En dashes may look similar to em dashes, but they function in a much different way. In this context, the dash should be interpreted as meaning either “to” or “through.” Consider the examples below: The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two words. A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text (not at the bottom: that’s an underscore). — Peter Sellers (1925–1980). Use an en dash when you need to connect terms that are already hyphenated or when you are using a two-word phrase as a modifier. A dash may or may not have a … Colons enable a writer to introduce a clause that amplifies whatever came before the colon. By the late 1800s, the dash had taken on some very specific roles. It was the unblemished unmistakable sparkle of ... the diamond on her grandmother's ring. When you want to generate strong emotion in your writing or create a more casual tone, use em dashes. They cause trouble wherever they go.”, Carved into the dresser drawer was a faded inscription: “Made for Kristina, by your de——ted sailor.”. For example: It depends — as my mother used to say — on trust. What Are Run-on Sentences and How Do You Fix Them? American Psychological Association notes that you would use the en dash for: Angela Gibson, writing for the MLA Style Center, a writing resource for the Modern Languages Association, says the organization uses an en dash when a single compound adjective is a proper noun, as in: She notes that the MLA also calls for an en dash when a compound in the predicate position includes a proper noun: The AP, which does use em dashes, explains that these punctuation marks are used: AP style calls for a space on both sides of an em dash, but most other styles, including MLA and APA, omit the spaces. That's all she ever asked for.

Some have expressed support for the dash: Other writers strenuously oppose using the mark: So, next time you look in your toolkit of punctuation marks and see the en dash or em dash just waiting to be put to work, ensure that you are using these marks for the right reasons and following the rules discussed. She demanded just one thing from her students — effort. A former employee of the accused company, ———, offered a statement off the record. An em dash, or long dash, is used: in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence: Thousands of children—like the girl in this photograph—have been left homeless. He is afraid of two things: spiders and senior prom.

Though the Associated Press does not use the en dash, the press service nicely describes how other styles do use the shorter dash. When the dash is used in this way, it creates a compound adjective. Before attribution to an author or composer in some formats. Do you disagree with something on this page?

"It tempts the writer to use it as a punctuation-maid-of-all-work that saves him the trouble of choosing the right stop." Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does. The dash (—) is a mark of punctuation used to set off a word or phrase after an independent clause or a parenthetical remark (words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt a sentence). It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. To create the em dash on a Macintosh-based system, hold down the Shift and Option keys and press the Minus key [-], notes Techwalla, adding that alternatively, you can press the Hyphen key twice and press Space. ), three dots used as a pause for effect (e.g., It needed — trust.). Mark Jones — who has lived in our village for 20 years — is the world Scrabble champion and the national Cluedo champion. Don't confuse the dash (—) with the hyphen (-): the dash is longer. Last week, Dr Mark Jones — a resident of Bexley since he graduated from Bexley Secondary School in 1990 — was crowned, for the second year running, the world Scrabble champion.

Ask yourself if your parenthetical remark will add nuance and insight to your writing or just confuse the reader. Compare these sentences: Writers and transcriptionists replace unknown, censored, or intentionally omitted letters with em dashes. The festival will take place March 15–31. Vocational rather than academic, "Grammar for Grown-ups" is packed with real-life examples and keeps you engaged with a wealth of great quotations from Homer the Greek to Homer the Simpson. According to Thomas MacKellar, in his 1885 book, "The American Printer: A Manual of Typography" : MacKellar noted several specific uses for the dash, including: The last use would today be an en dash, which indicates a range. It was the unblemished unmistakable sparkle of — the diamond on her grandmother's ring. The 2015–2016 fiscal year was the most profitable year for the new business. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. Tone vs. After a split second of hesitation, the second baseman leaped for the ball—or, rather, limped for it. The teacher assigned pages 101–181 for tonight’s reading material. There are three forms of dashes: em, en, and the double hyphen. The Online Etymology Dictionary says the dash—a "horizontal line used as a punctuation mark"—first appeared in writing and printing in the 1550s. She demanded effort from her students — that's all she ever asked for. Recall that en dashes are slightly shorter in length than em dashes. Dashes can be used as alternatives to brackets and commas. "There used to be a real me, but I had it surgically removed." Don't confuse the dash (—) with the hyphen (-): the dash is longer. Gowers, Ernest. For example: "Love is a serious mental disease." For instance, em dashes can replace parentheses at the end of a sentence or when multiple commas appear in a parenthetical phrase. You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. A dash is a horizontal line that shows a pause or break in meaning, or that represents missing words or letters. As she prodded through the sludge, something caught her eye. Mark Jones, who has lived in our village for 20 years, is the world Scrabble champion and the national Cluedo champion.

Skip — a guard dog for Bonds Ltd in Bury — hospitalized two burglars before returning to eat the steaks they had thrown him. A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text (not at the bottom: that’s an underscore). There are two basic ways to use an em dash in a sentence: After an independent clause: Author Saul Below, in "My Paris," provides an example of using an em dash after an independent clause: To set off words and phrases: Writers have effectively used em dashes to shoehorn a parenthetical thought or remark into a sentence, as this quote illustrates: For a tiny punctuation mark, the dash has sparked an unusual level of debate among writers, grammarians, and punctuation experts. Skip—a guard dog for Bonds Ltd in Bury—hospitalized two burglars before returning to eat the steaks they had thrown him.

She demanded effort from her students. The pro-choice–pro-life argument is always a heated one. When used as parentheses, dashes are alternatives to … Items of equal weight (test–retest, male–female, the Chicago–London flight). She demanded just one thing from her students: effort. White explained in "The Elements of Style": There are actually two types of dashes, each with different uses: the em dash—also called the "long dash," according to Oxford Online Dictionaries—and the en dash, which doesn't have another name but falls between the hyphen and em dash in terms of length. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. To create this punctuation mark on a Macintosh-based system hold down the Option key and press the Minus key [-]. A dash can be used between dates. The Nobel Prize–winning author will be reading from her book at the library tonight. “H—— are all the same. They are more formal than dashes. However, em dashes are more emphatic than colons.

), a semicolon (e.g., It depends on trust — it always has. If it's the latter, return the dashes to your punctuation tool bag and use a comma, colon, or semicolon instead, or revise the sentence so that you can omit the dreaded dash. For example: A dash can be used to credit a quotation. Download Grammarly's app to help with eliminating grammar errors and finding the right words. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas, colons and brackets. Em dashes save the day when other punctuation would be awkward. Rebecca Gowers, Paperback, Penguin UK, October 1, 2015. "The dash is seductive," says Ernest Gowers in "The Complete Plain Words," a style, grammar, and punctuation reference guide.

She demanded effort from her students; that's all she ever asked for. Straight talking and methodical, "Smashing Grammar" (Our Grammar Book, 2019), three dots (...) used as a pause for effect, dashes are alternatives to brackets or commas, Read more about dashes to extend a sentence. A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the length of the letter N and the em dash as the length of the letter M. These dashes not only differ in length; they also serve different functions within a sentence. When used to extend a sentence, a dash can replace a semicolon (;), a colon (:), or three dots (...) used as a pause for effect. The en dash is so named because it is approximately the equivalent width of the uppercase letter N and the em dash is roughly the width of an uppercase M. Merriam-Webster says the word dash comes from the Middle English word dasshen, which probably derives from the Middle French term dachier, meaning "to impel forward." — Plato. The en dash is often used to indicate spans of time or ranges of numbers. My son—where has he gone?—would like to meet you. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). In catalogs of books, where it was used instead of repeating an author's name. Mark Jones (who has lived in our village for 20 years) is the world Scrabble champion and the national Cluedo champion.

For example: To create an en dash using a keyboard on a Windows-based system, hold down the Alt key and simultaneously type 0150. Mood: How to Use Tone and Mood in Your Writing, 5 Writing "Rules" That Are Really Guidelines, Beware of These Common Consistency Issues in Writing. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Note that dashes are rather informal and should be used carefully in writing.



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