Suspended Compounds in English Grammar

Suspended Compounds in English Grammar In English grammar, a suspended compound is a set of compound nouns or compound adjectives in which an element common to all members is not repeated. Also called suspensive hyphenation. A hyphen and a space follow the first element of a suspended compound. (A hyphen with a space after it is called a hanging hyphen.) Examples and Observations The festival starts with a parade, followed by the crowning of Little Miss Catfish, who is chosen by drawing a name from among the five- and six-year-old catfish princesses. (Bob Rashid, Gone Fishing. University of Wisconsin Press, 1999)The difference between the pre- and post-test scores is the so-called learning gain.More injuries are caused by falls from a three- or four-foot height than by falls from tall extension ladders.More than half of three- and four-year-old children in the U.S. attend preschool.Several arguments support the idea that there is a fundamental difference between short- and long-term memory.At the Paperback Exchange, books of all kinds can be exchanged for first- and second-hand books in English.Cyrus McCormick, the head of International Harvester, typified nineteenth- and twentieth-century industrialists understanding of manliness.​ Stylistic Advice: Suspended Compounds Do not use suspended compound adjectives unless space is limited. In a suspended compound adjective, part of the adjective is separated from the rest of the adjective, such as first- in first- and second-generation computers. If you must use suspended compound adjectives, include a hyphen with both adjectives. Avoid forming suspended compound adjectives from one-word adjectives. (Microsoft Manual of Style, 4th ed. Microsoft Press, 2012) Suspended compounds of the form water-based and -soluble paint are licit but likely to confuse readers; substitute water-based and water-soluble paint. (Amy Einsohn, The Copyeditors Handbook. University of California Press, 2000) Also See CompoundingCompound WordsSay Good-bye to the Hyphen