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There's an old saying, "When a pickpocket looks at a man, all he sees is his pockets." I've certainly found that to be true. As a writer and editor, when I look at writing, sometimes all I see are the grammatical errors.
In the past twenty-four hours, I've noticed at least fifty of them in various places! I'm not looking for these mistakes; I just can't help spotting them.
Below are three of the grammatically incorrect sentences I just happened to notice. See if you can spot the error(s) in each:
Ocean going container ships carry a huge number of containers.
(From an online article)
The winners of our Over 60 Art Competition are joyfully obsessed now that they're free to devote themselves
to making art.
(From The Artist's Magazine)
There will be a twenty-five dollar charge
for no show appointments.
(Sign at a doctor's office)
Did you spot the grammatical errors? Here are the corrections:
- Oceangoing container ships ...
- ...our Over-60 Art Competition...
- ...a twenty-five-dollar charge for no-show appointments."
 Notice that all of these errors relate to compound terms - whether to spell as two words, hyphenate, or close up as one word. According to The Chicago Manual of Style, considered by many to be the leading American authority on writing style, compound words are one of the most troublesome issues confronting writers and editors. In fact, the CMOS devotes more than eight pages to the subject.
I don't want you, dear reader of The Write Stuff, to appear ignorant, so this month I'm offering some tips on compound words that will cover most situations. You might want to print out and save the following information to serve as a handy reference:
Tip 1: Compound words used to modify a noun are usually hyphenated:
- Adjective + noun: High-quality products; part-time job
- Adjective + participle: Tight-lipped person; high-jumping grasshoppers
- Noun + participle: Baby-faced gangster; technology-challenged parent
- Adjective + gerund: Decision-making body; prize-winning author
- Participle + noun: Cutting-edge technology
- Number or ordinal + noun or superlative: 3rd-floor apartment; third-floor apartment; 250-page book; 2nd-best cook; second-best cook
However, hyphens are omitted when compounds are not used as adjectives:
- The products are high quality.
- The person is tight lipped.
- The gangster was baby faced.
- The body is good at decision making.
- The technology was cutting edge.
- The cook was second best.
Tip 2: Adverbs ending in ly + participle or adjective are open:
Highly paid; utterly useless
Tip 3: Adverbs not ending in ly are treated in the same way
as adjectives.
Much-loved person; well-read child
However, least and most are usually open:
Least likely solution; most efficient method
Tip 4: Percentages are always open:
10 percent raise
When in doubt, consult your dictionary.
For example, it will tell you that the compound of ocean and going is oceangoing, not ocean-going.
If you follow the above rules, you'll be a first class writer.
Ooops! I meant to say that you'll be a first-class writer!
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My office is conveniently located on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. 
If so, I'm here to help. In this month's issue of the Write Stuff, you'll learn how to avoid one of the most common grammatical errors committed by educated people. 
What is coaching?