Hyphens

Hyphens

Hyphens

​Rule 1

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

• a one-way street

• chocolate-covered peanuts

• well-known author

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

The yellow-haired cat hid under the couch.

"Yellow-Haired" is a compound __________?

• Noun

• Adjective

Fill in the Blanks

Rewrite this sentence using hyphen to avoid ambiguity.

Jet was a green eyed cat.

Multiple Choice

Though these conversation methods can be costly and time consuming, they are well worth the effort.

• Though these conversation methods can be costly and time consuming;

• Though these conversation methods can be costly- and time- consuming,

• Though these conversation methods can be costly and time-consuming,

• No change

Fill in the Blanks

Rewrite this sentence using hyphen to avoid ambiguity.

I liked the two seater cars best.

Fill in the Blanks

Rewrite this sentence using hyphen to avoid ambiguity.

Joe was a quick thinking child.

Multiple Choice

Which of the below sentences correctly uses hyphens?

• I am excited to-play the piano.

• George smelled nasty-after soccer practice.

• I made a bigger-than-my-face apple pie for the picnic.

• CMS is hosting a Blue-and-Gold-Night.

Hyphens

However...modifiers after a noun are not hyphenated:

:

• The peanuts were chocolate covered.

• The author is well known.

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

Hyphens

Rule 2: Use the hyphen with compound numbers

• forty-six

• sixty-three

• The teacher was sixty-three years old.

• He is a sixty-three-year-old teacher.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence that is punctuated correctly.

• The latitude of Chicago is forty two degrees.

• The latitude of Chicago is forty-two-degrees.

• The latitude of Chicago is forty-two degrees.

Fill in the Blanks

Rewrite this sentence using hyphen to avoid ambiguity.

We invited thirty nine year old boys.

Hyphens

Rule 3: Use the hyphen to avoid confusion:

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

• semi-independent (but semifluid)

• shell-like (but) childlike

Multiple Choice

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

• co owner

• coowner

• co-owner

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

Hyphens

Rule 4: hyphen with prefixes -mid, ex-, self-, all-, suffix -elect; between a prefix and capitalized word

• ex-wife

• self-help

• mid-September

• mayor-elect

Multiple Select

Which of the following words with prefixes need a hyphen?

• ex-president

• mid-May

• trans-national

• re-attach

• self-service