High School Grammar Quiz: Hyphens for Compound Words and Prefixes (With Answers)

📚 Quick Study Guide: Hyphens for Compound Words & Prefixes

• 💡 Compound Adjectives Before Nouns: Use a hyphen when two or more words act as a single adjective modifying a noun that follows it.
  Example: a well-known author (but: an author who is well known).
• 📝 Compound Nouns: Many compound nouns are written as one word (e.g., "schoolteacher") or two words (e.g., "ice cream"). Hyphens are less common here, often reserved for clarity or specific styles.
  Example: sister-in-law.
• 🔗 Prefixes (General Rule): Most prefixes do not require a hyphen when attached to a base word.
  Example: unhappy, rebuild, pretest, cooperate.
• ⚠️ Exceptions for Prefixes (When to Hyphenate):
  • ✨ Before a proper noun or adjective: Example: pre-Columbian, anti-American.
  • 🔄 To avoid confusion with another word: Example: re-cover (to cover again) vs. recover (to get well).
  • 🔢 With numbers or letters: Example: pre-1900, T-shirt, S-curve.
  • ⭐ With specific prefixes: Always hyphenate with "all-", "ex-", "self-", "half-", "great-".
    Example: all-inclusive, ex-wife, self-aware, half-baked, great-grandmother.
  • 🔠 To prevent doubled vowels or awkward spellings: (Less common, but can occur for clarity).
    Example: re-enter (though often seen as reenter now), co-occur.
• 📏 Suspended Hyphens: Use when a single base word is shared by two or more hyphenated compounds.
  Example: long- and short-term goals.

🧠 Practice Quiz: Hyphens in Action

Choose the best answer for each question.

1. Which sentence correctly uses hyphens for a compound adjective?
   A) She adopted a well known cat.
   B) She adopted a well-known cat.
   C) She adopted a well known-cat.
   D) She adopted a-well known cat.
2. Choose the correct hyphenation for the phrase "self aware."
   A) selfaware
   B) self-aware
   C) selfaware-
   D) self aware
3. Which option correctly uses a hyphen with a prefix?
   A) antiestablishment
   B) anti-establishment
   C) anti establishment
   D) antiestablishmentarianism
4. Identify the sentence with the correct hyphenation for a compound word involving a specific prefix.
   A) He is an ex-president.
   B) He is an ex president.
   C) He is an expresident.
   D) He is an ex-President.
5. Which of the following phrases is correctly hyphenated?
   A) pretest results
   B) pre-test results
   C) pre test results
   D) pre-Test results
6. Select the sentence that demonstrates correct use of a suspended hyphen.
   A) The company offers long and short-term contracts.
   B) The company offers long- and short-term contracts.
   C) The company offers long-term and short-term contracts.
   D) The company offers long-term and short term contracts.
7. Which word pair requires a hyphen to distinguish meaning?
   A) recover / re-cover
   B) united / re-united
   C) form / re-form
   D) build / re-build