Hyphens and Dashes Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: 11-12.2.A

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

These forms of punctuation often just look like some decoration on the page, but they have substantial uses. Hyphens (-) are used to join two or more words or parts of words. This helps clear situational thoughts on words because the hyphen tells you they are together. Hyphens also help compound words to be properly pronounced. Dashes ( - ) have the opposite effect of hyphens. Dashes have spaces between themselves and the words they separate. They are used in informal language and tell you that things are separated. These worksheets will help students start to use dashes and hyphens regularly in their writing.

Hyphens and Dashes Worksheets:

Using Hyphens – Rewrite each sentence below, using a hyphen correctly.

Using Dashes – Dashes indicate a change in direction in a sentence. They are stronger than a comma, but not as strong as a period.

Writing: The Dash – A dash can be used to signal an interruption, especially within a quotation. A dash is longer than a hyphen.

Punctuation – Rewrite each sentence, using hyphens or dashes where appropriate.

Punctuating Interruptions – The dash can work as ending punctuation; there is no period after a dash, and there are no spaces around a dash.

Using Hyphens and Dashes – Rewrite each sentence, using hyphens or dashes where appropriate.

Using Dashes to Show Pause – Rewrite each sentence below using dashes.

More Interruptions – Make these work much the same way.

Hyphenated Compound Words – Rewrite the following compound words using hyphens correctly where needed. Not all words will require hyphens.

Writing with Dashes – Write an original sentence that demonstrates each use of dashes described above.

Compound Modifiers – Rewrite each sentence, adding hyphens to the compound modifiers.

Using Dashes for Pauses – Dashes indicate a change in direction in a sentence. They are stronger than a comma, but not as strong as a period.

Punctuating with Hyphens and Dashes – Rewrite each sentence, using hyphens or dashes where appropriate.

Compound Adjectives Before Nouns – Rewrite each sentence so that it uses a hyphenated compound adjective.

Punctuating Change of Direction – Read each sentence below. Identify what the ellipsis or dash in each sentence indicates. Write the correct letter on the line.

When to Use Hyphens and Dashes


A hyphen and dash, both are the elements of punctuation. Punctuation plays a vital role in the text. It allows a clear flow of information. It makes the text more understandable and easier for readers. It is always necessary to use the correct punctuation. This is because using the punctuation incorrectly will result in confusion for the readers. A hyphen and a dash are often considered as one. They look almost the same that is why many people assume that a hyphen and a dash are the same. They are not similar in any way. The difference between them can be easily spotted. A hyphen and a dash also have different usage and purpose. An easy way to tell the difference between a hyphen and a dash is to look at the spaces on either side. A hyphen is not separated by spaces whereas a dash has a space on both sides.


Hyphen


A hyphen is used to combine two different words together. This helps in avoiding ambiguity and confusion. Most compound words require a hyphen. You can consult a dictionary to see which compound words use hyphens. Many words use a hyphen when there is a prefix used. In the past, many words used hyphen but now they have become a single word. For example, email. Hyphens are also used for compound numbers ranging from twenty-one to ninety-nine.

Examples
Run-down
Up-to-date
Co-operate


Dash


Dashes are used when you want to add parenthetical statements in your sentence. A dash can be used instead of the brackets. However, it is advised that you should use brackets when writing formally. This is because dashes are more informal.

Examples

He might come to the movie night - you never know.