Diamond makes many arguments in “The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race” that are not reasonable or well supported.
Does well supported have a hyphen in it or not? Thanks!
Yes. Well-supported needs a hyphen because it's used as an adjective.
But isn't well an adverb? Isn't well answering how it is supported? Well.
Well is an adverb modifying the adjective supported.
However, my first advice is wrong. I'm sorry. In this sentence well supported does not need a hyphen.
A word such as well supported only needs a hyphen when it comes before the noun. A hyphen isn't needed when the adjective comes after the noun it modifies.
Check this site for more information.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_hyphen.html
Are you sure though because it is possible for adjectives to go after the noun.
There was a blue sky. (blue as an adjective is before sky as a noun)
The sky is blue. (blue adjective is after sky noun)
Ms. Sue is correct. The word "well" in this sentence is an adverb modifying the adjective (participle, actually) "supported" -- no hyphen is needed.
=)
To determine whether "well supported" should have a hyphen between the words, we can consult a dictionary or a style guide. In this case, "well supported" is an adjective phrase modifying the noun "arguments."
According to most style guides, when an adjective phrase comes before the noun it modifies, it is typically written with a hyphen. Therefore, in this case, "well-supported" would be the correct usage.
So, the statement would be: "Diamond makes many arguments in ‘The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race’ that are not reasonable or well-supported."
Remember, the use of hyphens can sometimes vary depending on the style guide or context, so it's always good to consult a specific style guide or the preferences of your intended audience for more precise guidance.