Hyphen

I'm going to skip over the use for breaking up a word between lines, because none of us do it and word-processors keep us all together. Huh!

A hyphen shows an attachment between two words when one of which may not be complete without the other.  In all instances, a hyphen must have no space around it - it must only be used with a word bolted to each ear. When in doubt, consult that dictionary, remembering you are aiming for a clear message.

The Compound Modifier

The what? You modify the word grass by saying green grass; therefore, you compound modify the word grass by saying dirty-green grass. Without the hyphen we have a slightly different meaning:

The key with hyphens is to use them liberally in compound modifiers to make their understanding easier. Leaving out a hyphen could change the meaning:

Is vastly different from:

In the first we are led to believe R1X is avoiding a club who wish to free 'pickle' (whom or whatever pickle is!). The second is clearly regarding how R1X avoided the pickle club, who, apparently, were free (Weird!).

After the Verb

Has a completely different meaning to:

In the first R1X is the one who's ill, in the second it's R1X's face that makes a sick olive turn green.

Prefixing Words

A prefix is anything affixed to the front of an already existing word: covered becomes re-covered (as in: placing a covering over something – again – and not to be mistaken with recovered: getting something back). Some prefixes don’t require an apostrophe: menswear and yet some do: pre-empt. Three rules govern this need for the apostrophe:

When a number of capital letter is employed:

*  When the existing word already includes a hyphen:

*  When the existing compound word contains a space (in this instance, all the involved words become hyphenated):

There is one more circumstance in the use of the hyphen; that where repetition is involved:

This may be written without the first druggy:

The same goes for words where a hyphen isn’t usually employed (all in the name of avoiding repeating yourself):

Dash

Note that the dash (–) is far bigger than the hyphen (-). In Microsoft Word this appears automatically from the creation of hyphen, when you type a space after the last word – I assure you it does. Alternatively, press and hold both the Ctrl and Shift keys and then press the - (hyphen) key.

Its use, if you remember back to weak interruptions with bracketing commas, is to produce strong interruptions:

Is a weak interruption. The sentence would move along without the: a man of low moral character section.  Also, it is a soft aside; it works with the existing sentence and doesn't jar the reader with its addition. However:

That weasely, self-serving toad is a strong interruption. A strong interruption jars the sentence – it wants to be seen.

This bracketing, as with the comma version, may require only one dash if the interruption is placed at the end of the sentence:

In speech

Strong interruptions in speech may end with a new sentence. It gives the appearance of an abrupt end to dialogue; the changing of tact or ideas:

Only one dash is used and we end the interruption with the next required punctuation (in the case above: !) and then move onto the next sentence.

A dash may also signify the breaking off of speech:

This isn't to be mistaken with when someone's voice trails off (when they're distracted or fall asleep):

Ranges

When people discuss a range of values, dates, cities, etc, the dash can be employed between them, representing either:

It is advised that dates remain in full – I lived in Bracknell from 1979 to 2005.

Thanks to Litopian R1X for these shared insights - join Litopia now for immediate access to the Colony, the net's oldest and preeminent community for writers.