hyphen with very or words ending with ly.

easily remembered rule

federally funded program

very astute analyst

Reflecting the most common errors, past style training has emphasized always using the hyphen in phrases that include

-related -oriented -based -created

And because all words in a compound modifier need to be linked by hyphens, the training also has emphasized restructuring sentences in which the compound modifier has become ungainly.

a queue-management-software-equipped office

an office equipped with queue-management software

But while the concept of a compound modifier is pretty straightforward, applying the guidance gets tricky because it’s just that – guidance. There is very little “never do this” or “always do that,” and even though LFC and LESC writers often drop the hyphens in error, the meaning often remains clear.

Nevertheless, what might seem perfectly clear to you, might not seem so clear to the reader. You might not be saying what you think you are.

"Release eligible inmates" does not mean the same thing as "release-eligible inmates."

A small businessman is not the same thing as a small-business man.

A hot-water bottle is a bottle for hot water but a hot water bottle is a water bottle that is hot.

“Children who reside in two parent homes” is significantly different than “children who reside in two-parent homes.”

And for all the reasons consistency and clarity are important, staff should get comfortable with compound modifiers.

Compound words are a slightly different but closely related topic and illustrate another reason compound modifiers can be tricky.

Word combinations that – like compound modifiers – express a single concept often evolve from

two open words,

into always hyphenated,

into one, closed word.

But not always and not consistently: high school is still open, birthrate is closed but death rate is open.

Because some words frequently used by LFC and LESC are in the middle of that evolution, the style manual specifies some words are always one word, no matter how they’re used.

caseload

healthcare

daycare

childcare

policymaker

workload

timeframe

The style manual also has several entries on compound phrases that are two words as verbs and hyphenated or solid as nouns and adjectives, including when they are a compound modifiers before a noun. This differentiation in use is pretty typical and why referring to the Merriam Webster online dictionary is important.

cut back (verb) cutback (noun and adjective)

cut off (verb) cutoff (noun and adjective)

trade off (verb) trade-off (noun and adjective)

These examples don’t cover every possibility. Not by a long shot. If you’re not sure, look it up in the style manual and then in Merriam-Webster online. When in doubt – and after you’ve checked the dictionary – leave it as two words.

In addition to the general guidance on compound modifiers and the handful of specific entries on compound words, the LFC and LESC style manuals defer to the Chicago Manual of Style for more detailed rules on when to hyphenate a compound modifier before a noun.

Chicago sets out two general rules:

1. With the exception of proper nouns (such as United States) and compounds formed by an adverb ending in ly plus an adjective, it is never incorrect to hyphenate adjective phrases before a noun.

2. You only need the hyphen when the unhyphenated phrase could create ambiguity.

So, it’s never wrong to hyphenate, but it’s also not always necessary.

But, and it’s a big but, Chicago then provides a 12-page guide on compounds that should be hyphenated. That complete guide is available with the Tips and Tricks on the training website.

Remember, if a use is already covered in the LFC and LESC style manuals, that takes precedence. Then check the dictionary. But if there is no guidance in either of those sources, turn to Chicago. Among Chicago’s guidance on compound modifiers used before a noun:

Hyphenate phrases with fractions and numbers, both cardinal and ordinal.

half-hour hearing

50-year project

second-largest appropriation

But not if the noun comes first.

level 3A teacher

phase two consideration

section 10 special appropriation

As stated in the LFC and LESC style manuals, percentages and dollars amounts with figures are always open. But references to money without a figure are hyphenated.

a multimillion-dollar loss

Phrases with an adjective and a noun are hyphenated, whether the noun or the adjective comes first.

high-quality teacher

small-school subsidy

low-income families

computer-literate students

Covid-19-positive employees

Hyphenate phrases with an adjective or noun and a participle (an adjective formed from a verb).

high-performing schools

open-ended discussion

tension-filled hearing

cutting-edge methods

Also hyphenate participle phrases followed by up, out, and similar adverbs.

burned-out buildings

built-up fund

filled-out form

Generally, hyphenate phrases with adverbs that don’t end in ly with a participle or adjective.

much-needed appropriation

little-understood law

But phrases with more, most, less, and least can generally be left open unless it would cause confusion.

the most skilled workers (most in number)

but

the most-skilled workers (most in skill)

Ready for a quiz?

Return to the training page and follow the link. The questions on these quizzes are not timed to give you time to look up the answer. For this quiz, you might want to keep the text to this video close at hand. The scripts to all the training videos are also on the training page with the link listed right below the video link.