1. Grammar of the Week
Hyphens

2. Rule 1: Use a hyphen between a prefix and a proper noun or proper adjective.
pre-Babylonian, anti-American, or pro-Western
Rule 2: Use a hyphen to connect two or more nouns that are used as one word
lady-in-waiting, great-grandmother, father-in-law, secretary-treasurer

3. Rule 3: Use a hyphen to connect a compound adjective that comes before a noun.
a well-deserved vacation, a once-in-a-lifetime change, the well-disciplined child, an easy-going man
Rule 4: Do not use a hyphen in a compound word when one of the words ends in –ly or a compound proper adjective.
WRONG: clearly-written
RIGHT: clearly written
WRONG: Eastern-European
RIGHT: Eastern European

4. Rule 5: Use a hyphen when writing out the numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine. A fraction used as an adjective needs a hyphen. A fraction used as a noun does not need a hyphen.
A two-thirds majority is needed to pass the law.
Two thirds of the earth is covered with water.

5. Rule 6: Use a hyphen to show a word has been broken into syllables and continued on the next line
If this box were a piece of paper, the words on this page would be bro-
en between syllables. This is an ex-
ample.

6. Practice in pre Columbian South America a well written paper
seventy five people
the quickly written paper
in this post war era
her long winded speech