Editor's Corner

Happy Thursday, my friends! We’re a few steps closer to the weekend and I have another tip for you: when a measurement is used as an adjective, use a hyphen. For example:

· You cannot send a 10-megabyte file through email. (10-megabyte is an adjective modifying the noun file.)

· If the file is 20 megabytes or larger, you should not send it through email. (In this case, megabyte is a noun and 20 is an adjective.)

· The recipe calls for a 5-quart saucepan. (5-quart is an adjective modifying the noun saucepan.)

· The recipe calls for 5 quarts of rum. (In this case, quart is a noun and 5 is an adjective.)

· Mrs. Crabapple asked each of us for a 7-page essay on our favorite activities of the summer. (7-page is an adjective modifying the noun essay.)

· Mrs. Crabapple had to read 7 pages of malarkey from each student on what they did over the summer. (In this case, page is a noun and 7 is an adjective.)

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory