Hyphens & Dashes Quiz

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Date:

Instructions: Hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes each have different jobs. Do you know which to use and when?

1.
What is the primary use of a hyphen (-)?
A
To separate clauses
B
To indicate a range of numbers
C
To join compound words or modifiers
D
To set off parenthetical remarks
2.
Which is correct? 'She is a well-___ woman.'
A
It depends on position in the sentence
B
Both are always wrong
C
known (no hyphen: well known)
D
known (with hyphen: well-known)
3.
An em dash is used for ___.
A
Indicating number ranges
B
Setting off parenthetical information or creating emphasis
C
Hyphenating at line breaks
D
Joining compound words
4.
An en dash is typically used for ___.
A
Indicating ranges (e.g., pages 10-20)
B
Emphasis in sentences
C
Replacing commas
D
Joining compound words
5.
Which is correct?
A
My sister in law is visiting.
B
My sister-in-law is visiting.
C
My sister - in - law is visiting.
D
My sister--in--law is visiting.
6.
Should compound modifiers after a noun be hyphenated? 'The woman is well known.'
A
Only with certain adjectives
B
Yes, always: well-known
C
No, hyphens are typically dropped after the noun
D
Only in formal writing
7.
Which uses an em dash correctly?
A
The answer is clear-study harder.
B
The answer is clear--study harder.
C
Both B and C are acceptable
D
The answer is clear — study harder.
8.
Which compound adjective needs a hyphen?
A
A brightly lit room
B
A very tall building
C
An extremely cold day
D
A two-story house
9.
Should 'reenter' have a hyphen?
A
Yes: re-enter (to avoid confusion with double 'e')
B
It should be written as two words: re enter
C
No: reenter is always correct
D
Both forms are accepted
10.
Which prefix usually requires a hyphen?
A
self-
B
pre-
C
un-
D
re-
11.
When should you hyphenate a number?
A
Only numbers over one hundred
B
All numbers should be hyphenated
C
Numbers should never be hyphenated
D
Only compound numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine
12.
Which is correct for a range?
A
The years 1990 to 2000
B
The years 1990-2000
C
The years 1990 - 2000
D
Both A and C are acceptable
13.
An em dash can replace which punctuation marks?
A
Periods and question marks
B
Apostrophes and quotation marks
C
Semicolons only
D
Commas, parentheses, or colons
14.
Which is the correct way to write a fraction as words?
A
Two/thirds
B
Two-thirds
C
Two - thirds
D
Two thirds
15.
How long is each mark, from shortest to longest?
A
En dash, em dash, hyphen
B
Em dash, hyphen, en dash
C
Dash, en dash, hyphen
D
Hyphen, en dash, em dash

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