View source for User:Tony1/How to use hyphens and dashes

__NOTOC__[[File:Bully Free Zone.jpg|thumb|230px|Clearly, they haven't read Wikipedia's Manual of Style.]]Hyphens and dashes are basic to stylish writing in English. Even if your readers aren't quite sure of the precise rules that govern their use, their reading will be easier and their comprehension aided by your systematic use of these punctuation marks. The Manual of Style clearly sets out how to use all three punctuation symbols: [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#Hyphens|hyphens (-)]], [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#En_dashes|en dashes (–)]] and [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#Em_dashes|em dashes (—)]]. If these three symbols are hard to distinguish visually (-&nbsp;–&nbsp;—), you may need to change your font or browser to a standard one that renders them properly. 

If you're unsure how to key in en and em dashes, please see [[Wikipedia:How to make dashes]]. 

Here, we present texts in which hyphens and/or dashes may be either wrongly used or wrongly absent; in other words, some of the examples are wrong, and some are right. Remember, it's mostly a matter of: 
*whether to use a symbol at all;
*if so, whether to use a hyphen or en dash; and in a few cases
*whether the symbol should be spaced or unspaced. 

Em dashes are a quite separate beast, and much easier to use. Many writers don't use them at all; they use spaced en dashes – like this – instead of unspaced em dashes—like this—for their "interrupters". It's up to you.

'''The exercises: unfolding design.''' Each exercise below will present you with a portion of text in which you can correct the (mis)usage of hyphens and dashes. They are designed to be done in your head, without typing. Each one unfolds in stages that you control: first, the problem text, then a hint to help you along; then a solution; and finally an explanation.

Feedback is welcome on the [[User talk:Tony1/How to use hyphens and dashes|talk page]]. For each exercise, decide on the answer in your mind before clicking on the solution. You may find [http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-use-hyphens-and-dashes this video] on hyphens and dashes useful in conjunction with the exercises. {{User:Tony1/Writing exercise box}}

===Science lab===
{{clear}}
{{editing exercise
|1=Example
|2=Lady Featherstone-Morley carelessly ashed her cigarette on the butanol sample.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=Lady Featherston<font color=darkred>'''e-M'''</font>orley carelessly ashed her cigarette on the butanol sample. 

*Does the hyphen indicate ''con''junction (joining together) or ''dis''junction (the separateness of both elements)?
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=The hyphen as given is <font color=darkred>'''correct'''</font>. }}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2="Featherstone" and "Morley" are joined together here into a compound surname. Replacing the hyphen with a space (Lady Feathersto<font color=darkred>'''ne Mo'''</font>rley) would be wrong by convention. <p>So would an en dash (Lady Feathersto<font color=darkred>'''ne–Mo'''</font>rley): there's no opposition or particular relationship between the names here, other than their coming together into someone's compound name. <p>An em dash (Lady Feathersto<font color=darkred>'''ne—Mo'''</font>rley) would look ''really'' awkward.
}}

===Nice inflation===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example  
|2=During the period 2005-07, the number of articles on the English Wikipedia quadrupled.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=During the period <font color=darkred>'''2005-07'''</font>, the number of articles on the English Wikipedia quadrupled. 
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=The hyphen is <font color=darkred>'''incorrect'''</font>. Here, there's a year range, requiring an en dash, which stands for "to":

During the period 20<font color=darkred>'''05–07'''</font>,... 
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanations
|2=*If the reader is already familiar with what you're saying, you might even drop "the period".
*Many people prefer just two closing digits, as here, to the full expression ("2005–2007"). MOSNUM says that one and three closing digits are unacceptable.
}}

===Nasty inflation===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example 
|2=From 2005–07, house prices in Capetown rose by a third.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=<font color=darkred>'''From 2005–07'''</font>, house prices in Capetown rose by a third.
*There's something inconsistent in the coloured text. Say it aloud.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=The example is <font color=darkred>'''incorrect'''</font>; this is what you need:
::<font color=darkred>'''From 2005 to 2007'''</font>, house prices in Capetown rose by a third.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=*The en dash stands for "to", and that's how you'll vocalise it in reading it aloud. We need both prepositions spelled out: "from ... to", not "from ... –", which is awkward. 
*Either that, or recast it:
::<font color=darkred>'''In (or "During") the period 2005–07'''</font>.
}}

===Supreme Court===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example  
|2=The case was upheld by the Supreme Court in a 4–3 judgement.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=What word could be substituted for the symbol?
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution 
|2=The en dash is <font color=darkred>'''correct'''</font>. 
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=An en dash can stand for "to", "against" or "versus"—these functions are all disjunct (indeed, adversarial) relationships between the items, so a squashy little hyphen (a <font color=darkred>'''4-3'''</font> judgement) would be wrong. It's the same for sports scores: "The Vancouver Canucks massacred the New York Islanders in an 11–2 victory" (not "an 11-2 victory"). 
}}

===Canadian weather===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example 
|2=
By mid-afternoon, the low pressure area had moved east into Ontario.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=Double adjectives often require hyphenation; and there's another issue. No en dashes this time.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=By m<font color=darkred>'''id-af'''</font>ternoon, the l<font color=darkred>'''ow-pr'''</font>essure area had moved east into Ontario.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanations
|2=*The presence of the first hyphen is <font color=darkred>'''correct'''</font>, and the absence of a hyphen from the second double adjective is <font color=darkred>'''incorrect'''</font>. 
*"Mid-" ''anything'' is usually hyphenated by convention, probably because "mid" itself isn't a whole word, yet doesn't jam into the noun nicely the way some prefixes do.
*"Low-pressure area"—the noun is "area", qualified by a double adjective. There's no such thing as a "pressure area", which could be low or high. Same for "upper-level jet stream"; it's not a "level jet stream" that happens to be the upper one of two.
*What about "the area of low pressure over the coast"—shouldn't it be "an area of low-pressure"? Nope. There's no double adjective, so no hyphen should be used: here, "low" is an adjective; "pressure" is a noun.
}}

===Coloured balls===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example
|2=The introduction of contrasting red and blue–striped balls transformed the game.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=Two things wrong: the type of symbol, and the need for it in another place as well. Think of the [[nominal group (language)|nominal group]] (that is, the compound noun): "contrasting red and blue-striped balls".
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution 
|2=The introduction of contrasting r<font color=darkred>'''ed- an'''</font>d bl<font color=darkred>'''ue-st'''</font>riped balls transformed the game.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=There were two problems:
*'''Hyphen, not en dash.''' An en dash was being used to conjoin two adjectives; this job is reserved for hyphens. 
*'''Hanging hyphen.''' Not just "blue", but "red" requires a hyphen to link it to the coupled word "striped"; there are ''two'' double adjectives (qualifying "balls"). The ''hanging hyphen'' added to "red" is useful for making this double compound expression neater. It's a rare case in which a hyphen is followed by a space. See [[WP:MOSDASH|MoS]].
}}

===Wikipedia Prize===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example 
|2=Five classes–comprising more than 100 students–will compete against each other to win a prize for the best Wikipedia collaboration on an article on their chosen suburb of Seattle.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hints
|2=*Five class<font color=darkred>'''es–co'''</font color>mprising more than 100 studen<font color=darkred>'''ts–wi'''</font color>ll compete against each other to win a prize for the best Wikipedia article on a suburb of Seattle.
*These en dashes are "interrupters", like very strong commas; they usually occur in pairs to mark off explanatory text.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution 
|2=Five class<font color=darkred>'''es&nbsp;– co'''</font color>mprising more than 100 studen<font color=darkred>'''ts&nbsp;– wi'''</font color>ll compete against each other to win a prize for the best Wikipedia article on a suburb of Seattle.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=The en dashes are required, but their formatting is <font color=darkred>'''incorrect'''</font>; as interruptors, they must be spaced. The alternative is unspaced em dashes, like this:

Five class<font color=darkred>'''es—co'''</font color>mprising more than 100 studen<font color=darkred>'''ts—wi'''</font color>ll compete against each other to win a prize for the best Wikipedia article on a suburb of Seattle.
}}

===Distance===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example 
|2=The 16-kilometre (10-mi) distance between the centres has been a major impediment to economic development.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=There's nothing wrong with the choice of units or the fact of the conversion ''per se''.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=The example is <font color=darkred>'''incorrect'''</font>: there should be no hyphen where a unit ''abbreviation'' is used. 

The 16-kilometre (<font color=darkred>'''10 mi'''</font>) distance between the centres has been a major impediment to economic development.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=Sure, both main unit and conversion are used as double adjectives, describing "distance". But the ISO rules, which WP agrees with in this case, are that a hyphen ''must'' be used to connect a value and a fully named unit ("30-kilogram weights"), but must ''not'' connect a value and an abbreviated unit ("30 kg weights"). Fussy, isn't it.
}}

<!--===Trade agreement===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example 
|2=Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=Yep, an en dash is required, since a relationship is indicated where "and" could be substituted. But it's all in the spacing.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=The example is <font color=darkred>'''incorrect'''</font>. The Austral<font color=darkred>'''ia – Ne'''</font>w Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=If either of the items has an internal space (here, "N<font color=darkred>'''ew Ze'''</font>aland") the en dash needs to be spaced as well. This is particularly important in full date ranges, which often appear at the start of Wikipedia articles: "August 3, 19<font color=darkred>'''79 – No'''</font>vember 30, 1980", not "August 3, 19<font color=darkred>'''79–No'''</font>vember 30, 1980", ouch.
}}
-->
===Seats at the game===
{{editing exercise
|1=Example 
|2=The season was fully-subscribed months before the first game.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=What is the hyphen trying to do? Is "fully", as an adverb, always going to be clearly and easily connected with a subsequent verb? (Yes.) 
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=The hyphen is <font color=darkred>'''incorrect'''</font>: "The season was ful<font color=darkred>'''ly su'''</font>bscribed months before the first game."
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=Please memorise: '''"No hyphen after "-ly"'''. 

Why? you might ask. Because an "-ly" word, as an adverb, always qualifies a verb (an action), so your readers will already be ''expecting'' it to be joined grammatically to the next word. It's not rocket science. This is one of the most common hyphen glitches on Wikipedia.
}}

===Killing fields===
{{editing exercise
|1=The example 
|2=The Franco–Prussian War (19 July 1870—10 May 1871) resulted in a complete victory for the Prussians and foreshadowed the unification of Germany. 
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=Both dashes are wrong; why?
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=The answer 
|2=The Fran<font color=darkred>'''co-Pr'''</font>ussian War (19 July 18<font color=darkred>'''70 – 10'''</font> May 1871) resulted in a complete victory for the Prussians and foreshadowed the unification of Germany.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=*'''Word particle.''' A hyphen should be used in favour of an en dash between two items if one item (or both) is just a word ''particle''; "Franco-" is such a particle – a mere prefix – whereas "French" would be the full-word equivalent ("the French–Prussian War", with an en dash; but by convention this is not the expression). Same for "Sino-Russian War", as opposed to "Chinese–Russian trade agreement". An acronym or abbreviation in this context would count as a full word ("the recent UK–Iceland spat over financial matters").
*'''Range.''' The em dash in the date was wrong: ranges require an ''en'' dash, and if either item has an internal space, as in both dates here, the en dash must also be spaced, on both sides. Many editors use a non-breaking space on the left side of the en dash when it's spaced ("... {{code|July 1870&nbsp;– 10 May}} ...").
}}

===Hot town===
{{editing exercise
|1=The example 
|2=At -25°C, it was unseasonably warm in Yellowknife.  
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=There are two things wrong.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=At <font color=darkred>'''&minus;25&nbsp;°C'''</font>, it was unseasonably warm in Yellowknife.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=*'''Minus sign.''' First, you may think this is an en dash, but it's a ''minus sign'', which mathematicians are fussy about. Until early 2008, MOS used to allow en dashes for negative signs (&minus;''3.5'') and subtraction operators (''4 &minus; 1 = 3''); not any more. A minus sign is ''very'' subtly different from an en dash—something to do with lying higher on the line. Squint and ... you won't see it. Here they are: hyphen, <font color=darkred>minus sign</font>, the en dash, and the em dash: - <font color=darkred>&minus;</font> – — . As a superior race, these mathematicians have the run of the place. Hmmmph.
*'''Value–unit space.''' Second, MOS insists on a space between all values (''&minus;25'') and units (''°C''), with two minor exceptions (angular degrees and geographical coordinates); so it's ''&minus;25&nbsp;°C'', not ''&minus;25°C''. There's no space between the minus sign and the value (never ''&minus; 25'')
*'''Keying it in.''' Take a look at how you should key it in: "At <font color=darkred>'''<nowiki>&amp;minus;25&amp;nbsp;°C</nowiki>'''</font>, it was unseasonably warm in Yellowknife."
}}

<!--==Quotation techniques==
Here, we help you to brush up on the tools for effective direct quotation, including the use of square brackets and ellipsis dots.

===[[System Shock 2]]===
{{editing exercise
|1=The example 
|2=The critic in ''Game Revolution'' said that "[this] game is brimming with horror". 

''Background:'' The original text was "''the'' game is brimming with horror", but in the context of the Wikipedia article, "this" is better, so the editor replaced "the game ..." with "[this] game ...", correctly using the square brackets to indicate this replacement. But can we avoid the square brackets to make it read a little more smoothly?
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Hint
|2=Fiddle with where the first quotation marks are placed.
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=The answer
|2=The critic in ''Game Revolution'' said that this game "is brimming with horror".
}}

{{editing exercise
|1=Explanation
|2=*We've made the actual direct quote smaller, so we can wind the "this" into Wikipedia's sentence; therefore, we can avoid the square brackets. Why didn't we include "game" within the direct quotation? Well, that would sound a little clumsy (try it). 
*Manipulating exactly where that boundary goes between what ''Wikipedia'' are saying and what your quoted ''source'' is saying is a valuable tool, provided you never distort the meaning of the source.
}}-->

<noinclude>[[Category:User essays on style|How to use hyphens and dashes]]</noinclude>