Question

How is a hyphen used? Select all that apply.

to show possession
to join parts of some compound words
to show missing letters in contractions
in dividing a word at the end of a line
in writing numbers
to join prefixes to root words (if the last letter of the prefix and the first letter of the root are the same)

Answer 1

Select:
- to join parts of some compound words (e.g., sister-in-law, well-being)
- in dividing a word at the end of a line (hyphenation)
- in writing numbers (e.g., twenty-one, thirty-three)
- to join prefixes to root words (when needed for clarity — often when letters would otherwise repeat, e.g., re‑enter, pre‑eminent)

Not correct: showing possession and showing missing letters in contractions are done with an apostrophe, not a hyphen.