Use dashes to mark the beginning and end of a series, which might otherwise get confused, with the rest of the sentence: Example: The three female characters—the wife, the nun, and the jockey—are the incarnation of excellence. Dashes are also used to mark the interruption of a sentence in dialogue: Example: “Help!
Contents
When to use a dash or 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.
What is a dash example?
A dash (generally, an “em dash”) can be used to replace a colon to introduce an appositive. For example: She is only interested in one thing: money. She is only interested in one thing — money.
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.
What is the rule for dashes?
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). It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does.
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.
What is the effect of dashes in a sentence?
Quick Use: Use a dash to connect independent clauses or to inerrupt a main clause in a way that creates dramatic effect. Dashes function in two ways: to signal interruptions in a sentence (basically like parentheses), and to connect independent clauses.
What does a dash after a word mean?
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).”A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses.”
How do you use an em dash in a sentence?
The em dash can be used in place of a colon when you want to emphasize the conclusion of your sentence. The dash is less formal than the colon. After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict—guilty. The white sand, the warm water, the sparkling sun—this is what brought them to Fiji.
What does a dash mean in dialogue?
Dashes create urgency. Just like in narrative, dashes can be used in dialogue to set off clauses within sentences. But the most important use of dashes in dialogue is to show one speaker interrupting another.
What is AM dash?
The em dash (—) sets off a word or clause and adds emphasis. Or, it can signal an interruption (see our article on interrupting sentences for more on that!) or amplification (“expanding”) of an idea. It’s also the longest of the dashes (e.g., hyphen, en dash).
What does a dash mean in a script?
A dash is a punctuation mark. An en-dash is commonly used for ranges, such as “6–10 years.” An em-dash is longer, and used to set off a phrase—often a parenthetical thought, like this—from the rest of the sentence.And you don’t need to put spaces around the dash. Screenplays are set in monospace fonts like Courier.
How do you use a dash in a paragraph?
In effect, a dash allows you to redefine what was just written, making it more explicit. You can also use a dash as it is used in the first sentence of this paragraph: to frame an interruptive or parenthetical-type comment that you do not want to de-emphasize.
Should dashes be used in pairs?
The dash has only one use: a pair of dashes separates a strong interruption from the rest of the sentence. (A strong interruption is one which violently disrupts the flow of the sentence.) Again, note that word `pair’: in principle, at least, dashes come in pairs, though sometimes one of them is not written.
How do you use dashes and ellipses?
As a format rule, remember that there is never a space before or after an em-dash. The ellipsis is a sign that there is missing text in quoted material. Used in dialogue, it shows a pause in a character’s speech. In contrast, the em-dash is used to emphasize a phrase or to indicate an interruption in speech.
What kind of dash goes between dates?
en dash
An en dash is a mid-sized dash (longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash) that is mostly used to show ranges in numbers and dates. It can also be used for clarity in forming complex compound adjectives. The en dash derives its name from the fact that it is meant to be the same width as the letter N.
Is a dash an ellipsis?
A dash is used to indicate an interruption in dialogue, to introduce a list of items, or to signal an explanation the writer wants to emphasize. Ellipses and dashes are not interchangeable, but the misuse of either and both is common. A dash is a highlighter. An ellipsis takes the place of missing words.