Dash usage rules
Under Microsoft Word’s default settings, an en dash is automatically rendered by typing one or two spaced hyphens. Alternatively, you can create an en dash by holding down the control key and typing a hyphen on the numeric keypad, if you have one. On a Windows-based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. 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. Hyphens and Dashes A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side. Unlike parentheses (which tend to de-emphasize the information contained between them), dashes are more emphatic than commas. And dashes are particularly useful for setting off items in a series that are already separated by commas. Where parentheses indicate that the reader should put less emphasis on the enclosed material, dashes indicate that the reader should pay more attention to the material between the dashes. Dashes add drama—parentheses whisper. Dashes can be used for emphasis in several ways: A single dash can emphasize material at the beginning or end of a sentence. Dashes are considered less formal than parentheses; they are also more intrusive. If you want to draw attention to the parenthetical content, use dashes. If you want to include the parenthetical content more subtly, use parentheses. Note that when dashes are used in place of parentheses, surrounding punctuation should be omitted. It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes. Use a hyphen in a compound modifier when the modifier comes before the word it’s modifying. If you’re not sure whether a compound word has a hyphen or not, check your preferred dictionary.
A good rule is to use parentheses, commas, semicolons, and colons instead of em dashes in formal writing. There should be no spaces before or after an em dash.
European Union – Interinstitutional Style Guide – Uniform stylistic rules and conventions (publishing, copyright, manuscripts, proofreading, States/countries, 24 May 2011 “Reminded me of our battles over long dashes,” he wrote—and, to tell More likely, it's the lack of hard-and-fast usage rules—even the AP's A good rule is to use it when you're expressing a "to" relationship. Examples where an en-dash should be used: in years 1939–1945; pages 31–32 may be Of the three similar types of punctuation—hyphens, en dashes, and em but correctly using en dashes is definitely one of the little grammar rules to follow that 18 Jan 2018 Then I became an editor, and in the course of training, duly became privy to the arcane laws of dashes. There are three different types of dash, 30 Dec 2016 A hyphen is a teensy weensy little dash that's typically used to join words. Rules for em dashes in writing. Let's compare with hyphens and en
31 Oct 2016 As writers, editors and proofreaders the hyphen causes us angst. The rules are, at best, complicated. And hang the rules, usage is complicated
30 Dec 2016 A hyphen is a teensy weensy little dash that's typically used to join words. Rules for em dashes in writing. Let's compare with hyphens and en Rules for Using Dashes. Generally speaking, the dash does not have a unique role. It is usually used as an alternative to another type of punctuation. 5 Apr 2016 There are 2 types of dashes, “em” and “en”. The same rule applies to “Atg8–PE ” because this is also a covalent bond that is formed Hyphens, en-dashes and em-dashes are frequently used punctuation marks that are just An em-dash is the longest of the three, and is used to indicate a break in thought Read more about typography in her latest literary effort, Type Rules! 12 Apr 2019 Dashes are used to separate two words into statements. It should be noted that dashes are almost never required by the rules of grammar and 31 Oct 2016 As writers, editors and proofreaders the hyphen causes us angst. The rules are, at best, complicated. And hang the rules, usage is complicated
European Union – Interinstitutional Style Guide – Uniform stylistic rules and conventions (publishing, copyright, manuscripts, proofreading, States/countries,
13 Sep 2019 This is the most important rule regarding dashes that you need to know. Incorrect: John Locke–whose writings strongly influenced The 7 Feb 2020 Learn and understand the correct use of hyphens and dashes to add clarity to your business writing. Grammar: The Dash [ – ]. Alone among punctuation marks, the increasingly popular dash is never grammatically required, whether singly or in pairs; there is Dashes are a punctuation mark. It sets off information that interrupts the flow of a sentence. Writers use dashes in a lot of different situations. For example, a sudden A dash is a horizontal line that shows a pause or break in meaning, or that represents missing words or letters. Note that dashes are rather informal and should A quick guide to using colons, semicolons and dashes correctly will help you improve your grammatical precision and writing. Dashes interrupt your writing to insert an interjection or pause, while The rule is that the parentheses shouldn't affect the punctuation of the main statement:.
Always use an en dash, not a hyphen, in a range like 30–40 (only use dashes if you're doing a range of figures – use 'to' for things like 'Monday to Friday').
Where parentheses indicate that the reader should put less emphasis on the enclosed material, dashes indicate that the reader should pay more attention to the material between the dashes. Dashes add drama—parentheses whisper. Dashes can be used for emphasis in several ways: A single dash can emphasize material at the beginning or end of a sentence. Dashes are considered less formal than parentheses; they are also more intrusive. If you want to draw attention to the parenthetical content, use dashes. If you want to include the parenthetical content more subtly, use parentheses. Note that when dashes are used in place of parentheses, surrounding punctuation should be omitted. It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes. Use a hyphen in a compound modifier when the modifier comes before the word it’s modifying. If you’re not sure whether a compound word has a hyphen or not, check your preferred dictionary.
19 Sep 2016 As a rule, remember to keep the number of em dashes in a sentence limited to two. Yes, em dashes create clarity and emphasis. But too many More Punctuation Rules: Spacing With Punctuation Periods Commas Semicolons Colons Question Marks Parentheses and Brackets Apostrophes Hyphens Dashes Ellipses Quotation Marks Exclamation Points Slashes Dashes, like commas, semicolons, colons, ellipses, and parentheses, indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought. 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. There are three forms of dashes: em, en, and the double hyphen. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). 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.