Hyphens And Compound Adjectives

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| By PranavN20

PranavN20

Community Contributor

Quizzes Created: 1 | Total Attempts: 428

Questions: 10 | Attempts: 430 | Updated: Mar 21, 2023

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What are hyphens used for in the English grammar? Just in case you don’t know, a compound adjective is used to join together two or more adjectives describing the same noun. Find out how well you know in the quiz below.

Questions and Answers

1.

Should you use a hyphen between syllables when dividing words at the end of the line?
- A.
  
  Yes
- B.
  
  No
Correct Answer
A. Yes

Explanation
It is convention that a hyphen must be used between the syllables of a word when dividing words at the end of a line.

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2.

You should divide already hyphenated words only at the hyphen.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
This is another convention. For line breaks, you should divide already-hyphenated words only at the hyphen.

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3.

You should hyphenate when compound modifiers come after a noun.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
You should only use a hyphen to join 2 or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun and not after the noun.

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4.

Which of the following sentences demonstrates the correct use of hyphens?
- A.
  
  The firm was very impressed by his clear-headed approach.
- B.
  
  The firm was very impressed that his approach was clear-headed.
- C.
  
  The firm was very impressed by his clear headed-approach.
Correct Answer
A. The firm was very impressed by his clear-headed approach.

Explanation
The correct answer is A. A hyphens should only be used when joining 2 or more words as a single adjective before a noun and not after the noun like in answer choice B. Answer choice C makes no sense.

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5.

Where should you divide up the compound adjective, mass-produced, for a line break?
- A.
  
  After the first letter d in the word produced
- B.
  
  Between the words mass and produced. Divide it at the hyphen
- C.
  
  Between the first and second letter s in the word mass
Correct Answer
B. Between the words mass and produced. Divide it at the hyphen

Explanation
The only answer that makes sense is answer choice B. For already-hyphenated words, you have to divide the word at the hyphen for line breaks.

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6.

Which of the following words are hyphenated correctly?
- A.
  
  Mis-informed
- B.
  
  Bi-monthly
- C.
  
  Co-worker
- D.
  
  None of the above
Correct Answer
D. None of the above

Explanation
The correct answer is none of the above. For prefixes such as mis-, bi- and co-, hyphens should not be utilized.

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7.

Hyphens should never be used for compound numbers.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
This statement is False. Hyphens should be used with compound numbers in order to eliminate any awkward or clunky situations that combining the numbers may cause.

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8.

Where should you hyphenate the word preference at the end of a line?
- A.
  
  Between the f and the second e
- B.
  
  Between the second r and the third e
- C.
  
  Both of the above
- D.
  
  None of the above
Correct Answer
C. Both of the above

Explanation
You can use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line as long as you make the break between the syllables. In both cases, the word is being divided between syllables hence why C is the correct answer.

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9.

Which of the following sentences illustrates the correct use of hyphens?
- A.
  
  After a long day at work, John sat on his couch and de-compressed.
- B.
  
  The final exam was all-inclusive and proved to be difficult for many students.
- C.
  
  Since he consumed a lot of sugar, he was very hyper-active.
Correct Answer
B. The final exam was all-inclusive and proved to be difficult for many students.

Explanation
Hyphens should never be used for the prefixes de- and hyper-, however it should be used after the prefix all-. This is just convention that should be followed.

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10.

Hyphens are useful for avoiding confusion or awkward combinations of letters.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
This is absolutely true. Consider the sentence, "You need to re-press your jeans." If the word "re-press" was instead "repress," the sentence wouldn't make any sense.

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Current Version
Mar 21, 2023

Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team
Sep 21, 2014

Quiz Created by
PranavN20

Hyphens And Compound Adjectives

Should you use a hyphen between syllables when dividing words at the end of the line?

You should divide already hyphenated words only at the hyphen.

You should hyphenate when compound modifiers come after a noun.

Which of the following sentences demonstrates the correct use of hyphens?

Where should you divide up the compound adjective, mass-produced, for a line break?

Which of the following words are hyphenated correctly?

Hyphens should never be used for compound numbers.

Where should you hyphenate the word preference at the end of a line?

Which of the following sentences illustrates the correct use of hyphens?

Hyphens are useful for avoiding confusion or awkward combinations of letters.