User:Tony1/How to use hyphens and dashes

Exercise 1: hyphens and dashes

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 knowing how to use them properly. The Manual of Style clearly sets out how to use all three punctuation symbols: hyphens (-), en dashes (–) and em dashes (—). If these three symbols are hard to distinguish (- – —), you may need to change your font or browser to a standard one that renders them properly.

If you're unsure how to input en dashes and em dashes, please see this.

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. Decide on the answer in your mind before clicking on the solution.

Exercise 1a

THE EXAMPLE:

Lady Featherstone-Morley carelessly ashed her cigarette on the butanol sample.

HINT:

Lady Featherstone-Morley carelessly ashed her cigarette on the butanol sample. Hint'

• Does the hyphen indicate conjunction (the joining together of the two names) or disjunction (their separateness)?

THE ANSWER:

The hyphen as given is correct. "Featherstone" and "Morley" are joined together here into a compound surname. No hyphen at all would be wrong:

• Lady Featherstone Morley

So would an en dash—there's no opposition between the names here:

• Lady Featherstone–Morley

Exercise 1b

THE EXAMPLE: During the period 2005-07, the number of articles on the English Wikipedia quadrupled.

During the period 2005-07, the number of articles on the English Wikipedia quadrupled.

HINT:

Lady Featherstone-Morley carelessly ashed her cigarette on the sample of isopropanol. Hint'

• Does the hyphen indicate conjunction (the joining together of the two names) or disjunction (their separateness)?

THE ANSWER:

The hyphen as given is correct. "Featherstone" and "Morley" are joined together here into a compound surname. No hyphen at all would be wrong:

• Lady Featherstone Morley

So would an en dash—there's no opposition between the names here:

• Lady Featherstone–Morley

Exercise 1c

THE EXAMPLE: During the period 2005-07, the number of articles on the English Wikipedia quadrupled.

During the period 2005-07, the number of articles on the English Wikipedia quadrupled.

HINT:

Lady Featherstone-Morley carelessly ashed her cigarette on the sample of isopropanol. Hint'

• Does the hyphen indicate conjunction (the joining together of the two names) or disjunction (their separateness)?

THE ANSWER:

The hyphen as given is correct. "Featherstone" and "Morley" are joined together here into a compound surname. No hyphen at all would be wrong:

• Lady Featherstone Morley

So would an en dash—there's no opposition between the names here:

• Lady Featherstone–Morley