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Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Capitalize and/or hyphenate “the Start Your Own Business project”?

How do you capitalize words with hyphens?

8.159 Hyphenated compounds in headline-style titles

  1. Always capitalize the first element.
  2. Capitalize any subsequent elements unless they are articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), or such modifiers as flat or sharp following musical key symbols.

When should a writer use a hyphen?

Generally, you need the hyphen only if the two or more words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun they’re describing. If the noun comes first, leave the hyphen out. This wall is load bearing. It’s impossible to eat this cake because it is rock hard.

What is an example of a hyphenated word?

Commonly Hyphenated Words: Examples



Empty + handed = Empty-handed, which means to have nothing in your hands. Mother + in + law = Mother-in-law, who is the mother of your spouse. Merry + go + round = Merry-go-round, which is another word for a carousel. Self + esteem = Self-esteem, which is similar to your confidence.

Why do you put a hyphen between words?

Hyphens’ main purpose is to glue words together. They notify the reader that two or more elements in a sentence are linked. Although there are rules and customs governing hyphens, there are also situations when writers must decide whether to add them for clarity.

How do you use dashes and hyphens correctly?

A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side.

How do you use a dash example?

Use dashes to mark the beginning and end of a series, which might otherwise get confused, with the rest of the sentence: Example: The three female characters—the wife, the nun, and the jockey—are the incarnation of excellence. Dashes are also used to mark the interruption of a sentence in dialogue: Example: “Help!

How do you hyphenate two sentences?

Quick Use: Use a dash to connect independent clauses or to inerrupt a main clause in a way that creates dramatic effect. Dashes function in two ways: to signal interruptions in a sentence (basically like parentheses), and to connect independent clauses.

How do you put a hyphen in the middle of a sentence?

Use a dash to show a pause or break in meaning in the middle of a sentence: My brothers—Richard and John—are visiting Hanoi. (Could use commas.) In the 15th century—when of course nobody had electricity—water was often pumped by hand.

Do you need a hyphen before based?

(Hyphenate when prefix comes before a proper noun or adjective)



How To Use Hyphens With Prefixes and Suffixes.

Use a Hyphen Hyphen Examples
suffixes with three-syllable nouns (or more) adobe-like vegetable-based homecoming-ready

Why do authors use a dash in writing?

A dash is a horizontal line that shows a pause or break in meaning, or that represents missing words or letters. Note that dashes are rather informal and should be used carefully in writing. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas, colons and brackets. A dash may or may not have a space on either side of it.

Why do authors use dashes?

To Help Readability. Dashes can also be used to help make a sentence easier to read. This is usually done when a phrase set off by commas has a lot of its own commas within it.

Can you use a hyphen in academic writing?

If you use a prefix or suffix with a proper noun or adjective, add a hyphen. If your phrase uses numbers or a single letter, add a hyphen.

Can you use hyphens in formal writing?

Hyphens are used in compound nouns such as check-up or to show the link between multi-word phrases e.g. self-induced hyperglycemic episode. Hyphens are appropriate in formal writing.



How do you use a dash and hyphen in a sentence?

A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side.

How do you use a dash in a title?

Although colons and dashes are often interchangeable, in this case the extra piece could be considered a ‘title’ or ‘definition’ of what went before. Dashes are usually used for extra information. Also, if you look at article titles (in anything I read), they use a colon.