1. Hyphens, Usage, and Commonly Misspelled/Confused Words

2. A panda walks into a café
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots into the air…

3. Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China
Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.

4. (From Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss, 2003)
The Hyphen
(From Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss, 2003)

5. “There are a great many hyphens left in America
“There are a great many hyphens left in America. For my part, I think the most un- American thing in the world is a hyphen.”
Woodrow Wilson, 1919
Former US President,
Re-elected in 1916.)

6. Uses of the Hyphen A re-formed musical group.
1. To avoid ambiguity.
A re-formed musical group.
(The group separated and then came back together)
A reformed musical group.
(The group had “problems/issues” but has since changed for the better)
A long-standing friend. (Friend for a long time)
A long standing friend. (The friend has been standing upright for a long time)

7. 3. Linking nouns to other nouns.
2. Spelling out numbers.
Twenty-three.
Forty-two.
3. Linking nouns to other nouns.
The London-Brighton train.
American-French relations.
Tarzan the ape-man.

8. 4. A noun phrase modifying another noun.
Stainless steel – not hyphenated, just an adjective modifying a noun.
Stainless-steel kitchen – “stainless steel” works as a noun phrase, and the hyphen prevents reading it as a stainless kitchen made out of steel.

9. 5. Certain (but not all) prefixes.
Un-American
Anti-Communist
Quasi-grammatical
But not:
Prejudice
Subordinate

10. 6. Spelling out words
Muammar Qaddafi’s name has been spelled:
G-h-a-d-d-a-f-i
K-a-d-d-a-f-i
G-a-d-h-a-f-i
K-h-a-d-a-f-y
(and over 30 other variants)

11. 7. To avoid “letter collision” in compound words:
Shell-like, not Shelllike
Re-elect, not reelect.
De-ice, not deice.

12. 8. Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line if necessary, and make the break only between syllables:pref-er-ence sell-ing in-di-vid-u-al-ist
9. For line breaks, divide already-hyphenated words only at the hyphen:
mass-produced self-conscious

13. When does a word stop being hyphenated?
Through repeated use, typically.
Previous hyphenated words:
To-morrow
Sub-marine
Good-bye

14. What’s the difference? Little-used car. Little used car.
Pickled-herring merchant.
Pickled herring merchant.

15. This presentation is brought to you by Grammar Bytes
This presentation is brought to you by Grammar Bytes!, ©2014 by Robin L. Simmons.
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16. On an objective test, an item evaluating the skill might look like this . . .

17. Sample Item My friends ate at Tito’s Taco Palace, so they’re A
hoping that their lunch stays down, for there are
B C
rumors that health inspectors cited the filthy kitchen.
their
they’re
there
No change is necessary.
My friends ate at Tito’s Taco Palace, so they’re A
hoping that their lunch stays down, for their are
B C
rumors that health inspectors cited the filthy kitchen.
their
they’re
there
No change is necessary.
My friends ate at Tito’s Taco Palace, so they’re
hoping that their lunch stays down, for their are
rumors that health inspectors cited the filthy kitchen.
their
they’re
there
No change is necessary.
At C, you need there, the expletive, or placeholder, form.
Is the word confused or misused at A, B, or C?

18. Recognize misspelled/correctly spelled words and phrases.X
Alright ●
All right
Alot
A lot
Rite
Right, write
Should of
Should have
Suppose to
Supposed to X X X X
Spelled wrong!
Spelled correctly!

19. Know the difference that an apostrophe can make.
Possessive pronoun; belonging to it
 Its ●
It’s 
Contraction for it is or it has
Possessive pronoun; belonging to whom
 Whose
Who’s 
Contraction for who is or who has
Possessive pronoun; belonging to you
 Your
You’re 
Contraction for you are
Possessive pronouns never contain an apostrophe.
Contractions do contain an apostrophe.

20. Know the difference a change to a single letter can make.
Noun form
 Advice ●
Advise 
Verb form
Usually a verb
 Affect
Effect 
Usually a noun
City, wealth, important
 Capital
Capitol 
The building for lawmaking
To quote
 Cite
Site 
A location
Rough
 Coarse
Course 
Path, route
Praise
 Compliment
Complement 
Goes well with
Put in place
 Set
Sit 
Be seated
Unchanging
 Stationary
Stationery 
Paper
Indicates comparison
 Than
Then 
Next
Why is English so complicated?

21. Don’t let these homonyms [sound alike words] confuse you.
Agree to or receive
 Accept ●
Except 
Leave out
Plural present of the verb be
 Are
Our 
Possessive pronoun; belonging to us
Past tense of pass
 Passed
Past 
Gone, by
Go before
 Precede
Proceed 
Carry on
Chief [person], main
 Principal
Principle 
Truth or rule
Correct, a just claim, a direction
 Right
Write 
Make letters with an instrument
Sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste
 Sense
Since 
Adverb, conjunction, or preposition
View, glimpse
 Sight
Site 
A location
Past tense of throw
 Threw
Through 
Beyond
State of the atmosphere
 Weather
Whether 
Introduces an alternative

22. To, Too, Two Use to as a preposition. Use to to begin an infinitive.
Jonathan drove to the seafood shop.
Use to to begin an infinitive.
He hoped to buy fresh squid.
Use too to show degree.
The squid was too expensive to purchase.
Use too as a synonym for also.
So too was the fresh octopus.
Use two when you mean the number.
Jonathan bought two flounder filets instead.

23. There, Their, They’re
Use there as an expletive, a placeholder to delay the subject.
There is a turtle in the road.
Use there to indicate place.
Across the road is a lake. The turtle hopes to get there before a car hits him.
Use their as a possessive pronoun.
Most drivers don’t see the turtle; their eyes are glued to their cell phones.
Use they’re as a contraction for they are.
They’re also distracted by other devices, like the radio and navigation system.

24. Let’s see what you can do!
Quick Test
Directions: In the items that follow, choose the option that corrects an error in the underlined portion(s). If no error exists, choose “No change is necessary.”
Your turn!
Let’s see what you can do!

25. Item 1 Even though we warned Jake not to eat a whole A
pie at one sitting, he sat at the kitchen table and B
proceeded to consume slice after slice. C
whole
set
preceded
No change is necessary.
Even though we warned Jake not to eat a hole
pie at one sitting, he sat at the kitchen table and
proceeded to consume slice after slice.
whole
set
preceded
No change is necessary.
Even though we warned Jake not to eat a hole A
pie at one sitting, he sat at the kitchen table and B
proceeded to consume slice after slice. C
whole
set
preceded
No change is necessary.

26. Item 2 Give Jerrod a compliment because his shoe A
laces complement the colors in his plaid shirt B
His fashion sense is gradually improving. C
complement
compliment
sense
No change is necessary.
Give Jerrod a compliment because his shoe
laces complement the colors in his plaid shirt.
His fashion since is gradually improving.
complement
compliment
sense
No change is necessary.
Give Jerrod a compliment because his shoe A
laces complement the colors in his plaid shirt B
His fashion since is gradually improving. C
complement
compliment
sense
No change is necessary.

27. Item 3 If you go by the supermarket, buy a package of A B
hotdog buns. Then we can grill the sausage for C
dinner.
buy by
Then
No change is necessary.
If you go by the supermarket, buy a package of
hotdog buns. Than we can grill the sausage for
dinner.
buy by
Then
No change is necessary.
If you go by the supermarket, buy a package of
A B
hotdog buns. Than we can grill the sausage for C
dinner.
buy by
Then
No change is necessary.

28. Item 4 Heed my advice, and don’t lose your receipt. A B
The college bookstore will not accept any excuse C
if you need to return those books.
advise
lose
except
No change is necessary.
Heed my advice, and don’t loose your receipt.
The college bookstore will not accept any excuse
if you need to return those books.
advise
lose
except
No change is necessary.
Heed my advice, and don’t loose your receipt.
A B
The college bookstore will not accept any excuse C
if you need to return those books.
advise
lose
except
No change is necessary.

29. Item 5 The herd of gazelle leaped through the air as A B
the animals tried to elude the cheetah. C
herd
threw
allude
No change is necessary.
The heard of gazelle leaped through the air as
the animals tried to elude the cheetah.
herd
threw
allude
No change is necessary.
The heard of gazelle leaped through the air as A B
the animals tried to elude the cheetah. C
herd
threw
allude
No change is necessary.

30. Item 6 Maybe Gerald is caught in traffic, or he may be A B
flirting with the cute cafeteria cashier. Either way,
don’t accept any excuse for his tardiness. C
May be
may be
except
No change is necessary.
Maybe Gerald is caught in traffic, or he maybe
flirting with the cute cafeteria cashier. Either way,
don’t accept any excuse for his tardiness.
May be
may be
except
No change is necessary.
Maybe Gerald is caught in traffic, or he maybe
A B
flirting with the cute cafeteria cashier. Either way,
don’t accept any excuse for his tardiness. C
May be
may be
except
No change is necessary.

31. Item 7 When there are fewer students in a class, the A B
professor has fewer worries that everyone is C
getting individual attention.
their
less
fewer
No change is necessary.
When there are fewer students in a class, the
professor has less worries that everyone is
getting individual attention.
their
less
fewer
No change is necessary.
When there are fewer students in a class, the
A B
professor has less worries that everyone is C
getting individual attention.
their
less
fewer
No change is necessary.

32. Item 8 We were successful baking 300 cupcakes for A
the charity event, but today we’re exhausted after B
spending all night preparing the desserts. C
we’re
were
deserts
No change is necessary.
We were successful baking 300 cupcakes for
the charity event, but today we’re exhausted after
spending all night preparing the desserts.
we’re
were
deserts
No change is necessary.
We were successful baking 300 cupcakes for A
the charity event, but today we’re exhausted after B
spending all night preparing the desserts. C
we’re
were
deserts
No change is necessary.

33. Item 9 Gregory passed his chemistry final, so now he A
won’t lose his scholarship. As he walked past
B C
the diner, he rewarded himself with a milkshake.
past
lose
passed
No change is necessary.
Gregory passed his chemistry final, so now he
won’t loose his scholarship. As he walked past
the diner, he rewarded himself with a milkshake.
past
lose
passed
No change is necessary.
Gregory passed his chemistry final, so now he A
won’t loose his scholarship. As he walked past
B C
the diner, he rewarded himself with a milkshake.
past
lose
passed
No change is necessary.

34. Item 10 Mr. Ramos hopes to accept the bid on the house. A
He has agreed to all of the buyer’s conditions
except retiling the master bathroom since it B C
would be too much work.
accept
sense
No change is necessary.
Mr. Ramos hopes to except the bid on the house.
He has agreed to all of the buyer’s conditions
except retiling the master bathroom since it
would be too much work.
accept
sense
No change is necessary.
Mr. Ramos hopes to except the bid on the house. A
He has agreed to all of the buyer’s conditions
except retiling the master bathroom since it B C
would be too much work.
accept
sense
No change is necessary.

35. Grammar Bytes! provides additional handouts and exercises on commonly confused words. Go to chompchomp.com!
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36. Watch where you’re going, fool!
The End.
Watch where you’re going, fool!