preface 
 
  prepositions  
 
  numbers  
 
  unicode  
 
  irregulars  
 
  idioms  
 
  proverbs  
 
  contact  
 
  home  
 

Find the simple past and the past participle of an irregular verb. Enter its infinitive without the preposition "to":
                   
The basics


Advanced



Subjects



Topics



Hyphens -

A hyphen links words together as well as their meanings.

We have two kinds of words relating to compositions:
Root words and compound words.

Examples:

Fore is a prefix. Seen is a root. Foreseen is a compound word.

1. Solid word

A solid word does not contain a hyphen.

Examples:

Butterfly, powerhouse, grandstand, headline, spendthrift, spellbound, colorblind, whiplash, payroll, blowtorch, panhandle, playpen, railroad, … Note: Some verb forms are built as separate words and as one word when used as nouns.

Examples:

Shut down, break down. (Verbs) Shutdown, breakdown. (Nouns)

2. Compound words

Words connected together as a compound may be written separately, written as one word, or connected by hyphens. Compound words uses hyphens to connect two or more words .

Hyphen:

A hyphen is represented by “-” (not -- which means a dash). It connects:
  • Prefixes and suffixes to words,
  • Words, parts of words, or compound words, and
  • Syllables of words broken at the ends of lines.

General cases:

Use a hyphen:
  • In writing fractions and all numbers from 21 to 99 (compound numbers)

    Examples:

    Three-fifth, Seventy- six
  • figures or letters.

    Examples:

    T-shirt Mid-1980s 5-speed H-Bomb
  • Between the words of a group of words taking the place of a single adjective (act as a single idea) before a noun.

    Examples:

    Well-known Fifteen-years old boy. However, when compound modifiers come after a noun, they are not hyphenated:

    Example:

    He is fifteen years old. Smart old man. No hyphen is used because smart and old are two separate ideas.
  • To make the sentence clear, use a hyphen when its
    lack creates confusion.

    Example:

    Before reduction-on-prices. Before-reduction on prices.

Using prefixes:

Hyphenate:
    To separate the parts of a compound word using the prefixes. Hyphenate onto root words the following prefixes: Re-, all-, quasi-, ex-, self-, quarter-, quasi-, half-. Hyphenate with "re" only when it means again, and if it’s omitted, the hyphen will cause confusion with another word.

    Examples:

    Recover, remove: Re does not mean again: Don’t use a hyphen. Re-covered: Re means again and the omission of the hyphen may cause a confusion with another word: Use a hyphen Reissued: Re means again but the omission of the hyphen doesn’t cause a confusion with another word: Do not use a hyphen.
  • all words with the suffix self. Except: selfish and selfless.

    Examples:

    Self-consistence Self-respect
  • prefixes when they come before proper nouns or adjectives.

    Examples:

    Un-Canadian Anti-Canadian Pro-Canadian When a prefix ends in one vowel and a root word begins with a different vowel, don’t hyphenate:

    Example:

    Hydroelectric, …
  • when a vowel would be doubled:

    Examples:

    Microorganism Anti-investigation Anti-intellectual Semi-independent but semiconscious In this case, the prefixes pre, de, pro, co, and re give solid words by doubling the vowel (e and o).

    Examples:

    Coordinate Preexist Exceptions: co-owner and de-emphasize, pre-empt, pre-eminent, …
  • To avoid tripling a consonant in compound word.

    Examples:

    Shell-like, Bell-like
  • To attach a prefix to a hyphenated compound word.

    Example:

    Non-well-known
  • To a word that might be misread or difficult to read without the hyphen.

    Examples:

    Un-uniform Post-stall Sub-subcommittee
  • When it means not, in is not hyphenated as a prefix. Otherwise, it does.

    Example:

    In-service

Using the suffixes:

Separate the parts of a compound word using the suffixes:
  • Use a hyphen to avoid tripling a consonant.
  • Use a hyphen when the suffix like is attached to a proper noun.

    Examples:

    Shell-like (but childlike) Sit-in, Break-in -elect

Compound modifiers:

Compound Modifier uses a hyphen to connect two or more words that precedes the word or phrases it modifies. Hyphenate:
  • When a unit modifier is a combination of color

    Example:

    Yellow-while shirt
  • When a unit modifier contains a past or present participle

    Examples:

    Steam-cooked fish Pre-reading
  • When a unit modifier contains numbers

    Example:

    Fourteen-years-old boy. 5-speed
  • When we want to show contributions

    Example:

    Fermi-Dirac Theory.
Don’t hyphenate:
  • When the first element is an adverb ending in -ly

    Example:

    Satisfactorily long trip.
  • When the unit modifier has a letter or number designation as its second element

    Example:

    Number 7.
  • When the first element of the unit modifier is a comparative or superlative

    Example:

    Older best results.
  • When the unit modifier is a foreign phrase

    Example:

    Ab initio calculation
  • When the unit modifier is a proper name

    Example:

    North American Countries.
  • When the unit modifier is written between quotation marks

    Example:

    “Last cry” device.
  • When the unit modifier is a scientific name

    Example:

    Carbon dioxide

How to break words?

Words may be hyphenated at the ends of lines between syllables. They are proper places to break words. Avoid, if possible end-of-line hyphens, mainly when they are consecutive. Some guidelines: Divide words only between syllables. Don’t leave one letter at the end or beginning of a line. Leave two-letter syllables at the end of a line. (But two-letter endings may not be carried to the next line) Don’t divide the last word of a paragraph, page. Divide hyphenated compound words only at the hyphen, and a solid compounds at the natural breaks (before suffixes and after prefixes).


Abder. Ajaja - © - All rights reserved 2002.
Support The English Sentence:

Give a donation

 
Google
Web ScientificSentence
 



chimie
|
scientific sentence
|
java
|
php
|
green cat
|
contact
|


© Scientificsentence 2007. All rights reserved.