Hyphens in Prefixed Words
English · Grammar & Punctuation · procedural
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity in compound modifiers and prefixed words, distinguishing between meanings that change based on hyphen placement
What mastery looks like
- Distinguish between 'man eating shark' and 'man-eating shark' by adding or removing hyphens
- Use hyphens with prefixes to clarify meaning such as 'recover' versus 're-cover'
- Apply hyphens correctly in compound adjectives before nouns such as 'well-known author'
Check your understanding
Can Hyphens in Prefixed Words explain why "a man-eating shark" and "a man eating shark" mean completely different things — and use a hyphen correctly in their own writing to avoid that kind of confusion?
Prerequisites
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