For general rules concerning hyphens in compound words look up Apostrophes under Punctuation in Grammar Slammer or Grammar Slammer Deluxe . English grammar terminology comes largely from Latin, and over the centuries there have been problems trying to fit English to a Latin mold. This is a distinct contrast to the traditional idea that the predicate of a sentence contains everything except the complete subject. The second installment will present some ideas on modification that show how the three-part sentence structure makes more sense in English. Few third graders understand what modification means, but they all know what description means.
Modification means change.
The word box is a visual concept. Adding the word re d changes the concept. Almost all of our language is modification. An understanding of modification, both adjectival and adverbial, contributes greatly to an understanding of how our language works. The fact that many textbook authors do not understand modification can be seen in exercises such as these taken from a grammar text.