How and When to Hyphenate Words

Hyphens are another form of punctuation that is often misused. Not to be confused with a dash, the hyphen key looks like a single short line (-). There are many uses of hyphens in write my essay for me and they can be instrumental in creating a clear meaning to your words.

Use with some prefixes

Not all prefixes require a hyphen to join them with another word, but those such as all-, ex-, and self- need one. Prefixes that are connected to a proper noun or proper adjective (words that are always capitalized) use one as well.pre-Victorian (the proper adjective is "Victorian")ex-husband self-motivatedall-purposeWords that begin with the prefix anti- are hyphenated when they are linked with a word that also begins with "i" and after vice-.anti-inflammatory / antibioticvice-chairmanDepending on which source you consult, you may or may not be directed to hyphenate vice president. Typically in the U.S., we leave them as two separate words, but most other countries have adopted the form of "vice-president." Since there really isn't a definite rule, it is up to you how you wish to present the term.

Use with compound adjectives

Use with compound adjectivesThis rule is a bit more complicated. When a compound adjective (two or more words combined to create a single description) comes before the noun it is describing, use a hyphen. If the description comes after the noun, a hyphen is not needed.The man was wearing a teal-colored tie.The tie was teal colored.The well-liked author signed books at the store.The author was well liked.When a part of the expression is comprised of a word that ends in -ly (adverb) and an adjective, no hyphen is needed either.The poorly constructed toy broke after one use.The newly built home was already up for sale.

Use with numbers, fractions, and time span

If you spell out compound numbers, a hyphen is required in between. The man collected thirty-five neckties.The man just bought his thirty-sixth necktie.This rule only applies to numbers up to "ninety-nine." Fractions, when written out, use a hyphen also.The dog devoured one-third of the turkey. The recipe requires one-half teaspoon of baking soda.To indicate a span of time, use numbers for the dates and separate them with hyphens. World War II was fought during the years of 1939-1945.Read pages 15-25 for homework tonight. However, if you are using the word "from" before the time span, use "to" instead of a hyphen. When using the word "between" before the numbers, replace the hyphen with "and."World War II was fought from 1939 to 1945.I'll stop by your house between 11:30 and 12:00.

Although there are some definite rules for hyphens, other rules are more dependent on style preference, which may vary between grammar and usage sources. If you are uncertain if a word is hyphenated, consult a dictionary just to be sure.