The Publisher
Accuracy • Mechanics • Consistency
1. The Dash Distinction
A Hyphen - connects words (blue-green).
An Em-Dash — creates a dramatic break (often replacing commas or brackets).
"He was late—very late—for the meeting."
An Em-Dash — creates a dramatic break (often replacing commas or brackets).
"He was late—very late—for the meeting."
2. Compound Adjectives
When two words together describe a noun, use a hyphen.
Incorrect: A well known author.
Correct: A well-known author.
(Exception: "The author is well known." No hyphen after the noun).
Incorrect: A well known author.
Correct: A well-known author.
(Exception: "The author is well known." No hyphen after the noun).
3. Genre Voice
Journalism
"Police arrested the suspect at dawn." (Active, Punchy)
Academic
"The suspect was apprehended in the early hours." (Passive, Formal)
Spot the Errors 🧐
Tap the mistakes to fix them.
The project was long term, spanning five years. However, the CEOs decision to cut funding—which was un-expected—caused delays. It is a well documented fact.
Editor's Exam 📝
Pass the test.
1. Which is correct for a CV/Resume?
2. "The three year old car." Correct punctuation?
3. Academic Style Check:
Mission 📝
Final Polish.
Edit this Sentence:
"The highly-skilled doctor who is 40 years old performed the operation."
Find 2 improvements:
- 1. Remove hyphen in "highly skilled" (Adverbs ending in -ly never take a hyphen).
- 2. Convert "who is 40 years old" to "the 40-year-old doctor" for conciseness.
Final: "The highly skilled, 40-year-old doctor performed the operation."