Hyphens

Hyphens

Hyphens help make your writing clear by separating words or parts of words

A hyphen is a short dash - It's found next to the zero key on your keyboard.

• Use a hyphen in certain compound words (brother-in-law, self-confident) or in a compound adjective (That is an over-priced sweater.)

• Use a hyphen in compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine

• Use a hyphen in spelled-out fractions (one-half, three-fourths)

Multiple Choice

Which choice is correct?

• self-employed professional

• selfemployed professional

Multiple Choice

Which choice is correct?

• half dollar

• half-dollar

Multiple Choice

Which choice is correct?

• sixty-three

• sixty three

Multiple Choice

Which choice is correct?

• two thirds

• two-thirds

A little trick....

• To see if you need a hyphen or not between two words, try this:

• Read the words separately with the word they're describing. If they don't make sense separately, you need a hyphen between them. If they do make sense separately, you don't need a hyphen between them.

  
  

• For example, self motivated student. Try each describing word separately. Ask yourself: Is it a self student? Is it a motivated student? Well, the motivated part makes sense, but not the self student part. Therefore, you need to make it one word, self-motivated. Now, self-motivated student makes sense.

Use what you've learned about hyphens to answer the following questions.

Multiple Choice

Decide if the words need a hyphen between them.

• man eating tiger

• man-eating tiger

Multiple Choice

Decide if the words need a hyphen between them.

• forty seven

• forty-seven

Multiple Choice

Decide if the words need a hyphen between them.

• the well-behaved student

• the well behaved student

Multiple Choice

Decide if the words need a hyphen between them.

• one fourth

• one-fourth

Multiple Choice

Decide if the words need a hyphen between them.

• bright, happy faces

• bright-happy faces

Remember: you have to read it both ways: are they bright faces? Yes! Are they happy faces? Yes! Then you DON'T need a hyphen. Only use a hyphen if they don't make sense separately.

Good Job, Everyone! You are hard-working students!

See what I did with that! I added a hyphen:) I'm so clever:):)