Hyphens
English Language: KS3, topic 2.1.14
Hyphens
Hyphens are used to join words together. Hyphens tell us that 2 or more words in a sentence are linked. There are quite a few different uses of hyphens:
Compound adjectives
- Compound adjectives are linked adjectives that are used before a noun. For example:
- ‘A multi-storey building’.
- ‘A state-of-the-art design’.
- The adjectives are linked to create an overall adjective.
Avoiding confusion
- Sometimes a hyphen helps avoid confusion when words can have more than one meaning.
- E.g. ‘John recovered the cushions’ means something different to ‘John re-covered the cushions’.
Writing on a new line
- Hyphens can be used to break up a word if it continues onto the next line.
- A hyphen can only break up a word between two syllables in a word. For example:
- It was only that night that I dis-
covered where they were hiding.
- It was only that night that I dis-
Prefixes
- Hyphens are used in words that begin with the prefixes 'self', 'ex' and 'all'.
- E.g. self-assured, self-doubt.
- E.g. ex-con, ex-professional.
- E.g. all-knowing, all-expenses paid.
Hyphens in Names and Numbers
Hyphens are used to join words together. Hyphens tell us that 2 or more words in a sentence are linked. Here are some more examples of how you can use hyphens.
Double-barrelled last names
- People with double-barrelled last names use a hyphen to separate their two last names. For example:
- William Jones-Smith.
- Sandra McCartney-Philips.
Hyphens to write numbers
- We use hyphens when writing numbers as words:
- Fractions (e.g. it was one-quarter of the amount).
- Compound numbers after 21 (e.g. My Dad is forty-two years old).
Hyphens for a range
- We also use hyphens to give a range:
- Times (e.g. 9:15-10:15).
- Between numbers of people (e.g. 320-450 Americans).
- Between page numbers (e.g. p 200-250).
- Between dates (e.g. 1990-2000).
Test yourself on Hyphens
Which of these words means you are covering something again?
Which THREE prefixes are always separated from words using a hyphen?
In which of these situations would you use a hyphen?
In which of these situations would you use a hyphen?
Which of these numbers are correctly written as words?