Using Hyphens

Using Hyphens

In this lesson, we will:

• Learn how to use hyphens in several scenarios

• Practice with various examples

• Take a quiz at the end to show mastery

Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun:

• chocolate-covered cherries

• a well-known teacher

• a two-way street

However, when compound modifiers come after a noun, they are not hyphenated:

• The cherries were chocolate covered.

• The teacher is very well known.

Multiple Choice

The _____ classic "Black Beauty" was written by Anna Sewell.

• well loved

• well-loved

Use a hyphen with compound numbers:

• thirty-five

• ninety-seven

• Our much-loved ACT Prep teacher is forty-six years old.

Multiple Choice

_____ percent of students were hoping for another snow day.

• Ninety-nine

• Ninety nine

Use a hyphen to avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters:

• re-sign a petition (vs. resign from a job)

• semi-independent (but semiconscious)

• shell-like (but childlike)

Multiple Choice

I have a suspicion that this novel is _____.

• semiautobiographical

• semi-autobiographical

Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex- (meaning former), self-, all-; with the suffix -elect; between a prefix and a capitalized word; and with figures or letters:

• ex-husband, self-assured, all-inclusive

• mayor-elect

• mid-September, anti-American, pre-Civil War

• T-shirt, mid-1980s

Multiple Choice

In _____ you will get your _____ grades.

• mid February; mid-term

• mid-February; mid-term

• mid February, midterm

• mid-February; midterm

Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line if necessary, and make the break only between syllables:

• pref-er-ence

• sell-ing

• in-di-vid-u-al-ist

For line breaks, divide already-hyphenated words only at the hyphen:

• mass-produced

• self-conscious

For line breaks in words ending in -ing, if a single final consonant in the root word is doubled before the suffix, hyphenate between the consonants; otherwise, hyphenate at the suffix itself:

• plan-ning

• run-ning

• driv-ing

• call-ing

Never put the first or last letter of a word at the end or beginning of a line, and don't put two-letter suffixes at the beginning of a new line:

• lovely (Do not separate in a way which leaves ly beginning a new line.)

• eval-u-ate (Separate only on either side of the u; do not leave the initial e- at the end of a line.)

Multiple Choice

Which of these hyphenated words shows a good division from the end of the line to the beginning of the next line?

• quick-ly

• ans-wer

• t-he

• prob-lem

Multiple Choice

A talented pastry chef asked Abe to become _______ of her bakery.

• co owner

• coowner

• co-owner

Multiple Choice

The __________ camping trip was Kat's favorite part of summer vacation.

• one week

• one-week

Multiple Choice

Raul did hours of _________to decide which haircut would look best on his poodle.

• research

• re search

• re-search

Multiple Choice

Harry asked his friend to ________ the furniture so it wouldn't get dusty over the winter.

• recover

• re-cover

Multiple Choice

Which word is correctly hypenated? 

• tomorr-ow
• exciti-ng
• ba-ck
• al-ways

Multiple Choice

Where could you put a hyphen in the word Virginia in this sentence.....
We found many interesting things to do in Virginia.

• Vir-ginia
• Virgin-ia
• Virgini-a
• Do not hyphenate

Multiple Choice

What is the correct way to hyphenate luggage?

• l-uggage

• lugg-age

• lug-gage

• lugga-ge

Multiple Choice

Where do you always hyphenate a word?

• after the 1st 2 letters

• between syllables

• before the last 2 letters

• wherever it looks good

Multiple Choice

You need one-third of a cup of sugar for that recipe.

• one third
• of-a-cup
• one-third-of-a-cup
• Correct as is

Multiple Choice

Jim waved at his soon to be ex girlfriend.

• ex-girlfriend
• soon-to-be ex-girlfriend
• soon-to-be
• Correct as is

Multiple Choice

My nephew Garrett is eleven years old; his cousin is twenty years older.

• eleven-years-old
• eleven-years
• twenty-years
• Correct as is

Multiple Choice

My head was pounding, so I took some fast acting medicine.

• fast-acting

• fast-acting-medicine

• acting-medicine

• Correct as is

Need more help?

https://www.grammar-monster.com/punctuation/using_hyphens.htm