Year 6 - hyphens - worksheet - activities - Natural Curriculum - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to solve each challenge.

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Challenge 1: Fill in the blanks with hyphenated words from the list

We have these words to choose from:
- brightly-coloured
- small-sized
- insect-hunting
- peacock-like
- cold-hearted
- tree-leaping
- leg-waving
- nimble-footed
- co-operate

Now let’s match them to the sentences:

1) The tree-leaping spider leapt out of the way of the attacking female.
→ “Leapt” suggests jumping between trees → “tree-leaping” fits.

2) Although in danger, the male spider started an enthusiastic leg-waving dance to try and impress the female.
→ Spiders wave legs to attract mates → “leg-waving” is perfect.

3) The male raises its peacock-like tail to impress the female.
→ Peacocks fan tails to show off → “peacock-like” makes sense.

4) In contrast to the dull female, the male is brightly-coloured.
→ Opposite of “dull” = bright colors → “brightly-coloured”.

5) The small-sized spider has to move quickly to escape the female.
→ Small spiders need to be fast → “small-sized” fits context.

6) This spider species does not make a web; it is an insect-hunting spider.
→ No web → hunts insects directly → “insect-hunting”.

7) The nimble-footed display failed to impress the cold-hearted female, though she was more willing to co-operate with his plan when he performed his dazzling display a second time.
→ “Nimble-footed” = quick/agile movement.
→ “Cold-hearted” = unfeeling/unimpressed at first.
→ “Co-operate” = work together (she agreed later).

✔ All filled correctly.

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Challenge 2: Add hyphens where needed

We look for compound adjectives before nouns — they usually need hyphens.

1) Although it is a teeny tiny arachnid, the peacock jumping spider is nimble-footed, quick jumping, fast moving and agile.
→ “nimble-footed” already correct.
→ “quick-jumping”, “fast-moving” should be hyphenated too? But instruction says “joining the words that require a hyphen between them” — so we fix only those missing hyphens.

Actually, looking closely:

Original sentence:
“Although it is a teeny tiny arachnid, the peacock jumping spider is nimble footed, quick jumping, fast moving and agile.”

So we need to add hyphens to:
- nimble-footed
- quick-jumping
- fast-moving

But wait — “teeny tiny” also could be hyphenated as “teeny-tiny” if used as adjective before noun. Let’s check standard rules.

In English, when two words act as one adjective before a noun, they get hyphenated.

So:

1) Although it is a teeny-tiny arachnid, the peacock-jumping spider is nimble-footed, quick-jumping, fast-moving and agile.

Wait — “peacock jumping spider” is a name — maybe not hyphenated? Actually, common names like “peacock jumping spider” are often written without hyphens unless acting as adjective. But here it’s part of the subject — probably no hyphen needed. However, “jumping spider” is a type — so perhaps leave as is.

But the task says: “Correct the sentences below by joining the words that require a hyphen between them.”

Looking at original text given in Challenge 2:

> 1) Although it is a teeny tiny arachnid, the peacock jumping spider is nimble footed, quick jumping, fast moving and agile.

So we must insert hyphens where missing in compound modifiers.

Standard rule: Hyphenate compound adjectives BEFORE the noun they modify.

So:

- “teeny tiny” → before “arachnid” → teeny-tiny
- “nimble footed” → after verb “is”, but still describes spider → better to hyphenate as nimble-footed
- “quick jumping” → describing how it moves → quick-jumping
- “fast moving” → same → fast-moving

Similarly for others.

Let’s do all 8:

1) Although it is a teeny-tiny arachnid, the peacock jumping spider is nimble-footed, quick-jumping, fast-moving and agile.

2) On the top of their scary looking heads, jumping spiders have two medium sized eyes and two smaller eyes.
→ “scary-looking” (before “heads”)
→ “medium-sized” (before “eyes”)
→ So: scary-looking, medium-sized

3) The ability to leap distances of over thirty five centimetres helps this insect hunting arachnid catch mouth watering prey.
→ “thirty-five” (number)
→ “insect-hunting” (adjective before “arachnid”)
→ “mouth-watering” (adjective before “prey”)
→ So: thirty-five, insect-hunting, mouth-watering

4) The ant mimicking spider is a species of jumping spider that is the master of disguise.
→ “ant-mimicking” (adjective before “spider”) → ant-mimicking

5) If the cold hearted female does not like the look of the crazy dancing male, she may decide to eat him.
→ “cold-hearted”
→ “crazy-dancing” (if acting as adjective) — yes, before “male” → cold-hearted, crazy-dancing

6) Males have to be brave and persistent to impress their female eating partners.
→ “female-eating” → meaning females who eat males → female-eating

7) These woodland dwelling creatures are thought to be under threat due to habitat destruction.
→ “woodland-dwelling” → woodland-dwelling

8) The arachnologist counted thirty five jumping spiders in the broad leaved forest.
→ “thirty-five”
→ “broad-leaved” → thirty-five, broad-leaved

✔ Done.

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Challenge 3: Write narration in David Attenborough style

Use figurative language, facts, suspense, generosity, and hyphenated words from Word Wall:

Word Wall:
- elaborate colours
- striking fan
- bad-tempered
- unfurled
- arachnid
- re-covered
- sure-footed
- ambushed

Sample narration:

*Deep in the emerald shadows of the rainforest, a tiny drama unfolds. Here lives the peacock jumping spider — a miniature marvel adorned in elaborate colours that shimmer like jewels under dappled sunlight. With a sudden flick, he unfurls his striking fan — a living peacock’s tail on eight legs — hoping to dazzle the watching female.*

*She watches, silent and still — a bad-tempered queen judging her suitor. He dances again, sure-footed on trembling leaves, waving limbs like ribbons in the breeze. Will she accept? Or will she ambush him mid-performance?*

*He tries once more… and this time — miracle! — she re-covered her anger, and stepped forward. Not to strike… but to join. A rare moment of grace in nature’s wild theatre.*

*(Note: Used all required elements — figurative language, factual info about courtship, suspense, generous tone, and hyphenated/compound words from Word Wall.)*

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Final Answer:

Challenge 1 Answers:

1) tree-leaping
2) leg-waving
3) peacock-like
4) brightly-coloured
5) small-sized
6) insect-hunting
7) nimble-footed, cold-hearted, co-operate

Challenge 2 Corrected Sentences:

1) Although it is a teeny-tiny arachnid, the peacock jumping spider is nimble-footed, quick-jumping, fast-moving and agile.
2) On the top of their scary-looking heads, jumping spiders have two medium-sized eyes and two smaller eyes.
3) The ability to leap distances of over thirty-five centimetres helps this insect-hunting arachnid catch mouth-watering prey.
4) The ant-mimicking spider is a species of jumping spider that is the master of disguise.
5) If the cold-hearted female does not like the look of the crazy-dancing male, she may decide to eat him.
6) Males have to be brave and persistent to impress their female-eating partners.
7) These woodland-dwelling creatures are thought to be under threat due to habitat destruction.
8) The arachnologist counted thirty-five jumping spiders in the broad-leaved forest.

Challenge 3 Sample Narration:

*Deep in the emerald shadows of the rainforest, a tiny drama unfolds. Here lives the peacock jumping spider — a miniature marvel adorned in elaborate colours that shimmer like jewels under dappled sunlight. With a sudden flick, he unfurls his striking fan — a living peacock’s tail on eight legs — hoping to dazzle the watching female.*

*She watches, silent and still — a bad-tempered queen judging her suitor. He dances again, sure-footed on trembling leaves, waving limbs like ribbons in the breeze. Will she accept? Or will she ambush him mid-performance?*

*He tries once more… and this time — miracle! — she re-covered her anger, and stepped forward. Not to strike… but to join. A rare moment of grace in nature’s wild theatre.*