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Caro
Caro asked in Education & ReferenceWords & Wordplay · 8 years ago

do i have to use a hyphen here?

i am writing 'free of cost',

should it be 'free-of-cost'?

thank you

5 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    You could just say "free", you know, but otherwise there are two ways to use this phrase. Either "This item will be sent to you free of cost"; or "This is a free-of-cost item." A more usual phrase is "free of charge."

  • MsBittner
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    Cara's nailed it. You have a temporary compound adjective. You hyphenate them when they appear before the noun they describe, but not afterward, unless it's necessary for clarity.

  • jiexing tan
    Lv 4
    8 years ago

    free of cost or cost-free.

    Similar term:

    care-free or free from care.

  • Jaymie
    8 years ago

    Hyphens here are grammatically incorrect, and just plain funny-looking.

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  • Anonymous
    8 years ago

    That has no hyphens

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