Numbers as Adjectives
Taken from Jane Strauss – Grammarbook.com
When are hyphens used with numbers? Is it 13 feet or 13-feet;?
Generally, we hyphenate between two or more adjectives when
they come before a noun and act as a single idea.
The rule can also be applied when a number and a measurement
unit taken together form an adjective, that is, when they
describe another object.
Examples:
A 22-inch monitor is too big for my desk.
>>>> 22-inch describes the monitor = another object
Nurses work 12-hour shifts.
Anty swung his five-pound hammer.
When measurements are not acting as adjectives, hyphens are
not needed.
Examples:
Sue won the race by 25 yards.
Twelve hours later, we were exhausted.
Anty's hammer weighs five pounds.
EXERCISE
1. A. I can't believe she wrote a 33-page treatise on how to screw a light bulb.
1. B. I can't believe she wrote a 33 pages treatise on how to screw a light bulb.
2. A. Harry found a 110-year-old book at the flea market.
2- B. Harry found a 110 year old book at the flea market.
3. A. Harry found a book that must have been 110-years-old at the flea market.
3. B. Harry found a book that must have been 110 years old at the flea market.
4. A. I can't believe she wrote 33-pages on how to screw a light bulb.
4. B. I can't believe she wrote 33 pages on how to screw a light bulb.
5. A. The girl said,“I'm six and three quarters years old.”
5. B. The girl said, “I'm six and three-quarters years old.”
5. C. The little girl said,“I'm six-and-three-quarters years old.”
6. A. Danny said she would not touch the garbage can with a 10 foot pole.
6. B. Danny said she would not touch the garbage can with a 10-foot pole.
6. C. Danny said she would not touch the garbage can with a 10-foot-pole.
7. A. Sue had her hair cut six inches last week.
7. B. Sue had her hair cut six-inches last week.
8. A. My favourite dessert is the seven layer chocolate cake.
8. B. My favourite dessert is the seven-layer chocolate cake.
8. C. My favourite dessert is the seven-layer-chocolate cake.
9. A. Sany pretended not to see Leni, even though she was only four feet away.
9. B. Sany pretended not to see Leni, even though she was only four-feet away.
9. C. Sany pretended not to see Leni, even though she was only four-feet-away.
10. A. Her shoes had three inch heels.
10. B. Her shoes had three-inch heels.
10. C. Her shoes had three-inch-heels.
11. A. Ella continued on her two month long journey.
11. B. Ella continued on her two-month long journey.
11. C. Ella continued on her two-month-long journey.
12. A. Can you lend me your five foot tape measure?
12. B. Can you lend me your five-foot tape measuer?
12. C. Can you lend me your five-foot-tape measure?
13. A. It is normal to work an eight hour day.
13. B. It is normal to work an eight-hour day.
13. C. It is normal to work an eight-hour-day.
14. A. For the printer, use 8.5 by 11 inch paper.
14. B. For the printer, use 8.5 by 11-inch paper.
14. C. For the printer, use 8.5-by-11-inch paper.
15. A. Our dog weighed only two pounds as a puppy.
15. B. Our dog weighed only two-pounds as a puppy.
16. A. My neighbour paid me to babysit her ten year old daughter.
16. B. My neighbour paid me to babysit her ten-year old daughter.
16. C. My neighbour paid me to babysit her ten-year-old daughter.
17. A. I am 5 feet 2 inches in my bare feet.
17. B. I am 5-feet 2-inches in my bare feet.
17. C. I am 5-feet-2-inches in my bare feet.
18. A. My roommate baked seventy two cheese balls for the party.
18. B. My roommate baked seventy-two cheese balls for the party.
18. C. My roommate baked seventy-two-cheese-balls for the party.
19. A. The water level rose 10 inches in just three hours.
19. B. The water level rose 10-inches in just three hours.
19. C. The water level rose 10-inches in just three-hours.
KEY
1. A 33-page is a compound adj. and it has to be hyphenated. Don't hyphenate between the adj.
and the noun (treatise).
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. B When a number is used as a noun (six years old) don't use a hyphen. However, hyphenate
all spelled fractions (three-quarters).
6. B When combining two or more words to form a compound adj. in front of a noun, put
hyphens between, but do not hyphenate onto the noun itself.
7. A No hyphen between a single adj. and a noun.
8. B Put hyphens between words when forming a compound adj. Cake is the noun. Chocolate is
an adj. but it is not part of seven-layer. Between a single adj. and a noun there is no hyphen
9. A No hyphen between a single adj. and a noun
10. B A compound adj. in front of a noun is hyphenated. Do not hyphenate onto the noun.
11. C When combining two or more words to form a compound adj. in front of a noun, put
hyphen between these words. The noun is “journey”.
12. B five-foot is a compound adj. in front of the noun “tape measure”. The word tape is an adj.
but it is not part of five-foot. Do not hyphenate between a single adj. and a noun.
13. B eight-hour is a compound adj.; day is the noun.
14. C Put hyphens between words to form a compound adj. The noun in this case is paper.
15. A Do NOT hyphenate between a single adj. and a noun.
16. C ten-year-old is a (hyphenated) compound adj; daughter is the noun.
17. A When numbers are used as nouns, don't use a hyphen.
18. B Hyphenate all compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine. Hyphenate
compound adjectives placed in front of a noun. Cheese is also an adj., but it is not acting as one
idea with seventy-two. The noun is balls.
19. A When numbers are used as nouns (10 inches), don't use a hyphen. Also don't hyphenate
between a single adj. and a noun