0

Last year I worked for X, a hat-trading company

or

Last year I worked for X, a hat trading company

For some reason I was inclined to go with the hyphenated version, which now seems wrong, but I'd like to be sure.

Helmar
  • 5,437
socrates
  • 1,309
  • Either one is fine, but I would go with the hyphen to link hat and trading together as a modifier of company. In your case, though, hat trading company makes perfect sense, as you are talking about a trading company that specializes in hats. The choice may depend on the context, e.g., on whether you are emphasizing company as part of a comparison of one type of company to another. – Richard Kayser Oct 01 '16 at 05:58

1 Answers1

0

Either one is fine, but I would go with the hyphen to link hat and trading together as a modifier of company. In your case, though, hat trading company makes perfect sense, as you are talking about a trading company that specializes in hats. The choice may depend on the context, e.g., on whether you are emphasizing company as part of a comparison of one type of company to another. – Richard Kayser

Helmar
  • 5,437
  • I would interpret a hat-trading company as a company that makes money trading hats , and a hat trading company as trading company that, among other items, trades hats.. Here is a clearer example. The nuclear power plant ordered five hundred-foot long rods, but it was sent five-hundred foot long rods. – Airymouse Nov 26 '16 at 14:17