Final answer:
The compound adjective 'ear-splitting' in the student's sentence needs to be hyphenated to clarify that 'ear' and 'splitting' together modify 'music'. Experts suggest using earplugs to protect hearing health from loud noises.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hyphens are used to join two or more words serving as a single modifier before a noun. By adding hyphens to compound adjectives, we can clarify how they function in relation to the noun they modify. When multiple words compose a modifier that precedes a noun, we should use hyphens to link them.
For example, we change 'chocolate covered peanuts' to 'chocolate-covered peanuts' when 'chocolate-covered' acts as an adjective before the noun 'peanuts'. However, if the compound modifiers come after the noun they modify, we do not use a hyphen. Additionally, there is no need for a hyphen when each modifying word works independently to describe the noun.
Let's apply this to the student's sentence. The original sentence is:
'A temporary loss of hearing can result from exposure to ear splitting music at concerts.'
Here, 'ear-splitting' is a compound adjective describing the kind of music and therefore should be hyphenated:
'A temporary loss of hearing can result from exposure to ear-splitting music at concerts.'
Moreover, experts recommend the use of earplugs to protect against hearing loss when exposed to loud music, which is important to maintain hearing health.