2.03 Nouns with adjectives and participles

(a) Hyphenate noun-plus-adjective compounds (in that order), whether used attributively or predicatively:

• duty-free goods
  • The goods were duty-free.
• tax-exempt bonds
  • The bonds are tax-exempt.

(b) Hyphenate noun-plus-participle compounds regardless of the position:

• snow-capped mountains
  • The mountains are snow-capped.
• a time-consuming activity
  • This activity is time-consuming.

Hyphenate noun-plus-participle compounds, Exceptions

There are a number of them, including handmade and handwritten.

(c) Do not hyphenate noun-plus-gerund compounds (present participle used as a noun); they may be written as one or as separate words:

• decision making
• power sharing
• problem solving
• deficit spending

• housekeeping
• shipbuilding
• sightseeing
• cabinetmaking

Do not hyphenate noun-plus-gerund compounds, Exceptions

• foot-dragging
• gut-wrenching

See 2.04 Compound adjectives; adjectives and participles in compounds(e) for such compounds used adjectivally.

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