Thursday, July 23, 2015

grammar - What (if any) is the proper hyphenation for the phrase "it's all too easy"?




Are any of the following correct?




It's all too-easy
It's all-too-easy
It's all too easy





Explanation/citations would be greatly appreciated


Answer



There is no need to hyphenate the phrase unless it is used either as a compound noun or as a compound adjective.



As a compound noun, it is likely to be a nickname, in which case, capitalise the initial letters:






  • It's All-Too-Easy (as in names such as John-Paul, or Maria-Luisa)

  • It's 'All Too Easy' (as a nickname) and It's All Too Easy (as a non-hyphenated name) would both also be acceptable.



As a compound adjective, it would need a determiner before it, e.g.,




  • It's the all-too-easy solution to all our problems. Don't you believe it.




ADDITION:



In the plural, eg 'all-too-easy solutions' no determiner is needed, as Kris commented, below.


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