In a variation of Will Shakespeare’s oft-quoted phrase, “To hyphenate or not to hyphenate?—that is the question.”

We’ve chatted before on this blog about hyphens versus em dashes (—) and en dashes (–). See  Ems and Ens for Writers Tuesday, May 1st, 2012.

This month we’ll focus on the little guys, hyphens.

Hyphens (-) link words together and can help avoid confusion.

“Running mate” needs no hyphen, but does as an adjective, as in “running-mate criteria.” The hyphen shows that “mate” goes with “running,” not “criteria.” Think smoke-free airport, self-help books, cell-phone plans.

When to Use Hyphens        

• With some prefixes, especially when the root word is capitalized:

self-discovery, ex-president, pre-Oscar party, pre-Jurassic era, mid-January

• With blended double surnames:

Ochoa-Roberts                       Greenfield-Martin

• With compound modifiers:

a can’t-miss putt                      a first-ever book contract

Alas, hyphens don’t always stick to the rules. Different current dictionaries recognize both mouthwatering (no hyphen) and mouth-watering (with hyphen) as adjectives. Work-release has a hyphen; workroom does not. Witch-hunt, yes. Witchcraft, no.  Go figure!

“Re-”

Words and Hyphens

The prefix “re-“ means “again.” But a hyphen can change the meaning of a word: re-count (count again) vs. recount (tell in detail)

In one of our grammar classes, a man told a story that highlights the difference a hyphen can make. His boss sent the man an email asking him to re-send her some information. He faxed it, then emailed her, “I resent it.” When the boss returned to the office, she asked, “Jason, why did you resent sending me that information again?” (Jason had typed “resent” for “re-sent.”)

Many words that start with the prefix “re-” don’t require a hyphen: recrown, redrawn, rehire, reheat, repaint, repurpose. But be careful to note when omitting the hyphen changes the meaning of the word:

“represent” (to stand for) or “re-present” (to present again)

“repose” (calmness) or “re-pose” (to pose again)

“reprove” (to rebuke) or “re-prove” (to prove again)

“resort” (n., vacation spot; v., to go or turn to) or “re-sort” (to sort again)

“restrain” (to hold back) or “re-strain” (to strain again)

Tricky Hyphen Issues

Does a toddler pick up her toys, pick-up her toys, or pickup her toys?

Do you hanker for a bright red pickup truck, pick-up truck, or pick up truck?

The answers are trickier than you might think. Words are constantly evolving and some lose their hyphens and become single words.

(Did you know the answer? You pick up toys in a pickup truck.)

Please Comment

We hope this review helped you pick up some hyphen pointers. The Grammar Patrol has done in-depth hyphen explorations for the biographies and other books we’ve both written. Hope you’ll avoid mix-ups and not be mixed up when it comes to hyphens. Love your well-polished comments—chime in. As always, you can check out our two handy grammar guides: Nitty-Gritty Grammar and More Nitty-Gritty Grammar for details.

Edith Hope Fine and Judith Pinkerton Josephson

The Grammar Patrol

Every writer needs an occasional M&M’s® boost. But do you know your ems and ens? Every small tip makes you more a pro.

In days of yore, when some of us made the leap from typewriter keyboard to word processor, so primitive were the programs that after pulling a manuscript from our dot matrix printers, we had to underline any words to be shown in italics (titles and such) by using a ruler and pen. We’ve come far, fellow writers, since then.

But how about hyphen and dashes? Formerly, two typed hyphens (–) indicated a dash. Now, with simple commands, you can easily create typeset dashes. Once you’re aware of proper dashes, you see them everywhere. So let’s take a look at hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes.

Hyphens first; they’re straightforward. Use the shortest of the three symbols, the hyphen (-), in compound modifiers (high-flying stock), with some prefixes (smoke-free saloon), blended surnames (Smarmington-Poolworthy), and the names of compound numbers that fall between 21 and 99 (seventy-two). Splitting words at the end of a line is less of an issue with word processors than it was with typewriters, especially with ragged right margins where few words get divided at a line’s end. Be sure to turn off the automatic hyphenation, but use a simple hyphen if you do have to split a long word.

The en dash (–) is about the size of the letter N. For en dashes, think “n” for “number.” Use en dashes for the subtraction sign in math problems (89.4 – 16.3). Note the single space before and after the subtraction sign.

More uses of the en dash:

• with sets of times or dates.

8–10 pm          March 2–March 21         WWI, 1914–1918

• with a range of numbers.

$49.99–$99.99            The Hunger Games, 64–65

• to show birth years for a living person.

Candy Carson (1993–)

• to link two-word modifiers.

San Francisco–San Diego flight

New Hampshire–Vermont border

• for temperatures.

36–40°C        98–110°F

Note that with every use except mathematics, no spaces appear before or after an en dash.

The em dash, often simply called “dash,” is about the size of an M.

Use em dashes . . .

• to show sudden breaks or abrupt changes.

“I’m almost out the door—wait, dropped my keys.”

• to show a side comment.

“Familiarity breeds contempt—and children,” Mark Twain once said.

• to explain or add information.

In Number the Stars, Lois Lowry wrote, “Surely that gift—the gift of human decency—is one that all countries hunger for.

• to show hesitation or stammering

“I can’t believe—” snapped Sherry, staring at the mess.

“Where’s m—m—my blankie,” stammered Enos.

• to show attributions

            Whew! We have a winner here!
—George Aldrich, Rotten Sneaker Contest Judge

Like the en dash, use no spaces before or after an em dash.

Logophiles love knowing the ins and outs of hyphens, ems, and ens. But tyros and pros alike know they can always count on M&M’s® for inspiration and energy.

Are there any pesky punctuation marks that give you pause?  Just ask and we will share our punctuation pointers!