Punctuation is a basic thing everyone has to master in writing, tho it’s a bit tricky sometimes. Don’t you think so, fellas?

So, today I’d like to share about how to use hyphen (-) correctly. Stay tuned, fellas!

Hyphens (-) and dashes (—) may be the most misunderstood punctuation mark in English. They look so similar but have different usage. Hyphens are not separated by spaces while a dash has space on either side. Hyphens’ main purpose is to connect words or compound phrase together, as in sub-part, non-verbal, and two-year-old.

1) Hyphens are used when two or more modifier words come before a noun they modify. This is called a compound adjective. A hyphen is usually not necessary when the compound adjective comes after a noun.

We have a three-year-old daughter. (hyphenated)

The child is three years old. (not hyphenated)

2) Hyphens are used where a prefix is added

sub-part, ex-boyfriend, co-operate.

3) Hyphens are used in family relations

great-grandmother, son-in-law.

4) Hyphens are used with compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine

5) When writing out numbers with fractions, place a hyphen between the numerator and denominator. But you don’t have to hyphenate fractions introduced with a or an.

The sign is five and one-half feet long. (hyphenated)

The sign is a third feet long. (not hyphenated)

6) Hyphens are used to prevent confusion between two different words with identical spelling, such as recreation and re-creation.

7) Hyphens are used to separate two consecutive vowels that aren’t part of the same syllable, as in co-owners & semi-invalid

These days, some words that have been hyphenated in the past have become a single word, as in email.

Last but not least, check your dictionary if you are not sure if a hyphen is required in a compound word.

It’s a wrap, fellas! Thank you for joining me tonight. I hope it’s been useful for you.

Source:

http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/hyphens-and dashes/

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/hyphens.asp

---

Compiled and written by @AnienditaR at @EnglishTips4u on March 12, 2016