One must regard the hyphen as a blemish to be avoided whenever possible.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Churchill suggests that hyphens should be used sparingly in writing to maintain clarity and elegance.
- In plain terms
- Avoid using hyphens unless absolutely necessary.
- What can you take from it?
- Use hyphens only when they prevent ambiguity.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is a hyphen necessary?
- How does punctuation affect tone?
Another view
Modern style guides often require hyphens for compound modifiers.
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