Compound Phrases: Is that One Word or Two?

Having majored in English Literature as an undergrad, naturally I love engaging in conversations about literature and language. Aside from being a fabulous way to connect with people, I am constantly learning of books, authors, and points of view I wouldn't have otherwise.  Most people, however, aren't equally as excited to discuss grammar or elements of style, arguably the less interesting aspects of language.  I, too, was loath to discuss these necessary yet often subjective aspects of language.

As people who grew up with English, we tend to rely on our intuitive sense of the language to write or edit--after all, style is subjective.  However, there are times when that workaround is not good enough, or other times when we just want to settle a debate with a fellow lover of language.  Thus, I have decided to start blogging on the topic of editorial style as a way to strengthen my own editing skills while providing an accessible forum wherein aspects of editorial/writing style may be discussed.  So where do I start? Yesterday a former student, who's currently writing her personal statements to meet imminent application deadlines, asked me if there is an easy way to remember when to hyphenate words.  "When do I hyphenate a phrase like "time intensive" or "problem solving"? Thus, inspired by my student's question, my first Editorial Style blog entry is on compound phrases.


It helps to keep in mind the 3 basic categories of compounds:
Open, hyphenated and solid (or closed)

• Open:  A compound written in two words (e.g., high school, common sense)
• Hyphenated:  A Compound phrase linked by a hyphen (e.g., self-confidence, ego-driven)
• Solid:   Compounds written as one word (e.g., schoolteacher, headache)

Although the structure of some compounds is fixed, the treatment of others depends on their grammatical function.  For example, a compound such as time consuming, is hyphenated when it precedes a noun, as in When I take a math exam I attempt the easier, less time-consuming problems first.  When the same compound follows a noun, however, it is open, as in The research I did in grad school was time consuming.  

Adjectival compounds that precede nouns are called attributive, while ones that follow the nouns they modify are known as predicate adjectives.

October 20 is National Day on Writing: Write without self-judgement

Today, October 20, is National Day on Writing.  You say you haven't heard of it? Join the club.  Actually, I just heard about it through a friend on Facebook.  Despite there being many other arguably more compelling events and days in honor or commemoration of people, ideas and events, I must admit that for a fleeting moment I felt I was out of the loop at having not heard about this day set aside to focus in on and promote writing and its many benefits.  This ever-present pressure to stay informed in this case is due in part to my personal identification with writing, and in general due to the usual high bar I set for myself to stay abreast of as much as possible.  Alas, I usually fall very short of my expectations.  But I'm probably not alone in putting such unreasonably high expectations on myself to stay informed.  Aside from the obvious benefits of acquiring knowledge, there is a sense of satisfaction one derives, perhaps even a guilty pleasure, from being the "first" to bring news to others.  A competitive edge honed by media professionals, the satisfaction of possessing breaking news is no longer the domain of journalist and reporters, but of bloggers, tweeters and Facebook members alike, as was evidenced by the clamor to post news of Steve Jobs' succumbing to his long battle with pancreatic cancer.  


So now that you know that today is National Writing Day, are you going to blog, journal or write a letter to the editor of some magazine? By the way, I also learned that "National Writing Day's" inception was just last year. And though it really is an inconsequential day in the grand scheme of things, I felt compelled to write about it given the increasingly important role of writing in an information-driven age, in which I am just as interested in being first as the next person.  I like to lightheartedly associate my desire to be first with being an Aries, a pioneer in astrological terms.  So here's to us getting over our shyness of writing publicly.  It's not always easy to do, but it feels great to write without self-judgement.  Happy writing!

Living in the Information Age: You are What you are Fed

I recently watched the documentary "Forks over Knives".  I highly recommend it! It will likely change the way you eat, if not the way you think.  That eating fruits and veggies is good for us is not news.  However, the research and subsequent findings that underpin the central argument of this film—that eating an exclusively plant-based diet may not only help prevent illness but also reverse degenerative diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, and cancer—reveal that even diets comprised of roughly 20% meat, dairy and processed foods may lead to debilitating diseases by the time one reaches middle age.

But the documentary invites us to reevaluate more than just our diets.  Nudging us, much in the way that Michael Moore's documentaries do, "Forks over Knives" compels us to consider the consequences of not questioning the status quo.  While pondering the social and political implications of such a documentary, I was once again reminded of the extent to which information is either withheld or promulgated in the interest of profit.  But who decides what information reaches the public? And how can we know definitively whether those who control the flow of information, beyond the ubiquitous motive of profit, are not themselves misinformed to some degree? 


"Forks over Knives" movie trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ijukNzlUg