3 Problems with Suspensive Hyphenation

3 Problems with Suspensive Hyphenation 3 Problems with Suspensive Hyphenation 3 Problems with Suspensive Hyphenation By Mark Nichol The grammatical convention known as suspensive hyphenation is employed when two or more adjacent and parallel phrasal adjectives, phrases that in tandem modify a noun that follows them, have a common element in the same position. Elision of one of the repeated words because it is clearly implicit is a common strategy, but misuse of suspensive hyphenation can complicate a sentence rather than simplify it, as the examples below demonstrate. (Each sentence is accompanied by a discussion and a solution.) 1. We help companies identify, manage, and resolve the business and technology related risks they face. This sentence contains two phrasal adjectives, â€Å"business related† and â€Å"technology related,† but because they share the second word, that word has been elided from the first phrase because it is implicit. However, because the phrasal adjectives precede the noun, they must be hyphenated, and a hyphen should follow business to clarify that an implicit word has been omitted: â€Å"We help companies identify, manage, and resolve the business- and technology-related risks they face.† 2. Most of these markets are little-known small- and midsize cities. Here, suspensive hyphenation has been erroneously introduced. Because small is not part of a phrasal adjective (the reference is to â€Å"small cities,† not â€Å"small-sized cities†), no hyphen should be attached to it: â€Å"Most of these markets are little-known small and midsize cities.† 3. The meeting was held to discuss risk-assessment and -management policies. Here, suspensive hyphenation is employed to elide the first word of a two-word phrasal adjective that has the same first word as an adjacent phrasal adjective. (Notice that in this case, the second instance of the first word has been omitted; compare this with omission of the first instance of a second word in common to two or more two-word phrasal adjectives.) The construction is technically correct but awkward and distracting, so it’s better to explicitly include the second instance of risk rather than elide it: â€Å"The meeting was held to discuss risk-assessment and risk-management policies.† Check out our latest YouTube video: How to Write a Reference Letter Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsAwoken or Awakened?9 Forms of the Past Tense

Free Essays on Fibonnaci Sequence

Fibonacci Sequence In the 13th century A.D. Leonard Fibonacci introduced Liber abaci, which means â€Å"The Book of calculations.† Fibonacci was best known for a series of numbers which were introduced in Liber abaci, and later named the Fibonacci sequence in his honor. The sequence begins with 0 and 1. After that, use the simple rule: Add the last two numbers together to get the next. 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377†¦ In Fibonacci's day, mathematical competitions and challenges were ordinary. In 1225 Fibonacci took part in a tournament at Pisa ordered by the emperor at the time, Frederick II. During this competition the following problem arose: Beginning with a single pair of rabbits, if every month each productive pair bears a new pair, which becomes productive when they are 1 month old, how many rabbits will there be after n months? This rabbit breeding problem that caused Fibonacci to write about the sequence in Liber abaci may be unrealistic but the Fibonacci sequence really does appear today. For example, some plants stem in such a way that they always have a Fibonacci number of growing points. Flowers often have a Fibonacci number of petals; daisies can have 34, 55 or even 89 petals. Next time you look at a sunflower look at the arrangements of the seeds. They appear to spiral outward, both left and right. There is a Fibonacci sequence in the number of spirals. This arrangement keeps the seeds evenly packed regardless of how large the seed head. The Fibonacci sequence appears every day in a normal person’s life, they just never knew.... Free Essays on Fibonnaci Sequence Free Essays on Fibonnaci Sequence Fibonacci Sequence In the 13th century A.D. Leonard Fibonacci introduced Liber abaci, which means â€Å"The Book of calculations.† Fibonacci was best known for a series of numbers which were introduced in Liber abaci, and later named the Fibonacci sequence in his honor. The sequence begins with 0 and 1. After that, use the simple rule: Add the last two numbers together to get the next. 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377†¦ In Fibonacci's day, mathematical competitions and challenges were ordinary. In 1225 Fibonacci took part in a tournament at Pisa ordered by the emperor at the time, Frederick II. During this competition the following problem arose: Beginning with a single pair of rabbits, if every month each productive pair bears a new pair, which becomes productive when they are 1 month old, how many rabbits will there be after n months? This rabbit breeding problem that caused Fibonacci to write about the sequence in Liber abaci may be unrealistic but the Fibonacci sequence really does appear today. For example, some plants stem in such a way that they always have a Fibonacci number of growing points. Flowers often have a Fibonacci number of petals; daisies can have 34, 55 or even 89 petals. Next time you look at a sunflower look at the arrangements of the seeds. They appear to spiral outward, both left and right. There is a Fibonacci sequence in the number of spirals. This arrangement keeps the seeds evenly packed regardless of how large the seed head. The Fibonacci sequence appears every day in a normal person’s life, they just never knew....