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When do you use a hyphen on words? How should hyphenated words and phrases be used? The quiz below is on hyphens with compound adjectives and it will help you improve your understanding of the subject.
Questions and Answers
1.
Correct the sentence below.
a)Justin Timberlake is a world famous singer.
b)It's an old coal-mining town.
2.
Which one of these sentences is grammatically correct.
A.
Our professor much-loved was sixty-five years old.
B.
Our much-loved professor was sixty five years old.
C.
Our much-loved professor was sixty-five years old.
D.
Our professor much-loved was sixty five years old.
Correct Answer
C. Our much-loved professor was sixty-five years old.
Explanation The correct answer is the third one. Much-loved modifies professor so it should be hyphenated and sixty-five is an number between 21 and 99 needs to be hyphenated as well.
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3.
Tom has just finished writing a _________ article.
A.
Nine-hundred-word
B.
Nine-hundreds-word
C.
Nine-hundred-words
D.
Nine-hundreds-words
Correct Answer
A. Nine-hundred-word
Explanation When we are building a compound adjective, we add a hyphen between words and get rid of 's' after each noun.
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4.
A hyphen should be used within a compound adjective that comes after a noun.
A.
True
B.
False
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation A hyphen is used in compound adjectives that appear before a noun to clarify meaning, like in "a well-known artist." However, when the compound adjective comes after the noun, no hyphen is needed, as in "the artist is well known." The hyphen helps to avoid ambiguity in front of the noun, but it's unnecessary afterward, as the relationship between the words is clear without it.
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5.
Which one of following compound adjective is not correct?
A.
Man-made
B.
Post-graduate-degree
C.
Life-long
D.
Full-time
Correct Answer
B. Post-graduate-degree
Explanation "Post-graduate-degree" is incorrect because compound adjectives typically don't contain more than two words linked by hyphens. The correct form would be "post-graduate" or "graduate degree," depending on the context. The other options, "man-made," "life-long," and "full-time," are all correctly formed compound adjectives.
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6.
The new lab being built now is to be ____ high.
A.
Five storeys
B.
Five-storey
C.
Five-storeys
D.
Five-storeyed
Correct Answer
B. Five-storey
Explanation Five-storey" is a compound adjective describing the height of the lab. When using numbers as adjectives before a noun (like "storey"), they are hyphenated, making "five-storey" the correct form.
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7.
All numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine must include a hyphen.
A.
True
B.
False
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation You are supposed to add a hyphen between twenty-one to ninety-nine.
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8.
Convert the following sentence into a sentence with a compound adjective.
Between two classes, we usually have five minutes' break.
Between two classes, we usually have a __________ break.
Correct Answer five-minute, Between two classes, we usually have a five-minute break, Between two classes, we usually have a five-minute break.
Explanation In the original sentence, "five minutes' break" describes the duration of the break between classes. To convert this into a sentence with a compound adjective, "five minutes" is changed to "five-minute," making it a compound adjective that directly modifies "break." In English, when numbers are used as adjectives before a noun, they are hyphenated, and the noun is typically singular, hence "five-minute break."
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9.
Select all of the correct use of hyphenation.
A.
Fat-free
B.
Hard-working
C.
World-famous
D.
Mid-term
Correct Answer(s)
A. Fat-free B. Hard-working C. World-famous D. Mid-term
Explanation All of the options provided are correct uses of hyphenation:
fat-free - Correct, as it is a compound adjective describing something without fat.
hard-working - Correct, as it is a compound adjective describing someone who works hard.
world-famous - Correct, as it is a compound adjective describing someone who is famous worldwide.
mid-term - Correct, as it is a compound word typically used to describe a period in the middle of a term.
All options are properly hyphenated.
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10.
The hyphen makes a big difference in the meaning of the sentence.
A.
True
B.
False
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation for example: I saw a man-eating alligator.
We are describing the alligator. What type of alligator is it? It is one that eats men (or people).
I saw a man eating alligator.
This sentence without the hyphen sounds like a man is eating an alligator.
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