Spicy Splicers &mdash Dandy Dividers Quiz / Test | Humanities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The New York University Editing Workshop web page warns, "NEVER refer to a hyphen as a 'dash.'" But wait! There's only one key on my keyboard that produces a straight, horizontal line that is placed at a mid-character level. Is it a hyphen or a dash?

Answer: Hyphen

Our computer keyboards are equipped only with hyphens. Have no fear; a method for creating dashes on FunTrivia's site will be given later.

2. Our noble friend, the hyphen, brings closer together things that should not be separated, even by so much as a space. Hence, when a hyphen is used, no spaces are placed between the hyphen and the words it connects. Which of the following expressions should have an em dash rather than a hyphen?

Answer: My dog - keep in mind what this quiz is about - eats dog food.

It should be: "My dog - keep in mind what this quiz is about - eats dog food." One way to to remember the difference in usage between hypens and em dashes is to remember "hyphens join - em dashes separate."

3. Compound words have three "designations": open with a space between the two words (high school), closed with no space between (bookstore) or hyphenated (ill-favored). Furthermore - I am not making this up and it is not my fault - compound words have three forms: noun forms, adjective forms, and words formed with prefixes. Bearing this in mind, which of the following should be hyphenated?

Answer: Quasi scholarly work

Only "quasi-scholarly work" merits a hyphen. The grammar gurus have decreed that quasi preceding a noun does not merit a hyphen, but quasi preceding an adjective must have one! Proper use of compound words seems to require use of a dictionary and a manual of style.

However, NYU warns that open words often become closed with time and usage. They warn, "Don't rush into dropping the hyphen too quickly, but be aware that the tendency does exist." When in doubt, I suggest consulting the following website: "http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/Hyphens.html".

4. There seem to be few consistent rules for hyphenating when using prefixes; style manuals differ on a word-by-word basis. In his essay, "The Great Hyphenation Hoax", Tom Little states, "Hyphenation of compounds is one of the things that makes even the mildest editors growl and spit." Which of the following expressions would be acceptable to the Chicago Manual of Style, the AP style manual and presumably, most others?

Answer: Anti-Semite

Prefixes are sometimes hyphenated. The New York University Editing Workshop web page notes that style manuals differ on rules for hyphenating prefixes. There does seem to be agreement that prefixes affixed to proper names should be hyphenated. In his essay, cited above, Tom Little goes on to say, "A laid-back approach says simply to follow a good dictionary, and otherwise leave all compounds open unless confusion would result.

This leads to fewer hyphens than tradition seems to encourage, but it is (I think) eminently sensible."

5. An adverb must never, ever be linked with a hyphen to an adjective.

Answer: True

"The point of the hyphen is to avoid ambiguity for the reader," claims the New York University Editing Workshop web page. This clarity seems to be purchased at the cost of ambiguity for the author. Let's summarize:

1. Hyphens are "joiners" not "separators". Do not use spaces before or after hyphens.

2. Hyphens are used to join some compound words, but it is difficult to know which compound words take hyphens.

3. Compound words that may be joined with hyphens include noun forms, adjective forms and prefixes.

4. You may confidently use a hyphen in the following circumstances:

Between prefixes and proper nouns (pre-Nixon)
With "in-law" expressions
Between self and a following noun or adjective (self-knowledge)

5. If in doubt, guess. No, wait! Really I didn't mean that. If in doubt, consult a dictionary or style manual or go to "www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/Hyphens.html".

6. Phew! Done with hyphens. Dashes are more straightforward, I promise. There are en dashes and em dashes. They differ in length. Is it true than en dashes are as long as the letter "n", whereas em dashes are as long as the letter "m"?

Answer: Yes

I had no idea, before researching this quiz, that there was more than one kind of dash. (Ok, it's confession time. Before I researched this quiz, I didn't know there was a difference between hyphens and dashes.) The HTML expression of an em dash is & followed without spaces by "mdash". For an en dash the HTML is & followed without spaces by "ndash". Both expressions work in FunTrivia quizzes.

7. Neither the em dash nor the en dash is on the standard keyboard or typewriter. There is an HTML expression for the em dash and the en dash. Which of the following is not an acceptable alternative for an em dash?

Answer: A hyphen without a preceding or trailing space (-)

A hyphen can be substituted for an em dash so long as preceding and trailing spaces are used. I have not seen a double hyphen used on the FunTrivia site. (Perhaps the editor reviewing this quiz will provide guidance.)

8. An em dash is stronger than a comma and weaker than a period. According to the NYU Editing Workshop, which of the following would be an appropriate indication for an em dash?

Answer: All of these

The NYU punctuation page lists four rationales for use of an em dash: "a suspension of sense, a faltering in speech, a sudden change in construction, or an unexpected turn of thought". I'm not sure what would constitute a suspension of sense. Suggestions are welcome (so long as they are sensible.)

9. I will be visiting England this summer, if I ever get this quiz finished. Would it be reasonable to replace the comma in the preceding sentence with an em dash?

Answer: Yes

It should seem unexpected that I would connect completion of the quiz to a visit to England; hence an em dash would be welcome.

10. If you are discussing straight horizontal punctuation marks - hyphen, em dash and en dash - and list them in the midst of your sentence, would parentheses be more appropriate than em dashes?

Answer: No

According to NYU's editing page, parentheses are appropriate for explanatory information. Em dashes are to be used to set off a series that requires commas when the series is in the midst of a sentence.

11. "PEOPLE'S WHOLE LIVES DO PASS IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES BEFORE THEY DIE. THE PROCESS IS CALLED 'LIVING'." Death In the preceding quote from a book by Terry Pratchett, where should an em dash be placed?

Answer: Before Death

Em dashes are used before attributions - inserting one here would indicate that Death is the speaker. (In Terry Pratchett novels, a quote being in all caps indicates that Death is the speaker.)

12. "You would never believe," and the speaker was lying through his teeth, "how exciting punctuation can be!" What change of punctuation is acceptable in the preceding quote?

Answer: Remove commas, place em dashes before "and" and after "teeth".

According to the NYU Editing Workshop web page, when the interrupting expression in a quote is narrative rather than attributive, dashes should be used to separate quotes.

13. Some might ask, "Can em dashes be used -" Is it appropriate to use an em dash after an incomplete thought?

Answer: Yes

It is true that our otherwise incomplete thoughts may be finished with an em dash. (This author is going to use a lot of em dashes!)

14. In certain circumstances, one should use an en dash (-) to connect words in the way one uses a hyphen. Which of the following is a legitimate use of an en dash?

Answer: All of them

The key here seems to be that en dashes do work for which hyphens are felt unfit. One could ask, "If we must not call a hyphen a dash under pain of certain grammatical censure, why should a dash be allowed to function as a hyphen?" And while one is asking rhetorical questions - "Why are there religious wars but no grammatical wars? Should hyphens not rise up and demand the expulsion of en dashes from their sentences?"

15. If one wished to refer to questions 1 - 15, would one use a hyphen or en dash?

Answer: En dash

Hyphens don't span; en dashes do. Seems only proper. Poor little hyphens would probably be pulled apart if they tried to span.

Source: Author uglybird

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ILuv2Teach before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Spicy Splicers &mdash Dandy Dividers Quiz

Not all straight, horizontal punctuation marks are equal, in either length or purpose. This post-comma quiz will cover the ins and outs of hyphen and dash usage. (According to American usage.)

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