What’s the difference between a hyphen and a dash? Hyphens are shorter than dashes, and link two words so the word or phrase makes sense. Dashes separate information and are a type of parenthesis, like brackets.
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How do you use a dash and hyphen in a sentence?
The dash is often used after an independent clause. The hyphen, on the other hand, is used to join two words together like yellow-green. It usually does not have a space between the words. Also, the dash tends to be slightly longer than the hyphen, and usually would have spaces before and after the symbol.
How do you use dashes in writing?
Use dashes to set off an idea or an appositive within a sentence. A dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off an idea within a sentence and may be used alone or in pairs. Dashes interrupt a thought in a more dramatic way than a phrase enclosed in commas, but less theatrically than parentheses.
How do you type a dash or a hyphen?
To begin, a hyphen (-) is shorter than a dash (–). Hyphens join words together and dashes indicate range. But that’s just the beginning. If you really want to keep these lines straight, read on.
What is a hyphen example?
The hyphen ‐ is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. Son-in-law is an example of a hyphenated word.
What is a dash example?
Dashes replace otherwise mandatory punctuation, such as the commas after Iowa and 2020 in the following examples: Without dash: The man from Ames, Iowa, arrived. With dash: The man—he was from Ames, Iowa—arrived. Without dash: The May 1, 2020, edition of the Ames Sentinel arrived in June.
How do you use dashes in dialogue?
The main things to remember are: Use an em dash if the speaker stops mid-word, in the same way as you’d use a hyphen. Put it inside the closing quotation marks. Use an em dash if the speaker’s able to complete a word, but someone or something stops them before they finish their thought.
Can you use dashes instead of commas?
Use Dashes in Place of a Comma
Em dashes can be used in pairs to replace commas when writing a parenthetical or interruptive phrase. The dashes have a slightly more emphatic feel, making the reader focus on this information that is set inside the special marks.
How do you type a hyphen on a laptop?
To create a hyphen using a U.S. keyboard, press the hyphen key. It’s on the same key as the underscore ( _ ), to the right of the zero key. The hyphen is easier to use on the numeric keypad with math formulas.
How do you hyphenate two sentences?
Using the En Dash to Denote a Connection
The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two words. 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. When the dash is used in this way, it creates a compound adjective.
What does a dash mean in dialogue?
Dashes are used to show a range or in place of parentheses to show that information has been inserted into a sentence. Dashes are only used in informal writing; in academic and business writing, use parentheses, commas, or colons instead. Do not put a space before or after a dash.
How do you write conversation?
9 Tips for Writing Good Conversations
- Mimic the voices of people in your own life.
- Break up character conversations with narration.
- Know your grammar and punctuation.
- Give your main character a secret.
- Use a layperson character to clarify technical language.
- Use authentic shorthand.
What are some examples of dialogue?
“I’m different, and I’m happy,” Calvin said. “But you pretend that you aren’t different.” “I’m different, and I like being different.” Calvin’s voice was unnaturally loud. “Maybe I don’t like being different,” Meg said, “but I don’t want to be like everybody else, either.”
How do you type a dash on a keyboard?
less simple: you need to use an alt code to get an em dash. If you have a numeric keyboard, hold down the Alt key and type 0151 for an em dash or 0150 for an en dash.
How do you use emphasis dashes?
A dash is expressed as an “em dash” ( — ) in printing, is expressed in plain text as two hyphens ( — ) and is used in place of a comma, colon or semicolon for greater emphasis. It denotes a major break or pause and should not be overused.
What is the visual difference between hyphens and dashes?
Difference #1 — a hyphen is short, and a dash is long. In Morse code, hyphens would be like the “dots” while dashes would be like, well, the “dashes.” Difference #2 – a hyphen pulls things together, but a dash pushes them apart.
How do you type a dash on a Mac?
On Macs, the long dash symbol situation is much easier.
- To type an en dash, press Option + hyphen (-)
- To type an em dash on keyboard, press Shift + Option + hyphen (-)
How do you type a dash in Google Docs?
Click on your document where you want to insert the dash, open the “Insert” menu, and then click “Special Characters.” After the tool opens, type “em dash” or “en dash” into the search bar and then click the symbol from the results on the left. Note: Several types of en and em dashes show up in the search results.