{"id":2713,"date":"2018-04-03T23:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T05:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/?p=2713"},"modified":"2023-06-26T10:47:44","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T15:47:44","slug":"are-we-hyphenating-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/adjectives-adverbs\/are-we-hyphenating-well\/","title":{"rendered":"Are We Hyphenating Well<\/em>?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The proper use of good <\/em>and well<\/em> in writing is a common grammatical topic. For many, the distinction can be uncertain.<\/p>\n

An equally slippery subject is whether to hyphenate well<\/em> when it helps describe a noun. For example, do we write a well-dressed man<\/em> or a well dressed man<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Because well <\/em>here is an adverb that modifies dressed<\/em>, some might say not to punctuate the compound description; this would align with the guideline that omits punctuation from adverbial modifiers ending in -ly<\/em>: a thoroughly informed spokesperson<\/em>. Some might also believe that only compounded adjectives would be hyphenated: bluish-green eyes<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As a general rule,<\/strong> a compound adjective can include an adverb. The compound is often hyphenated before a noun but not after a noun (a well-dressed man, the man is well dressed<\/em>). Well <\/em>also would not be hyphenated when compounded with other adverbial modifiers, such as very <\/em>(a very well dressed man<\/em>).<\/p>\n

At the same time, further investigation reveals that not all style authorities agree on this subject. The Associated Press Stylebook<\/em> advises us to hyphenate well<\/em> in a compound modifier both when it precedes a noun and when the compound follows the verb to be<\/em>: a well-dressed man<\/em>, the man is well-dressed<\/em>.<\/p>\n

AP\u2019s rationale is that retaining the hyphen in compound modifiers after the noun helps avoid confusion. For example, if the hyphen is omitted in a statement such as he is a little known man<\/em>, the reader might interpret it as meaning he is a known man who is little. Adding the hyphen clarifies: little-known<\/em> man<\/em> tells us he is one few people know. Writing the man is well-dressed<\/em> remains consistent with AP\u2019s chosen style.<\/p>\n

The<\/em> Chicago Manual of Style<\/em>, on the other hand, doesn\u2019t concur with this stance. Its editors find hyphenation unnecessary when a compound modifier with well<\/em> follows a noun, including compounds that might be hyphenated in dictionaries. It would therefore encourage us to write the man is well dressed<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Other style hawks assert that certain compounds with well<\/em> should retain their hyphens in all positions because they are single concepts or standard expressions. These individuals would cite examples such as well-appointed<\/em>, well-founded,<\/em> well-connected<\/em>, and well-intentioned<\/em>; to them, each compound\u2019s meaning differs from its unmodified adjective (appointed<\/em>, founded<\/em>, connected<\/em>, intentioned<\/em>), making well<\/em> vital to clarity.<\/p>\n

By this reasoning, these compound concepts or expressions would retain their hyphen even when well<\/em> is modified by another adverb such as very<\/em>: a very well-appointed man<\/em>.<\/p>\n

With all this considered, we still might ask ourselves: When do <\/em>we truly need to hyphenate? The experts don\u2019t agree and even seemingly reliable guidelines can have exceptions. The answer is that rules of hyphenation for well<\/em> are not engraved in stone.<\/p>\n

As with anything else in our writing, clarity is king. If a hyphen makes our meanings clearer, we keep it; otherwise, we leave it out as nonessential. Consistency matters as well. As long as we choose a style and stick to it, our usage will help sustain our writing rather than distract from it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Pop Quiz<\/h2>\n

Choose the correct treatment according to the general rule<\/strong> of hyphenating well described in the article.<\/p>\n

1. With her connections, she has become a (very well-known \/ very well known) businessperson in the community.<\/p>\n

2. I find him (well versed \/ well-versed) in Shakespearean drama.<\/p>\n

3. She is always (well prepared \/ well-prepared) for her meetings.<\/p>\n

4. Their (well-behaved \/ well behaved) children are good company whenever they visit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pop Quiz Answers<\/h3>\n

1. With her connections, she has become a (very well-known \/ very well known<\/strong>) businessperson in the community.<\/p>\n

2. I find him (well versed<\/strong> \/ well-versed) in Shakespearean drama.<\/p>\n

3. She always comes (well prepared<\/strong> \/ well-prepared) for her meetings.<\/p>\n

4. Their (well-behaved<\/strong> \/ well behaved) children are good company whenever they visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The proper use of good and well in writing is a common grammatical topic. For many, the distinction can be uncertain. An equally slippery subject is whether to hyphenate well when it helps describe a noun. For example, do we write a well-dressed man or a well dressed man? Because well here is an adverb […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives-adverbs","category-hyphens"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2713"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6607,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713\/revisions\/6607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}