Hyphens Worksheets - 15 Worksheets Library - Free Printable

Problem: Hyphenation Conventions

The task is to rewrite each sentence, using hyphens where appropriate. Hyphenation is used in English to connect words that function as a single unit or to clarify meaning. Below is the solution with explanations for each sentence.

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#### 1. I pre soaked this shirt to get the stain out.
- Rewritten: I pre-soaked this shirt to get the stain out.
- Explanation: The term "pre-soak" is a compound verb where "pre-" is a prefix indicating an action done beforehand. It requires a hyphen to show that "pre" and "soak" are part of the same word.

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#### 2. Her ballet dancing friend is very talented.
- Rewritten: Her ballet-dancing friend is very talented.
- Explanation: Here, "ballet-dancing" is a compound adjective describing the friend. Since it modifies "friend," it should be hyphenated to indicate that "ballet" and "dancing" work together as a single descriptor.

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#### 3. He entertained us by sharing little known facts.
- Rewritten: He entertained us by sharing little-known facts.
- Explanation: "Little-known" is a compound adjective modifying "facts." A hyphen is needed to show that "little" and "known" are working together as a single descriptor.

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#### 4. I was born on the twenty fourth of this month.
- Rewritten: I was born on the twenty-fourth of this month.
- Explanation: "Twenty-fourth" is a compound ordinal number. Ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third) require a hyphen when written out.

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#### 5. Mountain climbing is my favorite pastime.
- Rewritten: Mountain-climbing is my favorite pastime.
- Explanation: "Mountain-climbing" is a compound noun acting as the subject of the sentence. It requires a hyphen to show that "mountain" and "climbing" are part of the same concept.

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#### 6. I was not impressed by his too little too late efforts.
- Rewritten: I was not impressed by his too-little-too-late efforts.
- Explanation: "Too-little-too-late" is a compound adjective describing "efforts." All three words work together as a single descriptor, so they need hyphens to clarify their relationship.

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#### 7. Her back pedaling did not make me think more of her.
- Rewritten: Her back-pedaling did not make me think more of her.
- Explanation: "Back-pedaling" is a compound noun describing an action. It requires a hyphen to show that "back" and "pedaling" are part of the same concept.

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#### 8. I think his suggestion is a no brainer. Let’s do it!
- Rewritten: I think his suggestion is a no-brainer. Let’s do it!
- Explanation: "No-brainer" is a compound noun that functions as a single unit. It requires a hyphen to show that "no" and "brainer" are connected.

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Final Answer:

1. I pre-soaked this shirt to get the stain out.
2. Her ballet-dancing friend is very talented.
3. He entertained us by sharing little-known facts.
4. I was born on the twenty-fourth of this month.
5. Mountain-climbing is my favorite pastime.
6. I was not impressed by his too-little-too-late efforts.
7. Her back-pedaling did not make me think more of her.
8. I think his suggestion is a no-brainer. Let’s do it!

Boxed Final Answer:
\boxed{
\begin{aligned}
1. & \text{ I pre-soaked this shirt to get the stain out.} \\
2. & \text{ Her ballet-dancing friend is very talented.} \\
3. & \text{ He entertained us by sharing little-known facts.} \\
4. & \text{ I was born on the twenty-fourth of this month.} \\
5. & \text{ Mountain-climbing is my favorite pastime.} \\
6. & \text{ I was not impressed by his too-little-too-late efforts.} \\
7. & \text{ Her back-pedaling did not make me think more of her.} \\
8. & \text{ I think his suggestion is a no-brainer. Let’s do it!}
\end{aligned}
}