I like to eschew hyphens at all costs if they don't provide clarity. That said, would you consider these correct? 20-25 year old men 20-25 year olds (hope this can't be misconstrued as twenty to twenty-five 1-year-olds). But if a range is not used we use hyphens, correct? 25-year-old men 25-year-olds Also, I think.these ranges are clear, minus the hyphens in the compound modifiers. Good? For the ranges, exclude the hyphens; for the singular entities, include them (as exampled below): a 10-20% a year increase in sales a $3-$5 million a year contract a $20,000-$30,000 per year raise a 10-12 foot gap (a 12-foot gap) a 10-12 foot long gap (but: a 12-foot-long gap) a 10-20 mile hike (but: a 20-mile hike) a 1-2 liter bottle (but: a 2-liter bottle) 35-40, 45-50, and 55-60 year old men a 6-12 inch pipe (but: a 12-inch pipe) My question: Do you agree with the punctuation in all my examples (plus the ones in parentheses) above? Thanks.
