Hello Dear Readers! It’s time for the Trifecta Writing challenge which is as follows:
This weekend we are bringing you back to class with a little refresher course on compound modifiers. We are talking about two words that combine together to describe something. Such as a well-rounded individual or a one-way street or a lightly-oiled pan. Here’s a fun Trifextra trick: conventionally, if the compound modifier comes BEFORE the word it modifies, it requires a hyphen and counts as one word. If it comes AFTER the noun, it doesn’t need a hyphen and counts as two. For example:
The well-read woman had an extensive vocabulary. (7 words)
The woman was well read and had an extensive vocabulary. (10 words)
. . . . Because it’s only 33 words, we’ll count using our eyeballs instead of our machines, counting each hyphenated modifier as one word. We encourage you to do so as well.
I’d Rather Be Hyphenating
Eyeball-counting editors
They certainly excel
At counting words upon the page
And other things as well
A hyphenated modifier
Never counts as two
As long as dashy-little lines
Are stuck between the two.
Photo Credit: No one will admit to it.
Until next time . . . I love you
Linda Vernon Humor 
I love this. It’s simple, geeky and brilliant. 😀
Hannah, thank you so much! I love you comment! 😀
Brilliant! A joy to English teachers everywhere.
Thank you, TW!
hahahahahaha
Glad you enjoyed it, Sam! 😀
Love this Linda! Love the idea of eyeball-counting editors especially. So much fun to read!
Thank you Suzanne. This challenge was really fun! 😀
Loved it! 🙂
Thank you Tessa! 😀
if you post 33 pictures of you reading the story, I think each counts as one word, each a funnily-written word!
(Poor midget…)
Ah Guap. Your comment is the perfect start to my week. But all those “pictures” might make the internet freeze up. (And who could blame it?)
Al Gore to the rescue! He’ll fix the internet! (After all, he invented it.)
(And while he’s at it, do you think you could get him to replace all those cat pics with funyon recipes?)
Hahahahaha! Now I’m in the mood for my day! Hahaha!
Brilliant!
Bucky!! Thank you!! 😀
Love the poem and the drawing. Of course the coffee stain was perfect, I just wonder if its a cyber scam. After all, if you put coffee stains between each word and didn’t get caught, you could submit a 66 word piece!
LOL Lumdog! For such a good writer, you certainly have excellent math skills! 😀
Cute! Dashy-little lines – love it!
Ah so glad you liked it Steph! 😀
Linda,you have outdone yourself this time around-if this is not on the winning list then I will be shell-shocked(No need to harp on my not having a shell,ok,now?lol)But serious;y,I love so many things about this piece-first the tongue in cheek humour,second ,ofc the fab writing,third the amazing illustration & last but not the least,the hilarious comment you added below the illustration!Hats off to you my dear friend ((hugs))
Oh Atreyee! Gosh I love you comment!! xoxo And thank you so much for this fabulous comment! And I’m totally thrilled that I did get third this week! How about that?
LOL! The story of the walk in closet midget made me laugh. I for one, reserve the right to randomly use dashes and hyphens. I have no memory for the rules so I do what ever looks good. haha! Thanks for the tip but I’m afraid as soon as I read it, I had already forgotten it. Sadly, my brain returns to its eighth grade functioning at the mention of any grammar rules. I have a spotless mind when it comes to things like compound modifiers. 😉
LOL!! I have a spotless mind too, Lisa! And in matters of math as well. And I think you could throw history in there too. Everything I know now is only temporary and provided by the magic of Google!
Oooo I like this one 😀
Thanks Draug!
Perfect! 😀
Thanks Dianne! 😀
HAHAHAHA!! Which editor is that? I love this.
So glad you like it! And thrilled to make the cut! 😀
I-got-a-word-for-you-courtesy-of-the-hyphen-I enjoyed-it.
Hahaha! 😀 Glad you it Ann!
You are too funny 🙂
Glad you liked this Janna!:D
rhyming two with two is not what poetry is four.
LOL!! I didn’t even notice that!! You win the comment award Chamblee!
Hahaha, plus a tiny dig at the editors. hahaha.
Ha ha! Perhaps a teeny tiny one . . . 😀
this is brilliant!! I loved every word (how many were there? 😉
LOL Kir!! HA! 😀 Thanks for coming by and checking it out!
Good job on the win.
Thanks Sam! 😀
Love! Congrats!
Oh Kelly thank you!!! 😀
Trifecta challenge redefined … loved it ! Congrates too … 🙂
Ah thank you Shreya. So glad you liked it! 😀
Sheer genius!
Viv! Thank you! 😀
Well-done, Linda! Right down to the pen-and-ink drawing. Duh, how about that redundant little cliche? Congrats on your 3rd place win.
Ah! Thank you rangewriter! 😀