Should the phrase "year long?" be hyphenated?

Question

My lecturer says it should be "year-long" but I think this is wrong. Could some one tell me who is right and why please!

Answer 1

I hope this will help http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_hyphen.html

The answer depends on the context but I think your lecturer is probably correct.

Answer 2

In general, when a pair of words conveys a single meaning they are usually hyphenated. However, when an expression becomes so commonplace that people instantly recognize it, it's customary to drop the hyphen. For example, electronic mail->e-mail->email.

In your case, I'd say that "year-long" is clearly more appropriate than "yearlong". I don't think "year long" would be correct, either. You're using a noun ("year") on an adjective ("long"), this doesn't make sense unless you hyphenate them.

All the above being said, English is not my mother language.

----- Edit:

I agree with Taz.

Answer 3

On the contrary! To die is a biological process. The cessation of existence is a metaphorical extension of the concept. That metaphor also implies a non-biological aspect of existence--a soul or spirit, if you will--because in most cases of death, there is definitely a continuation of existence, often as the sort of gruesome remains that keep the special-effects crews busy on "CSI" and "Bones." As to the metaphorical sense, we have no basis at all for assuming that passing out of our range of interaction actually means passing out of existence. You simply assume it, just as others assume an afterlife. On a less philosophical and more practical level, Christians understand what dying is. We just assert that it is no more permanent a state than our present life, and that Jesus both experienced death and demonstrated its impermanence. You may disagree, but it is unbelievably silly to assume that we don't understand what we're saying. You're arguing from willful ignorance of our position, just like the creationists who so frequently claim that the theory of evolution misunderstands the nature of life.

Answer 4

If it's a sentence like "all year long", then no. But if it's a sentence like "It was a year-long project", then it should be hyphenated.

Answer 5

I guess it might depend on the context as some of the other answers have said but i don't hypenate it and i've had stuff published. i hink "all year long" and "a year long project" would both not be.

Answer 6

Taz C has it. Another way of expressing it is that adjectival use should be hyphenated but adverbial not.

Answer 7

Yes, it's "year-long". Do you think you know better than your TEACHER?