Hyphenate spelled-out numbers between 21 and 99 (twenty-one, ninety-nine). Although there are rules and customs governing hyphens, there are also situations when writers must decide whether to add them for clarity. The shortest of the dashes, hyphens can create interesting descriptive phrases by linking words and parts of words. Rule 10. But can you theme it like the classic fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears? They believe that set phrases, because of their familiarity (e.g., high school, ice cream, twentieth century), can go before a noun without risk of confusing the reader. Will she recover from her illness? Ready-made clothes don’t always fit perfectly, but they save you lots of time. Random Popular Latest. When to use a hyphen A hyphen is what appears when you just press the button next to the zero key. Rule 4: Hyphens are also added to words that have a repetitive word structure or have rhyming syllables. Generally, hyphenate two or more words when they come before a noun they modify and act as a single idea. Using Hyphens . The en dash ( – ), a hyphen with a growth spurt, is used to represent the words “to” or “through” when specifying a range. As an additional rule, there generally won’t be a space between hyphenated words unless you’re using a hanging hyphen. Sign up to receive the FREE weekly GrammarBook.com E-Newsletter. Although the preceding hyphens help clarify unusual terms, they are optional and might not be every writer's choice. They can also be used to indicate an unfinished number range. a twentieth-century throwback. Make note of words which are written with a hyphen and build up a list you can refer to for reference. Rule 8b. Compound nouns featuring gerunds or participles are rarely hyphenated. Answer. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. They are used to make a connection between two words working as a unit, or when two words have a combined meaning The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. For example:Don’t hyphenate two-word descriptions if the first word ends in -ly: Guidance counselors can help with decision-making abou… If you would like a regular serving of grammar-related awesomeness every day, go follow her on Twitter. Examples: semi-invalid; inter-related; 6. The hyphen is not a dash, and cannot be substituted by or for one. It is used to divide a word into two syllables at the end of a line of text so that a long word does not disturb the spacing of the line where it is used. 3.twenty five guests arrived an hour early because of a mistake on the invitations. Rule 1. With Compound Modifiers. A prefix (a, un, de, ab, sub, post, anti, etc.) IMPOSSIBLE AND TROUBLING IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT: "daddy/daughter dance" MORE ACCEPTABLE AND ANATOMICALLY WITHIN REASON: "daddy-daughter dance" The question to ask when deciding which to use is: do I mean… First, hyphens must never be used interchangeably with dashes (see the Dashes section), which are noticeably longer. To use … Also use hyphens for. It is shorter than an en dash (–) or an em dash (—). Use a hyphen to combine adjectives with nouns to create an adjective. When you use two words together as a single thought describing or modifying a noun and you put them before the noun, you should hyphenate them. Example: A: Ah, you’re referring to the three members of the “dash” family. In short, a hyphen links words together. Rule 2. If not, consult a dictionary. 3. trans-American In many cases, you can use this punctuation mark or omit it, but always use a hyphen with “ex-” and “self-.”. Copyright by Jane Straus/GrammarBook.com. When used predicatively (usually after the verb to be), compound adjectives are not usually hyphenated. Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc. (We do not use a hyphen because re-does not mean again. Rule 2b. The slacker video-gamed his way through life. Dashes are used as punctuation in sentences. Rule 9a. A handy rule, whether writing about years, months, or any other period of time, is to use hyphens unless the period of time (years, months, weeks, days) is written in plural form: With hyphens: We have a … If you don’t know what compound modifier is … 10 Simple Rules for Using Hyphen “-” (With Sample Sentences) Read More » I have re-covered the sofa twice. A hyphen is also used to separate numbers. We have a two-year-old. My great-great-grandfather fought in the Civil War. A hyphen is frequently required when forming original compound verbs for vivid writing, humor, or special situations. It’s not like a simple dash or something. an ice-cream cone Use a hyphen to avoid confusion with another word: for example, to distinguish re-cover (= provide something with a new cover) from recover (= get well again). Examples: President-elect mayor-elect. Incorrect: the very-elegant watch For clarity, many writers hyphenate prefixes ending in a vowel when the root word begins with the same letter. Whether you’re combining numbers, parts of words, compound words, or multi-word phrases, the purpose of hyphenation is always to link separate ideas. de-ice En dashes connect continuing numbers, such as dates, times and pages. It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. Examples: Examples: oil-based sludge. Other style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), use an en dash without spaces instead. One last hyphen usage rule: The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, which Vela follows as its in-house style guide, uses a hyphen with no spaces around it to indicate ranges (Jan. 3-8). 300–325 people. They show where a word is to be divided at the end of a line of writing. Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions. Examples: 1. Examples: Rule 7. Examples: In short, a hyphen links words together. Some exceptions: -style, -elect, -free, -based. In this article, we’ll provide examples of different times when hyphen use would be appropriate. co-worker Don't guess; have a dictionary close by, or look it up online. In addition to comprehensively presenting the necessary rules, each article repeats the (unavoidable) recommendation to check your relevant institute or office writing guidelines or dictionary. Use a hyphen to connect two words in a compound modifier to clarify meaning, but don’t use a hyphen after adverbs ending in -ly (a much-loved aunt but a deeply loved aunt). Note that when hyphens are involved in expressing ages, two hyphens are required. The hyphen can be used in compound words, to link words to prefixes, and also as a way to show word breaks Find out more in a Bitesize KS2 English guide. mid-July. It’s also important to distinguish between dashes and hyphens. The word recover means to get better.) Use a hyphen when the prefix ends in the same letter the word begins. ), Exception: The child is one year old. Hyphens - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary When to Use a Hyphen. However, hyphenate most double last names. Material created by Jane Straus and GrammarBook.com. 1999–2016 capitalized: pro-Freudian; a number: post-1970; an abbreviation: pre-UCS trial; more than one word: non-achievement-oriented students; All "self-" compounds whether they are adjectives or nouns. Hyphens are shorter than dashes and are used to connect words. Compounds in which the base word is. Rule 2a. Examples: It has three primary functions: to connect two words and make them into a compound, to separate parts of a word at the end of a line, and to separate a prefix or suffix from a root word. When using numbers, hyphenate spans or estimates of time, distance, or other quantities. Hyphens can also be used to indicate the division and continuation of a word that is cut off at the end of a line. A handy rule, whether writing about years, months, or any other period of time, is to use hyphens unless the period of time (years, months, weeks, days) is written in plural form: With hyphens: If you're unsure whether to use the two-word version or the hyphenated version, then opt for the hyphenated version. Note: Use a maximum of two dashes in any given sentence; otherwise, you’ll confuse the reader. In the previous posts in this series (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), we discussed the general principles of hyphenation, as describe in much more detail on pages 97–100 of the Publication Manual.General Principle 1 (from p. 98) says “If a compound adjective can be misread, use a hyphen.” Without the hyphen, the sentence seems to say that Springfield is a dreary place. Although they look similar, dashes and hyphens are used very differently. Rule 9b. The hyphen makes concealed-weapons a compound adjective, so the reader knows that the writer meant a permit for concealed weapons. –CLS, in the United States. The punctuation mark should not be confused with dashes (–, —), which are generally longer. The story was open ended. 4. Do not hyphenate proper nouns of more than one word when they are used as compound adjectives. I mean, when they use a hyphen when a longer dash is actually more appropriate. Incorrect: 300 - 325 people “Computer related” is a compound adjective and whether or not you should use a hyphen depends on where it is located in the sentence. But if there are three (or more) independent words, you can use a hyphen to connect them all. Use a hyphen when two or more words are used as a single expression (noun). Omitting the hyphen would cause confusion with repress. Often, your word processing program may help you figure out when to use a hyphen. If you’re not sure whether a compound word has a hyphen or not, check your preferred dictionary. To say that Springfield is a Book up to receive the FREE weekly GrammarBook.com E-Newsletter new, original or... Get deice, which are generally longer, er, ism, able etc. Each case has its own specific rules that you should use it when talking about dashes is they... That is used as an additional rule, there generally won ’ t always perfectly... 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Nouns to create a new surname upon marriage punctuation rules and customs governing hyphens, there are (! Maximum of two or more ) independent words, you ’ ll use in. Interesting descriptive phrases by linking words and parts of words cut off at the top the! The best way to decide whether to use a hyphen or not check!

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