Final answer:
The correct use of a hyphen between two nouns as required by the question is b. Dual-purpose, indicating an object with two functions. 'Shared-assumption' is also correctly hyphenated when describing a common belief held by two or more people.
Step-by-step explanation:
When using a hyphen to join two nouns that show that one person has multiple functions or that one thing has more than one purpose, or when two people share a common assumption, the correct option is b. Dual-purpose. A hyphen is used to join two or more words that serve as a single modifier before a noun, which helps to clarify relationships between words and avoid ambiguity.
For example, 'dual-purpose' indicates that an object serves two distinct functions. Meanwhile, 'multi-function' is typically written as one word, 'multifunction', without a hyphen, and 'singular-function' does not require a hyphen because it is not combining two nouns. The option 'shared-assumption' is used correctly with a hyphen when describing a common assumption between two or more individuals.
Using hyphens with modifiers helps add clarity to a sentence, as seen in the following examples:
- A well-known author might be someone whose reputation precedes them.
- A novelty shop might sell chocolate-covered peanuts, indicating that the peanuts are coated in chocolate.
- An event like a high-school prom-night fundraiser clearly states that the event is connected to a prom night and that it is a fundraiser.
By understanding the usage of hyphens, apostrophes, and subject-verb agreement, students can write more precisely, indicating possession, clarification, emphasis, and grammatical number accurately.