as-told-to essay: rules for hyphenating noun phrases

The rules for hyphenating noun phrases, especially compound modifiers, like “as-told-to essay.”

 

e.g., 

Sue Campbell moved to Hong Kong in 2010 as a managing director (MD) for a managing consultancy.

 

She said that in China, (1) employees were conscious of hierarchy and junior workers spoke up less. 

(2) Campbell highly recommended living in Asia, saying the experience improved her confidence. 

 

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Sue Campbell, 58, about relocating to China for work. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I worked in China for 8 years. These 3 differences set the work culture apart from the Western world.https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/i-worked-in-china-for-8-years-these-3-differences-set-the-work-culture-apart-from-the-western-world/ar-BB1oQX6I?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=60a41d3e3319493ca65c9e2dc9b82b65&ei=117 

 

General Rule: Use hyphens in compound adjectives before a noun.

When two or more words work together as a single adjective modifying a noun, you hyphenate them.

Examples:

• well-known author (but: the author is well known)

• full-time job

• once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

• as-told-to essay = an essay that is told (or narrated) by someone to a writer, not authored solo

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Rule Application in Your Example:

“This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation…”

Here, "as-told-to" acts as a compound adjective modifying “essay,” so it’s correctly hyphenated.

Without the hyphen, "as told to essay" would be grammatically jarring—like a noun + clause mash-up.

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Don’t hyphenate when:

1. The phrase follows the noun.

   • Correct: The essay is as told to the writer.

   • Incorrect: The essay is as-told-to the writer.

2. The first word ends in -ly (adverb + adjective).

   • highly-recommended book → highly recommended book

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Tips:

• Use a hyphen if misunderstanding is possible.

  • A “small business owner” ≠ a “small-business owner.”

• When in doubt, test if the phrase answers "what kind of ___?"

  • What kind of essay? → An as-told-to essay.

    common hyphenated noun phrases (compound modifiers) often used in business writing, journalism, and professional communication.

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    Reference Table: Hyphenated Compound Modifiers

    Hyphenated Phrase	Used Before Noun	Used After Noun (No Hyphen)
    as-told-to	as-told-to essay	The essay was as told to the reporter.
    well-known	well-known expert	The expert is well known.
    fast-growing	fast-growing market	The market is growing fast.
    decision-making	decision-making process	The process involves decision making.
    high-level	high-level meeting	The meeting was high level.
    low-cost	low-cost alternative	The alternative is low cost.
    long-term	long-term goals	The goals are long term.
    short-term	short-term solution	The solution is short term.
    real-time	real-time analytics	The analytics run in real time.
    full-time / part-time	full-time job / part-time employee	She works full time.
    start-up	start-up company	She launched a start-up. (noun also hyphenated)
    customer-facing	customer-facing role	The role is customer facing.
    user-friendly	user-friendly interface	The interface is user friendly.
    data-driven	data-driven strategy	The strategy is data driven.
    state-of-the-art	state-of-the-art design	The design is state of the art.
    cost-effective	cost-effective method	The method is cost effective.
    cross-functional	cross-functional team	The team is cross functional.
    in-depth	in-depth analysis	The analysis is in depth.
    hands-on	hands-on experience	She has experience that is hands on.

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    Key Reminders

  • Before the noun? → Use hyphen: a fast-paced environment.

  • After the noun? → No hyphen: The environment is fast paced.

  • Avoid hyphens with adverbs ending in -ly: a highly skilled leader, not highly-skilled leader.