Hive mind help required (a better understanding of The Use Of English Language than mine would be helpful).
The reason for my request is that a publisher has randomly added hyphens or not added hyphens to various measures of chemicals, volumes, concentrations etc., in a work of mine, and I am doing my nut trying to edit the proofs, and need advice/condfimation of my understanding before I antagonize the publisher and make needless work for myself.
So.....is it that when two words, such as a number and unit, combine to form an adjective it may be OK to hyphenate (but not necessary)? And if so, should you also not hyphenate any other words that form the compound adjective? For example: 7-day week; Granny Grimble's 6-flowers-in-the-garden book; my 10-pints-of-cider nightmare; Neal Maupay's 4-goal-thriller?
For those of you who want to smirk at the ignorance of your average jobbing science academic in the UK, here are some examples of published work from a relevant publication (not mine I hasten to add), with my assessments added. I would be interested to know your views if you have insight.
And before anyone says each of these will be governed by 'local convention' I have countless examples and there is no consistency.
- I bought 500 mL of beer
- Did it come in a 500 mL bottle, or a 500-mL bottle?
- And, indeed, was it actually 500 mL of beer or 500-mL of beer?
The reason for my request is that a publisher has randomly added hyphens or not added hyphens to various measures of chemicals, volumes, concentrations etc., in a work of mine, and I am doing my nut trying to edit the proofs, and need advice/condfimation of my understanding before I antagonize the publisher and make needless work for myself.
So.....is it that when two words, such as a number and unit, combine to form an adjective it may be OK to hyphenate (but not necessary)? And if so, should you also not hyphenate any other words that form the compound adjective? For example: 7-day week; Granny Grimble's 6-flowers-in-the-garden book; my 10-pints-of-cider nightmare; Neal Maupay's 4-goal-thriller?
For those of you who want to smirk at the ignorance of your average jobbing science academic in the UK, here are some examples of published work from a relevant publication (not mine I hasten to add), with my assessments added. I would be interested to know your views if you have insight.
- 12-h light/12-h dark cycle – this is almost correct but it should read 12-h-light/12-h-dark cycle since it is the duration of light and dark that is the cycle, shirley, not simply the length of time or it would be a 12-h cycle, which doesn’t mean anything.
- 6-Hz threshold tests – this should really be 6-Hz-threshold tests, as it is the 6 Hz threshold that is the test, not the 6 Hz.
- Supplemented with 15-mM glucose - this is simply wrong, unless all numbers and units in the article are hyphenated (and they are not)
- 200-mM NaCl - ditto
- A 12-h light cycle - this should be 12-h-light cycle (and in any case, it should be 12-h-light/12-h-dark, as noted above)
- A total 12-h period - simply wrong
- The 5 min acclimation period - this is fine by me but not if the guff above is all hyphenated in the same article!
And before anyone says each of these will be governed by 'local convention' I have countless examples and there is no consistency.
