punctuation hypen dash

7/27/2019 Punctuation Hypen Dash

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Hyphen / Dash /

Parentheses

Hyphen

A. Divid ing Words

1. When you need to divide a word at the end of a line, divide itbetween syllables.

Examples

Uncomfortable is a four-syllable word:uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable can be divided in several places:

He felt un -

comfortable.

He felt uncom-

fortable.

He felt uncomfort-

able.

2. Divide already hyphenated words at their original hyphens.

Examples

a. brother-in-law

He is my brother-

in-law.

b. forty-five


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We spentforty-

five minutes waiting for our tickets.

3. Divide a word having a double consonant between the

consonants, unless the dictionary divides the word in another way.

Examples

a. different

It is a di f-

ferent ball game now.

b. connecting

He fixed the con-

necting rod.

4. Do not separate one letter from the rest of the word, even whenthat letter is a syllable as in dreary.

Examples

a. adoption

correct: On that date the adop-

tion proceedings began.

incorrect: On that date, the a-

doption proceedings began.

b. ready

correct: The statue was ready

for the unveiling.

incorrect: The statue was read-

y for the unveiling.


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5. Do not divide a word of one syllable, no matter how many lettersit contains.

Example

strength

correct: You have the strength

to go on.

incorrect: You have the stre-

ngth to go on.

6. Do not divide the last word on a page.

Examplecorrect: page 1

the eggs of those birds. No amount ofargument

page 2

could persuade the manufacturers to

change

incorrect: page 1

the eggs of those birds. No amount ofargu-

page 2

ment could persuade the manufacturersto change

B. Forming Compound Words

1. Hyphens are used to join two or more words to form new words.A hyphenated word is a compound word that acts as a single unit.

Examples


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a. Send thesergeant-at-armshere.

b. The ten-year-oldchair was not consideredantique.

c. The dual-purposevehicle was tested twenty-threetimes.

2. A hyphen is used in an adjective made up of two or more words(as one meaning) if it precedes the noun.

e.g., well-known politician city-wide survey

ready-to-wear clothes up-to-the-minutestyles

The same words would not be hyphenated cominglater in the sentence after the noun.

e.g., The politician was well known.

The clothes were ready to wear.

3. A hyphen is used to write out compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine and fractions.

e.g., fifty-four bottles on the wall

three-fourths of the class

Use a current dictionary as a guide to hyphenation.

C. Separating Word Elements from the Rest of a WordA hyphen sometimes separates re-, or other word elements, from the restof a word when omission of the hyphen would result in confusion ofmeaning.

Examples

a. He is going to re-cover those chairs.

He is going to recover his losses.

b. They have to re-lay the tile floor.

They have to relay the message.


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c. I went to the co-op.

I went to the chicken coop.

Review and Practice: Hyphen

Choose the correct sentence in each pair.

Example

a. Please write the commen-

tary.

b. Please write the commentar-

y.

1. a. The principle of the inven-

tion was not stated.

b. The principle of the invent-

ion was not stated.

2. a. The paper said the a-

ttack failed.

b. The paper said the at-

tack failed.

3. a. Alfred resigned as a trustee of the universit-

y.

b. Alfred resigned as a trustee of the univer-

sity.


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Dash

Dashes are used to set off parenthetical expressions and abrupt changes in

thought when other marks of punctuation are inadequate.

Examples

a. Snyder spoke to Jones - a hard man to please- about theassignment in Boston.

b. The weather report - wrong for the sixth day in succession-necessitated a change in my plans.

c. The candidate -I should have introduced you to him - was veryimpressive.

Do notuse dashes as substitutes for more appropriate punctuation marks.

Examples

a. with dashes: The speaker - looking like a Neanderthal man -discussed the perils of speculation in an unstable stock market.

revised: The speaker, looking like a Neanderthal man, discussedthe perils of speculation in an unstable stock market.

b. with dashes: The lily of the valley my favourite flower is out

of season.

revised: The lily of the valley, my favourite flower, is out ofseason.

Review and Practice: Dash

Section A.Set off parenthetical expressions and abrupt changes in thought withdashes.

Example The onion soup mine had Gruyre cheese in it wasthe best I have ever tasted.

revised The onion soup mine had Gruyre cheese in it wasthe best I have ever tasted.

1. He was tall six feet seven and carried himself well.


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2. His handwriting it resembled my mothers was almostindecipherable.

3. The sample of my blood I volunteered to give it will be used for

enzyme studies.

4. Sids auto accident I did not tell you about that resulted in hislicense being revoked.

5. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse conquest, slaughter,famine, death are pictured as riding horses of various colours.

Section BReplace any unnecessary dashes with preferred punctuation.

Example

On November 22nd a clear and sunny day theassassination took place in Dallas.

revised: On November 22nd, a clear and sunny day, theassassination took place in Dallas.

1. This solution which Jack never considered proved to be agood one.

2. The machinery which has been stored in the barn for a year

may be reparable.

3. Edward Fourth Earl of Glockenspiel was drummed out ofcourt.4. Cud-chewing, hollow-horned animals oxen, sheep, antelope

belong to the Family Bovidae.

5. The lake water brackish and stinking is no longer fit forhuman use.

Parentheses ( )

Parenthesesare used to enclose incidental explanatory matter,that is notconsidered of major importance.


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1. To enclose an expression remotely related to context.

e.g. Her condition (I hope you will forgive my referring to it again) mustbe discussed now.

2. To enclose explanations and directions to the reader.

e.g., The gear shift levers (Fig 1c) must be adjusted carefully.

e.g., The commas (see Punctuation Sheet #3) has a variety ofuses.

3. For setting off incidental matter, commas, dashes, andparentheses are frequently interchangeable. Commas and dashesare more common than parentheses.

4. Punctuation marks are used within parentheses when theybelong with the parenthetical matter. Punctuation marks whichbelong with the main part of the sentence are placed after a closingparenthesis.

o t : Use parentheses thoughtfully. See that material enclosedwithin them adds to, rather than distracts from, the ongoing text.

Review and Practice: Parentheses

Supply parentheses where they are needed to punctuate the following sentences

correctly.

e.g., When you reach the overpass (Interstate 75), you will havegone five miles.

1. The star in the play her name is Judy Brown was only seventeen yearsof age.

2. Skenezer Judd what a strange little man he was kept on whittling hisstick.

3. Please return your answer certified mail as soon as possible.

4. Mr. Thornton looked at me disapprovingly. He always looked at medisapprovingly. Then he said, "And what excuse have you this time?"

5. The directions see Booklet A are rather hard to follow.


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Answer Key

Hyphen answers: 1. a; 2. b; 3. b

Dash answers:

Section A

1. He was tall six feet seven and carried himself well.

2. His handwriting it resembled my mothers was almostindecipherable.

3. The sample of my blood I volunteered to give it will be used forenzyme studies.

4. Sids auto accident I did not tell you about that resulted in hislicense being revoked.

5. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse conquest, slaughter, famine,death are pictured as riding horses of various colours.

Section B

1. This solution, which Jack never considered, proved to be a goodone.

2. The machinery, which has been stored in the barn for a year, may bereparable.

3. Edward, Fourth Earl of Glockenspiel, was drummed out of court.

4. Cud-chewing, hollow-horned animals (oxen, sheep, antelope) belong tothe Family Bovidae.

5. The lake water, brackish and stinking, is no longer fit for human use.

Parentheses answers:


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1. The star in the play (her name is Judy Brown) was only seventeenyears of age.

2. Skenezer Judd (what a strange little man he was) kept on whittling his

stick.

3. Please return your answer (certified mail) as soon as possible.

4. Mr. Thornton looked at me disapprovingly. (He always looked at medisapprovingly.) Then he said, "And what excuse have you this time?"

5. The directions (see Booklet A) are rather hard to follow.

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