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[I've included a bit about JoJean at the end of this article. ~~Rennie] In grading the final exams, I have noticed a number of fairly consistent errors from students. One area that seems to be a continuing source of problems is the use of the hyphen with simple prefixes. Even when students do not pass the first time, and these errors are pointed out in the grading process, they still make the same ones when they take the exam for a second or even a third time. It seems therefore appropriate to dedicate a few paragraphs in the newsletter to this subject. Having done so, I don’t expect to see these same mistakes again. (If I continue to see them, I will rap your knuckles with a ruler, just as any good, old-fashioned teacher ought to do.) Remember that in the transcription portion of the final, you can use any and all resources - except another human being - including the newsletter, so file this where you can easily get your hands on it. There have been past newsletter articles on the subject of hyphens, but this one will deal with the use of hyphens - or more properly the nonuse of hyphens - in words with simple prefixes. The simple rule is: IN WORDS THAT BEGIN WITH A SIMPLE PREFIX, NO HYPHEN IS REQUIRED. In fact, in most cases, the word is misspelled if the hyphen is there. Among the simple prefixes referenced by this rule are the following: ante anti bi co contra Let’s look at some examples - many examples. antecubital, antepartum, anticoagulant, antiemetic, Now, the rule having been specified, here are some exceptions, or possible exceptions. Traditionally, if the prefix ends with a certain letter and the root word begins with the same letter, the hyphen goes in, creating such words as “anti-inflammatory,” “intra-abdominal,” “non-nodular,” “post-traumatic," and "retro-orbital.” You will probably not get into trouble if you put the hyphen in such words. HOWEVER, the usage is changing, and you are as likely as not to see “antiinflammatory,” “intraabdominal,” “nonnodular,” “posttraumatic,” and “retroorbital” in many resource books, or those forms might even be preferred by your client or employer. If you are not sure whether the hyphen goes in or not, take the time to look it up and verify it. Then at least you can justify the spelling that you chose should you be required to do so (an unlikely scenario). The hyphen has long been dropped from words with the prefixes that end in “e” such as “pre,” “re,” “de.” For example: preexistence, preeminent, reestablish, deemphasize. To further complicate matters, a few of the prefixes are also words that can stand alone: mid and post, under and over, extra and super. He was injured in the mid upper back. A few prefixes require the hyphen with certain words because the word means something different without it. Recollect means to remember. Re-collect means to collect again. Recover means to get well or to regain. Re-cover means to cover again - as in reupholstering your couch. Reform means to change for the better. Re-form means to change the shape or configuration of something. Rerecord is just hard to read, and re-record is better. “Record again” is better yet. There is another consistent exception to the rule: if the word to which the prefix is attached is a proper name, the hyphen is required: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, anti-Parkinson medication, un-American activities (Oops, am I giving away my age?), pre-Billroth procedure, pro-British sentiment. Finally, a few prefixes are missing from our list because they are usually hyphenated. These include “self,” “ex,” and “all.” (“Ex” is an important element in many words - express, exhaust, exhume, expatriate. In those cases it is not hyphenated.) When the prefix is affixed, as in the following examples, the hyphen is required. All-encompassing, all-forgiving, ex-smoker, ex-husband, ex-mother-in-law,
self-inflicted, self-serving, self-absorbed, self-disciplined. ----------------------------- |
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