Some English grammar rules are lesser known but still essential for polished writing. Avoiding hyphenated words at the end of a sentence is one of them. Most hyphenated words are modifiers, meaning they describe the noun that follows. For example, “They bought a single-family home” uses the hyphenated compound modifier “single-family” to describe the type of home. In English, modifiers (also known as adjectives) almost always appear before the noun.
Now rearrange that example: “The home they bought was single-family.” Native English speakers instinctively expect a noun to follow the modifier. Even though nothing is technically missing, it still reads as though a final word has been left out. That’s why ending a sentence with a compound modifier should be avoided.
Some terms exist in two forms, such as “fairy tale” and “fairy-tale.” The former is a noun referring to a story, while the latter is an adjective that modifies a noun. “It was a fairy-tale romance” is more natural than “The romance was fairy-tale.” The hyphenated form signals that another word should follow. However, saying, “Before she went to bed, Sally read a fairy tale,” is correct, because the final term is a noun and doesn’t require a hyphen. It can end the sentence naturally.
If a hyphenated word forms a compound noun rather than a modifier, it also can close a sentence without issue. For instance, “I called my mother-in-law” or “I met the governor-elect” are perfectly fine, despite ending with a hyphenated word. These are nouns, not compound modifiers that require an additional noun. In most cases, the part of speech is the key to correct placement, but when in doubt about these guidelines, rephrase the sentence to avoid a hyphenated ending.
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