Hyphens in Prefixed Words
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity in compound modifiers and prefixed words, distinguishing between meanings that change based on hyphen placement
Teaching approaches
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Can your child explain why "a man-eating shark" and "a man eating shark" mean completely different things — and use a hyphen correctly in their own writing to avoid that kind of confusion?
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity in compound modifiers and prefixed words, distinguishing between meanings that change based on hyphen placement
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Check understanding
- Distinguish between 'man eating shark' and 'man-eating shark' by adding or removing hyphens
- Use hyphens with prefixes to clarify meaning such as 'recover' versus 're-cover'
- Apply hyphens correctly in compound adjectives before nouns such as 'well-known author'
“Can your child explain why "a man-eating shark" and "a man eating shark" mean completely different things — and use a hyphen correctly in their own writing to avoid that kind of confusion?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- English
- Domain
- Grammar & Punctuation
- Age range
- Ages 10–11
Standards