2.06 Adverbs in compounds

(a) Adverb-plus-participle compounds are among the most troublesome. Do not hyphenate those in which the adverb ends in ly:

• richly embroidered
• fully employed

In other cases, hyphenate before the noun:

• ever-changing tides
• far-reaching events
• ill-educated person
• well-fed cattle

Do not hyphenate when the compound follows the noun or pronoun and contains a past participle:

• She is well known.
• This applicant is ill suited for the job.

When the compound follows the noun or pronoun and contains a present participle, do not hyphenate if the participle has a verbal function, but hyphenate if it is adjectival in nature:

• The narrative is fast-moving. (adjectival)

but

• The narrative is fast moving toward a climax. (verbal)

(b) Do not hyphenate compounds consisting of an adverb or adverbial phrase plus an adjective (in that order) unless there is a danger of misreading:

• equally productive means
• a reasonably tall tree
• an all too complacent attitude

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