Here is an example of a common mistake covered by the hyphenation book that I am finalizing.

A common hyphenation mistake is omitting the hyphen in the name of a fraction when the fraction is used as an adjective.

For example, “His one fourth investment returned more than he expected.” — with no hyphen in “one fourth” — is a mistake.

The solution for this example is “His one-fourth investment returned more than he expected.” — in which we have replaced the space between “one” and “fourth” with a hyphen.

The solution relates to the fact that one writes a fraction numerically as a single entity (e.g., “1/4”).

Including a hyphen lets one write a fraction’s name, too, as a single entity, and one must have a single entity to modify a noun.

If you remember that the name of a fraction has to be written — with a hyphen — as a single entity when acting as an adjective to modify a noun, just as the fraction is written numerically — with a slash (“/”) — as a single entity, then you will not make this common hyphenation mistake.

If you like this explanation, then you should like the remainder of the book.

Please keep checking this blog for the official announcement about the publication of the book.

Thanks!

UPDATE: My How to Use Hyphens book is now available in softcover and several eBook editions. Learn more here!