Grammar Question

[Sylvus]

We're in the process of reviewing the proofs for our wedding invitation, one line says:

"Saturday, June Twenty Sixth"

Should that be:

"Saturday, June Twenty-Sixth"

?

Having trouble finding a definitive answer either way, I've seen both throughout the internets.

Anyone know for sure?

[Funkmasterr]

This sums up pretty much how I view hyphenation:

The places where it does matter are summarized in the Oxford Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage (2004), the most important being

1. to make clear the unifying of the sense in compound expressions such as punch-drunk, cost-benefit analysis, or weight-carrying, or compounds in attributive use (that is, in front of the noun), as in an up-to-date list or the well-known performer;
2. to join a prefix to a proper name (e.g. anti-Darwinian);
3. to avoid misunderstanding by distinguishing phrases such as twenty-odd people and twenty odd people, or a third-world conflict and a third world conflict;
4. to clarify the use of a prefix, as in recovering from an illness and re-covering an umbrella;
5. to clarify compounds with similar adjacent sounds, such as sword-dance, co-opt, tool-like.
6. to represent the use of a common element in a list of compounds, such as four-, six-, and eight-legged animals.
7. in dividing a word across a line-break. Guidance on word division is given in reference books such as the Oxford Colour Spelling Dictionary (1996).

To be clear my answer is no, you should not hyphenate.

[Xatrei]

I was always taught to hyphenate numbers when written out and dealing with tens (higher than twenty, obviously), but not the higher portions of a written-out number such as hundreds or thousands (e.g. sixty-seven, one hundred sixty-seven). I was also taught to use a comma between thousands and hundreds (e.g. five thousand, seven hundred twenty-two).

For your specific dilemma, though, I'd look at other sample invitations from your (or any other) supplier and do what they do so that you don't look silly to your guests.

(hint: the handful that I just looked at were all hyphenated)

[Winnow]

BORING!

Give the date in binary and make them work for it. They're getting free food and booze after all.

01010011011000010111010001110101011100100110010001100001011110010010110000100000
01001010011101010110111001100101001000000101010001110111011001010110111001110100
01111001001000000101001101101001011110000111010001101000

[miir]

Writing out 'Twenty Sixth' looks pretentious.
It should be 26th

[Ashur]

http://www.grammarbook.com/numbers/numbers.asp

Rule 15. Hyphenate all compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine.
Examples: Forty-three persons were injured in the train wreck.
Twenty-three of them were hospitalized.

P.S.It's supposed to be pretentious! It's a wedding invitation!

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

It's Michigan.....does not matter what it says, they won't be able to read it.

[Funkmasterr]

Sylvus, just remember to think long and hard before you take grammar advice from a Canadian

[Xouqoa]

I think the real question is whether or not it should have the "th" at the end.

[Funkmasterr]

I think the real question is whether or not it should have the "th" at the end.

Oh it most certainly should!

[Aslanna]

In this one instance I agree with Funkmasterr

[Xatrei]

The askoxford.com site has some predictable uses of hyphenated written compound numbers. Maybe they aren't as skilled at the English language as our dear Funkmasterr.

Google search: site:askoxford.com twenty-five

[Funkmasterr]

[miir]

[Leonaerd]

You'll receive fewer cheap gifts if you spell it out without the hyphen.

[Funkmasterr]

orly

[masteen]

It absolutely should.

[Zaelath]

That's not really grammar, that's style.

I don't agree that twenty-sixth should be hyphenated any more than one-thousand-four-hundred-and-twenty-sixth, and you will find that varies between style manuals. Per most things in the english language, nothing is incorrect any more anyway; if Jesus's and Jesus' are both correct, this is merely frippery!

[Xyun]

26th

[masteen]

That's not really grammar, that's style.

It's neither. It's spelling.

one-thousand-four-hundred-and-twenty-sixth, and you will find that varies between style manuals. Per most things in the english language, nothing is incorrect any more anyway; if Jesus's and Jesus' are both correct, this is merely frippery!

That is blatantly incorrect since "and" is only used in this context for denoting decimal or fractional values. All compound numerals from twenty-one (twenty-first) through ninety-nine (ninety-ninth) should be hyphenated. The correct way to write out 1426 is one thousand four hundred twenty-sixth. This isn't a matter of style, anything else is WRONG.

If anyone is too stupid to handle these simple rules, please stick with 26th.

[pyrella]

THE SATURDAY TO END ALL SATURDAYS....IN JUNE....OF 2010

[Aslanna]

JUNE HAS 4 SATURDAYS!

[Spang]

Have the wedding on June 5th or 12th.

[Sylvus]

Turns out it was a typo on the proof; they meant to write "June Twenty-Sixth". But this thread made me point it out to them, so thanks, all!

[Dregor Thule]

26rd

[Chidoro]

You really have free reign with wedding invitations. Style definitely plays a role. I've seen invitations where lettering is all lower case, ones with no punctuation, etc.
I say just do what your fiance prefers with this stuff. If she wants a hyphen, give the lady a hyphen.

[masteen]

You really have free reign with wedding invitations. Style definitely plays a role. I've seen invitations where lettering is all lower case, ones with no punctuation, etc.
I say just do what your fiance prefers with this stuff. If she wants a hyphen, give the lady a hyphen.

It starts with a hyphen. Left unchecked, instead of a beautiful and classic wedding, you end up with this:

Chav001.jpg

A line must be drawn somewhere!

[Kwonryu DragonFist]

Have it say 27th