This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
As we navigate the complexities of language, it's essential to understand the nuances of adjectives and how they are used in writing. In Kenya, the use of hyphens and dashes is often a source of confusion, but with this guide, you'll be able to master the art of adjectives and use these punctuation marks correctly.
Hyphens are used to join two different words to form one word, without leaving space between them. For example, 'two-thirds' is a compound number formed using a hyphen. On the other hand, dashes are used to show a break in the line of thought of a writer, to explain or shed more light on the preceding sentence. There must be space between the words they join, as seen in the example 'Joseph Mwangi - the father of Beatrice - is a very good man.'
Compound adjectives are made up of more than one adjective linked by a hyphen to form a single adjective. For instance, 'fast-acting drug' is a compound adjective formed by linking the adjectives 'fast' and 'acting' with a hyphen. However, when adjectives are formed from proper nouns, the use of a hyphen is normally overridden. For example, 'They were able to secure a scholarship from the Nelson Mandela foundation.'
Another notable thing is that when italics are used within a sentence to create a compound adjective, and when adjectives within a sentence are enclosed in quotation marks, the need for a hyphen is also overridden. For example; 'Though prima facie evidence points to the stowaway on KQ flight being Paul Manyasi, his parents dispute it.'
Adjectives can be classified into several categories, including demonstrative, interrogative, possessive, indefinite, and enumeration adjectives. Demonstrative adjectives are made up of the words 'these', 'those', 'that', and 'this', which are used to modify both nouns and pronouns. For example, 'This/that car is mine', 'This is the right key', or 'these are the right keys.'
Indefinite adjectives describe nouns in a non-specific manner by employing the words 'each', 'any', 'many', 'most', 'several', and 'each'. For example, 'Not many people have backed the DPs complaint about violence in the Kibra by election' or 'Several people took part in the race on Mombasa Road.'
Enumeration adjectives are used to list items in a sequence, and they are often used with a comma to separate the items. For example, 'Daring, combative, fearless Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala' is an example of enumeration adjectives used to describe a person.
Finally, hyphens are used to tell people's ages, for instance 'A two-month-old baby was abandoned on the road.' While referring to age, use two hyphens as indicated above, not one.
Mr. Chagema is a correspondent for The Standard.
