Q. There is one type of compound adjective that has been causing me grief, and I was hoping you might be able to clarify it
for me: “high–molecular weight hydrocarbon” or “high-molecular-weight
hydrocarbon” or “high molecular weight hydrocarbon”? The
sentence, for context: Following flocculation using a high-molecular-weight, medium-charge density polyacrylamide flocculent
at optimal dosage, the filterability of flocculated sediments from tailings containing an intermediate fines content of solids
from 10 to 20 wt. % was improved drastically. Thank you kindly!
A. In my experience, flocculating almost always leads to trouble. Although your version with the en dash is technically correct,
it doesn’t make clear how many of the words following are included in the compound. I would write instead
“high-molecular-weight hydrocarbon” to clarify what goes with what, just as you
did by writing “medium-charge density polyacrylamide flocculent” (lest we misread
“medium charge-density”).
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Hi, CMOS: I work in India, and we’ve been going back and forth over whether or not to hyphenate “ebook” for the US version of some marketing material. The British version does not hyphenate it, but Merriam-Webster does. Wired magazine, interestingly, has it both ways, and the CNET website hyphenates. Do you have a recommendation as to how to make an editorial decision when there is no fixed house style and when there’s really no clear consensus on how to proceed?
A. Flip a coin? If authorities disagree, that’s where your editorial judgment and aesthetic preferences come into play. Just decide what you like best and note it in your style guide.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. MS Word changes two hyphens to the solid-line em dash. What do editors and copyeditors prefer? Thanks.
A. If your copy will be typeset, then it doesn’t matter: both versions signal the typesetter to set an
em dash. If your Word doc is the finished product, however, go with the real thing.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I realize that the rules regarding hyphenation are fluid, but I was wondering if you could clarify an issue that has been
bothering me. Is there a good way to know when to hyphenate two words serving as an adjective, especially when ambiguity could
be an issue? For example, would the phrase “foreign language skills” be hyphenated?
What about “large book sale”? Could this second phrase be interpreted as “a
sale of large books” instead of “a large sale of books”?
A. If a hyphen can save you from ambiguity, then go for it. That’s what hyphens are for. If a hyphen wouldn’t
help (as in “large book sale”), then rephrasing as you have done will fix the
problem.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. There has been an increase in the use of green to mean “ecofriendly.” Should we place green in quotation marks when used in this manner? Does it depend on the sentence?
A. Usually the context makes the meaning clear without quotation marks, but if you think there is a possibility of confusion,
use them the first time the word appears. If you’ve already used words like ecofriendly, there’s probably no need.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. If court testimony is being quoted and the speaker does not often use correct grammar (repeats words, speaks in sentence
fragments or sentences that don’t logically follow, etc.), is it okay to change it extensively and use
brackets to indicate the changes? Would a general disclaimer work?
A. It depends on your purpose. As a rule, court testimony must be rendered as spoken (as far as possible), because users require
it to be accurate, not laundered through the preferences and judgments of an editor. In work that’s
not legal or scholarly you can take more liberties (with a disclaimer), although if your changes are that extensive, paraphrases
would probably be more elegant and readable.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. My question is regarding page numbers in references. If we have pages ranging from 315 to 317, it is my understanding this
should read as 315–7. Now let’s say a journal article is from pages 310 to 319.
Does it matter that there is a zero in the beginning page number? Is the proper format 310–9 or 310–19?
Someone has informed me that if a zero occurs in the beginning page, we must skip a number back in the ending page. That would
mean 310–19, rather than 310–9.
A. There are several ways to condense inclusive numbers. Chicago’s preferred method renders your ranges
315–17 and 310–19 (using en dashes), but one of two alternative methods that we
describe would include only the changed part: 315–7 and 310–9. (The other alternative
is to include all digits.) This method, though economical, is not as easy to interpret as Chicago’s
preferred method. Please see the table in the numbers chapter of CMOS for instructions.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I am editing a collection of poems. My poet is inclined to use ellipses and em dashes extensively and incorrectly. I argued
that this will detract from the manuscript and be distracting for readers. She argued that it’s a style
thing and I shouldn’t change it. Who is right? Does the poet get complete license?
A. Poets do tend to resist editing—they’re so sure that everything they do is inspired
by genius. Fortunately, readers tend to buy into this. Your role is just to query and then let it go.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. For Chicago style, is there a mandate on whether a paper clip or staple should be used?
A. In manuscript preparation, paper clips work well; binder clips and rubber bands are ideal. Such WMDs as staples should never
be used. Never. If one lands on your desk, it should be dismantled immediately. [SAFETY ALERT: Proceed with caution. May
result in torn documents and/or personal injury unless performed by a professional trained in the use of the proper device
(and probably even then).]
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Dear CMOS: My author uses 9/11 as a shorthand to refer to the September 11 attacks. When this is being used in the phrase “post-9/11
world,” wouldn’t an en dash be more appropriate than a hyphen because post has to bridge 9/11, which is shorthand for two words?
A. The purpose of an en dash in connecting a prefix and an open compound is to prevent the prefix from appearing to go with
only the first word of the compound: post-heart surgery diet is less clear than post–heart surgery diet (or post-heart-surgery diet). Because 9/11 is not an open compound, the en dash isn’t necessary for reading comprehension.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]