Is Makeup One Word Or Hyphenated

Is It 1 Word or Ii Words?

August 23, 2019 by ProofreadingPal in Grammar

As a living language, English is in a constant state of flux. This is quite clear when two words work their way into condign i word.

Abovementioned is a good example, and yes, it's one word. It started out in life as above-mentioned, but information technology's no longer hyphenated and has become one word, just equally its predecessor, aforementioned, did.

Other words have left their hyphens behind:

• Firsthand
• Halfway
• Interaction
• Smartphone
• Greenhouse
• Landline
• Videotape
• Handwrite

Some words are barely hanging on to their hyphens, depending on your stylebook, such as:

• Co-worker / Coworker
• Sub-category / Subcategory
• Bi-racial / Biracial

And there are words with the hyphen still incomparably in use:

• E-coli
• Mother-in-law
• Long-term

I would just dear to tell you the rule about when and how and why two words tin get from standing solitary to being hyphenated to being ane word, such as:

Trouble is, there actually isn't a rule. Another aspect of a living language is that what is "correct" is but what is virtually unremarkably done. Think all you like that you shouldn't dissever infinitives, but it'due south no longer an "official" grammatical mistake.

So, while there's no rule, there is a general trend, which is that the more people use a word, the less likely they are to hyphenate it. That's why information technology's electronic mail simply eastward-commerce, and why determination-making is e'er hyphenated at present, even though other such constructions, such as risk taking, muscle building, and drug seeking, are hyphenated but when they're modifiers.

When it comes to spelling things with hyphens, people basically arroyo information technology like cooking asparagus: nosotros do it until we go tired of information technology and determine it'south OK to end. Some words may soon be headed for hyphenation:

• Bumper car
• Jail cell telephone
• Briefing telephone call

And currently hyphenated words that may soon merely exist one word include:

• On-site
• Shut-up
• Well-beingness

In improve news, in that location are some groups of 2-word / one-discussion terms that show a blueprint, such every bit:

• Pick upward / Pickup
• Brand up / Makeup
• Become away / Getaway
• Fix / Setup
• Log in / Login

Equally you can see, in this group, 2 words are used when they are a verb + a preposition, and one discussion is used when information technology's a noun.

• Mom's going to choice up the kids in her pickup.
• Dad wants to make upward with her, so he put on his makeup.
• See how I set that gender-defying setup?

Another pattern shows up in:

• Some time / Sometime
• Any time / Someday
• Some mean solar day / Anytime
• Over time / Overtime
• Whatever one / Anyone
• Every day / Everyday
• No body / Nobody

In this group, two words are used when it's a modifier + a noun. The 2 words merge into one to create a modifier or substantive that is related to, but not the same equally, the modified substantive.

If I have "some time," then I accept an corporeality of time, but I'm not telling you exactly how much time information technology is (e.grand., an hour). "Quondam" takes the ball and runs with it, becoming a modifier that ways "an unspecified time."

• I take some fourth dimension to talk.
• I'll talk to you lot old.

The others in this group work the aforementioned:

• Their game has gotten improve over time.
• They're playing in overtime now.

and

• I have no body cached under my business firm!
• Oh, that dead guy? He's nobody.

Our terminal group here is fabricated up of the troublemakers that don't actually follow a blueprint, such as:

• All together / Altogether
• All prepare / Already
• May exist / Maybe
• Tin non / Cannot

These are two-words-fabricated-one for all kinds of reasons, and as such must be learned on their ain.

• All together is a modifier that ways everyone is included in the activeness.
• Altogether is also a modifier, but it means "completely."
• You lot guys are altogether crazy when you're all together like this.

whereas

• All set up is a modifier that says something is completely prepared.
• Already is also a modifier, just it means that something has occurred in the past.
• Nosotros were already all ready to go an hr agone.

whereas

• May exist is a verb.
• Maybe is a modifier indicating uncertainty.
• Possibly I should tell him that one day his children may exist famous.

whereas

• Tin not is a verb simply to be used every bit an option for choosing not to do something.
• Cannot is a verb and the correct way to spell out "can't."
• I cannot explain to my cat I that can non feed her if I do non want to.

And and so there's 1 pair that's really fiendish: a part and apart.

• A part is an commodity and then a substantive.
• Apart is a modifier indicating separateness.
• Apart from all that nuisance with the bill, the mechanic stole a function from my car.

The reason this last one is so odd is that it didn't actually practise the a + part = apart trip the light fantastic that the others did. The "a" in "apart" is like the "a" in "asymptomatic" and "asexual," pregnant "not."

• He'south a sexual guy.
• He's asexual.

(Good idea non to mess up those two!)

Then, while the English language language bounces along, throwing out odd changes at its speakers' whims, nosotros can find some order in the anarchy. Simply for some words, deplorable, you lot just need to memorize them, or hire someone who does, like your friends at ProofreadingPal.

Julia H.

Source: https://proofreadingpal.com/proofreading-pulse/grammar/is-it-one-word-or-two-words/

Posted by: williamsherat1979.blogspot.com

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