Are you “pre-pared”?

This workout focuses on the fourth and last section of our hyphenation table, “Words Formed with Prefixes.” You’ll find the hyphenation table under paragraph 7.96 in CMOS 18.

Subscribers to The Chicago Manual of Style Online may consult the hyphenation table linked to in the previous paragraph (and cited in the answers). (We also offer a 30-day free trial of CMOS Online.)

Note: Style guides and dictionaries sometimes disagree. This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of The Chicago Manual of Style. For terms formed with prefixes, CMOS usually follows Merriam-Webster. Where the two sources differ, prefer CMOS. Some of the terms that appear in this quiz are not listed in Merriam-Webster.

Now updated to refer and link to the 18th edition.

Chicago Style Workout 41: Prefixes

Please wait...

1. Most compounds formed with prefixes (e.g., anti, multi, pre) are hyphenated.

True

False

2. A prefix that results in two consecutive a’s or i’s usually requires a hyphen (e.g., anti-inflammatory).

True

False

3. A prefix that results in two consecutive e’s or o’s never requires a hyphen (e.g., deemphasize).

True

False

4. Prefixes that result in two consecutive consonants always require a hyphen (e.g., counter-revolution).

True

False

5. Prefixes that would not result in a doubled letter never require a hyphen (e.g., destress).

True

False

6. When two prefixes apply to the same word, and the first one stands alone, a suspended hyphen is required (e.g., over- and underfed).

True

False

7. A prefix is normally joined to a proper noun or adjective with a hyphen and remains lowercase (e.g., sub-Saharan).

True

False

8. When a prefix is joined to an open compound, an en dash is used instead of a hyphen.

True

False

9. The terms Pre-Raphaelite (with a capital P) and transatlantic (no hyphen, lowercase a) are exceptions to the rule for joining prefixes to proper nouns or adjectives.

True

False

10. Chicago’s preferred spelling is unselfconscious, not un-self-conscious.

True

False

 Loading...

 

Top image: Perfect Form (US Air Force photo by Todd Ryan).

Ready for another quiz? Click here for the full list.

Please see our commenting policy.