You’ve probably heard of hyphens and em dashes, but what about en dashes? Learn what they are and how to use them with this helpful article. They are useful for emotionally-loaded dialogue interruption, because emotions act quickly on the brain. Guion Largo o Raya – Em Dash. Select the Close button to close the Find and Replace dialog box (see figure 7). ” Originally, typewriters had monospaced fonts (skinny letters and fat letters. Em Dashes The em dash is the longest line among these marks of punctuation (—). The en dash, which is slightly shorter, and the em dash, which is the one you can see in the previous paragraph. I also tried powertoys keyboard manager Remap Shortcut, but it. 27, 2015. 1. An em-dash is used to show a break in thought—not in velocity—within a sentence (for not the greatest example). Although the en dash and em dash are the most commonly used types of dashes, there is another type of dash called the 3-em dash (the size of three em dashes). No commas following the em dashes. (If you do, up vote that answer. Note that although this answer cites only CMOS, I'm fairly confident (based on experience) that most major style. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. Em dashes are the longest of the common dashes (I won’t be covering 2-em and 3-em dashes in this article) and are so named because they are the width of the letter “m. em. Etc. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. 2. It is used to indicate a range of values, such as numbers, dates, and times. Below is a list of punctuation marks written in English; translate each term into French. The Latin preposition cum means “combined with,” “also used as,” or “along with being. Use an En dash as a replacement for the word ‘to’ or to denote a range of numbers. Most of the time you will see a space before and after this dash. Type a word. 5. There are two types of dash. Examples. An em dash or a pair of em dashes may indicate a sudden break in thought or sentence structure or an interruption in dialogue. ”. It can be used to separate the elements of a date: 10 septembre 1973 = 10. The Chicago Manual of Style says that “periods and commas precede closing quotation marks. Formally, this job is reserved for the em dash, but there is some leniency in use depending on the publisher. Parenthetical expressions, despite their name, don’t always have to be between parentheses. Usage: The em dash is used to indicate interruptions, emphasize elements, set off appositives, replace colons or semicolons, or create breaks in sentence flow. Consider the difference between the sentence above and the one. A colon is a more formal but weaker punctuation mark than an em dash. I've never heard about en dashes being used for em dashes. Smart punctuation is an iOS feature that automatically. Proofreading marks and symbols Although a significant amount of editing and proofreading is now done using tools such as Microsoft’s track changes feature and Adobe’s commenting tool, you may find yourself faced with traditional proofreading marks and symbols on a printed document someday. Dashes might look like hyphens, but they aren’t the same. To create interrupted dialogue that everyone will recognize as such, use an em-dash where you want to end the dialogue. One to look out for: the colon. It can separate independent clauses. To create an em-dash on a Windows computer, hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. " Wikipedia has a descent overview on dashes, especially noting the differnet ways to reflect either and em-dash or an en-dash. , I need 1 thing – money. Here’s a trick to help you remember which is which. Em dashes, in contrast, are frequently used to signal an abrupt change, suggest a pause, or set off a clause within a sentence. It gets its name from its size which is the. For Windows, press Ctrl+Alt +Minus (-) or Alt+0151. Technically the question mark is a full stop and, like an exclamation point, has its own. Quotation from wiki ( Em dash) When an actual em dash is unavailable—as in the ASCII character set—a double ("--") or triple hyphen-minus ("---") is used. If you’re looking for the answer — or just wondering what an em dash is — learn how (and when) to use an em dash correctly here. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to connect two or more words (or parts of words) to show that they form one unit of sense—e. g. g. These marks are available in most word processors, though many people simply use single and double quotation marks: 5’ 10”. “November Cotton Flower” by Jean. Use a. punctuation. As a reminder, scare quotes are used to show when a phrase is being used in an ironic or nonstandard way—or perhaps it’s not a. They also can be used to focus a reader or highlight tone within a dialog. This usage explains the dialog part of your question. 1 Answer. The main reason to use an em dash is to set off an explanation or an abrupt change in thought. Note: An en dash is slightly longer than a hyphen. The em dash can be used in place of commas, colons, semicolons, and parentheses to increase sentence variety and readability. Most likely it's an en dash or em dash rather than a real hyphen or minus symbol. En Dash Examples. When a character hits a server or email. In fact, em dashes can find an even greater role in dialog: they can replace quotation marks, though this is less common in English than in other languages. An ellipsis may be preceded or followed by other punctuation. A dash is a break in thought, from one focus to another. g. Resume the dialogue with another opening quotation mark, complete the dialogue, and end with a period and a closing quotation mark. 88 Em dashes with “that is,” “namely,” “for example,” and similar expressions; 6. The stores were filled with holiday shoppers—even more so than last year. It indicates that the width of a printed matter is equal to its point size or height. The Dash. You create an em-dash by typing two hyphens, and most word processing programs will tie them automatically into the longer dash. Two em dashes can be used to indicate missing portions of a word, whether unknown or intentionally omitted. 48 The En Dash, Numerals. Edit: I wrote this sentence just for the question, actually hoping to avoid being bogged down by too much context, but since the first commenter felt it was lacking, I've adjusted the text a little bit. However, it depends on the usage and meaning. It's difficult for me to judge the tone of the sentence examples you used, so I can't give a specific suggestion. And an example:There are 14 punctuation marks that are used in the English language. This appears when you move the pointer over the corrected hyphen. ”. Resume the dialogue with another opening quotation mark, complete the dialogue, and end with a period and a closing quotation mark. The em is the longest in the dash suite. In MS Word, enable Num Lock and press Ctrl + Minus Key. First type a period (or question mark or exclamation mark) immediately after the word before the ellipsis; then type three spaced ellipsis points. Mabel tried, despite her dolefulness—for how could she be otherwise?—to bake her own bread but each loaf that emerged from her oven tasted vaguely of tears. nouns followed by numerals or letters. Collingwood as Mr. An en dash is always used without any space before or after it. Em Dash — : ALT 0151; En Dash – : ALT 0150; Double Left Angle Quotation Mark « : ALT 0171 ; Double Right Angle Quotation Mark » : ALT 0187; Inverted Question Mark ¿ : ALT 0191; Inverted Exclamation Mark ¡ : ALT 0161; Symbol and Special Characters. And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. The correct use of dialogue tags. For example, don’t use a dash to begin the interrupter and a comma. 'Break/Fold Mark'. 1. 4. , the India–Pakistan issue) To extend sentences just like colons, semicolons, and three dots (e. 4. The August–September issue of a magazine. In fiction, the em dash almost always appears with no spaces around it. 89: "In modern usage, a question mark or an exclamation point—but never a comma, a colon, or a semicolon—may. It could be written with a semicolon, a colon, or a period (or a. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons —in each case to slightly different effect. Use the en dash ("short dash") to join inclusive numbers:. m. For example: (1) Em dashes can replace colons. The common editing choice, again supported by Chicago (6. Hyphen. (stenoscript) When used as punctuation, an en or em dash is doubled, like a long ⹀, to distinguish it from its phonetic use. As its name suggests, an em dash (—) is roughly the length of the letter M, while an en dash (–) more closely matches an N. QUESTION MARK U+003F: Po, other Common @ COMMERCIAL AT U+0040: Po, other Common REVERSE SOLIDUS U+005C: Po,. The text won't look as good, but realistically, most people won't notice. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a related thought plus a conjunction like or, but, yet, as, for, and after the second dash. -Em dashes mark an interruption or break in thought. Breaking dialogue into multiple paragraphs. Perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons. Examples: 2009–2019. For Windows, press Ctrl+Alt +Minus (-) or Alt+0151. Depending on the context, the en dash is read as “to” or “through. So:Figure 1. In Google docs, use insert special character. Improve this answer. 2 - En dashes are shorter than em dashes. APPLICATION. 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). The em dash, also known as the long dash or mutton dash, is a punctuation mark used in writing to indicate a pause or break in a sentence. When Your Punctuation Says It All (!) 364. The change in the second description of the clock's sounds emphasizes Isaac's unease. 157). Yes, the em dash is used in formal writing. If you want to stop -- from being turned into — (emdash) you need to use the + button and add a new rule to replace -- with -- (replace with itself) Or, right click in a text field and go to "Substitutions" and disable "Smart. To type an en dash, press Option + hyphen (-) To type an em dash on keyboard, press Shift + Option + hyphen (-) The only problem is that to use. ; fibre everywhere else. d) Working 9-5 daily, and keeping up with homework is difficult. It has three primary functions: to connect two words and make them into a compound, to separate parts of a word at the end of a line, and to separate a prefix or suffix from a root word. In MS Word, enable Num Lock and press Ctrl + Minus Key. Who doesn’t like dashes as emphasis techniques? Just consider the. If you prefer, you can configure your keyboard in Windows to accept Unicode codepoint numbers, instead of "traditional". ColonsFrom The Punctuation Guide : “The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. As such, it should not be followed by a period or question mark. However, there is a specific use native speakers give to this Spanish punctuation mark: in emails or letters, greetings are written using colons, whereas in English you usually use a comma unless you’re being very formal. It thus performs many of the same functions as commas, parentheses, and colons, but with a bit more drama—a “wait for it” tension that tends to lend emphasis to whatever it introduces. Anything powerful enough to cross the Wall usually retained enough magic to assume the shape of a soldier, or to become invisible. Some word processing programs read the two hyphens automatically as the single mark of punctuation known as. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. I am thinking the product_code value may actually contain an -en-dash- or an -em-dash- or something other than 0x2D that is getting displayed correctly (somehow) with the combination of CubeCart, PHP, the web server and the web browser. " Until some more people post on this I'd take my post with a grain of salt. Chicago 6. An en dash (the shorter dash) expresses a range of values (times, years, dollar amounts). The em is the longest in the dash suite. Examples. If the interruption occurs at the. Thoreau believes that “if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life. Google Docs: Type two hyphens in a row (it will become an en dash) If you’re using Microsoft Word, you can use autoformat to create an en dash. A hyphen (-) is the shortest “dash” and. I agree that it should try to match the size of the missing word. A colon is quieter; a dash is more emphatic and dramatic. It depends on one thing: trust. 86 Em dash between noun and pronoun; 6. En dashes can be used to separate a date range or span of time. I think the real question is whether it's allowed. . em. The main use of em dashes is to set off extra information in a sentence. ” The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence. Or. Periods (), question marks, exclamation marks, and commas are used as in English. ”. It can function like a comma, parenthesis, or colon. newspaper publishing was to represent an em dash with two. Any grammer Nazi's out there that have the answer, please do so ASAP. Uses of the Question Mark; Quiz: Uses of the Question Mark; Problems with Question Marks; Quiz: Problems with Question Marks; Uses of the Exclamation Mark; Quiz: Uses of the Exclamation Mark; Problems with Exclamation Marks; Quiz: Problems with Exclamation Marks; What Are Commas, Semicolons, and Colons; Uses of the Comma; Quiz: Uses of. The correct use of em-dashes and ellipses. "Three—red, white, yellow—are my favorites. Em dashes for interruptions: Use em dashes when you are interrupting the main idea of a sentence. The em dash is as wide as the letter m—about twice as wide as a hyphen. The dash kind of serves that role, because it's a very fancy actor. style guides frequently recommend using em dashes for the purposes above, while using en dashes for ranges, etc. You can use it at the end of a broken-off phrase, or if a. The en dash will appear in the text field where your cursor is. To create the em dash on a Macintosh-based system, hold down the Shift and Option keys and press. SQL Developer is Java based which does not use NLS_LANG settings but SQL*Plus does, so you have to set NLS_LANG properly. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said the em-dash was versatile—it can even take the place of the semicolon. When print spacing or font types make it difficult to determine the length of the line, remember that hyphens join words and word parts together and dashes separate thoughts or ideas. In the image below (1) is a hyphen, (2) is an en dash and (3) is the em dash. Mac. In informal writing, feet and inches are sometimes expressed as, for example, 5′ 10″ (read: five feet and ten inches). An em dash indicates that the dialogue stops abruptly and you would place the em dash inside the closing quotation marks. Note, however, that if the quoted material itself ends with a question mark or exclamation point, the. (2) Em dashes can replace semicolons. An em dash represents a longer pause—a bigger break—than a comma. Once again, the em-dash adds more emphasis than the traditional punctuation mark. An em-dash can be used alone, as in this example from the online The Punctuation Guide: After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict—guilty. Learn how to use each type in a sentence with these examples and best practices. (I usually just replace all curly single quotes with ' and all curly. An em dash is a punctuation mark used to separate elements within a sentence, typically words or phrases that are too long to be separated by commas or need a dramatic pause during reading. Em dash character is not a part of ASCII character set. 1 Answer. En dash. In addition, write the punctuation mark next to your translation. This makes them a useful punctuation mark when we want to convey an argument or rapid back-and-forth dialogue between characters. g. g. The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing. Always follow the punctuation rules in formal writing to make your work clearer and more readable. What you read in the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas is correct: only parenthetical remarks and dialogues are correct uses of the em-dash in Spanish. When interrupters fall midsentence, always use a pair of punctuation marks to surround them. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Fig. A colon is quieter; a dash is more emphatic and dramatic. Examples. 7. And be careful to not mix different punctuation marks. The question mark can be used to indicate editorial uncertainty, either in parentheses or in brackets. In almost every instance, you should place the footnote marker after the punctuation. Examine these useful hyphen, em dash and en dash examples. Accordingly, the em dash, under the right circumstances, serves as an alternative to any of the other marks—the comma, colon, semicolon, and parentheses—as long as it is used sparingly. In Arabic, which is also written from right. Collingwood as Mr. Once again, the em-dash adds more emphasis than the traditional punctuation mark. [4] 3. Here are the code points for the Unicode dashes that are of the Common script, along with their general categories. Examples. However, since interjections are not “proper” sentences, some writers prefer to attach them to a complete sentence using a comma or, if more emphasis is desired, an em dash. Follow the end quotation mark with an em dash and the action or thought and then another em dash. Do not combine the dash with any mark of punctuation other than quotation marks, the question mark, the exclamation mark and occasionally the period. Both spellings are many centuries old, and neither spelling was clearly prevalent on either side of the Atlantic until the second half of the 18th century. Don’t put any spaces before and. ) When it’s in the middle of the sentence, it doesn’t need to be followed by a comma. " I know you can replace em dashes with — and n-dashes with – (which should be done on the input side of your database); I don't know what the correct replacement for the smart quotes would be. Example: “I didn’t say—”. If you type in two hyphens/minus without a space before or after, most word processors automatically convert it into an em dash. C-----. SQL*Plus inherits character set from. They are: the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, brackets, braces, parentheses, apostrophe, quotation mark, and ellipsis. This will insert the em dash symbol into your Word document. Adashisthe punctuation name for a mark that used to separate words into statements. At the end of a sentence. I believe you can also type a space before typing the quote, then delete the space. Here’s how to master the em-dash, exclamation point and question mark. For a fuller understanding of the em dash, I quote the CMOS Online in full:7. When. 3) The Repeating 'Em' Dash. While closely related to other dashes—like the en dash (–) and hyphen (-)—the em dash serves a unique role in typography. AP style calls for a space on both sides of an em dash, but most other styles, including MLA and APA, omit the spaces. Dash: Dashes set off a series within a phrase: “Of the many breakfast options — omelets, waffles, pastries — he only wanted coffee”; indicate a break in thought: “Felipe’s is a popular eatery — in Harvard Square”; or attribute a quotation to an author: “‘You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Then, click Undo Dash. To help indicate this “cut” between the two parts, many poems use punctuation, typically an em dash (—) or an ellipsis ( . That is much better than the translation witnessed in other systems, where a bullet in a bulleted list was changed to &bull. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another. Hyphens might look like dashes, but they aren’t dashes. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a. Here are some rules for how to use interrupters. g. If you want to stop -- from being turned into — (emdash) you need to use the + button and add a new rule to replace -- with -- (replace with itself) Or, right click in a text field and go to "Substitutions" and disable "Smart. The final, foolproof way to type an em dash in Word is to go to the. Writers have three choices of punctuation to set off sentence interrupters—commas, parentheses, and em dashes. A dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. net web application. An em dash is the width of the letter "m" in the font and type size being used, and should never be used in place of an en dash or hyphen. If you’re operating on a Mac, the basic instructions for MS Word and Google Docs above should still apply — though you’ll have different keyboard shortcuts. This eliminates option A. " A Word, Please: A look at the em dash, the hyphen and their rarely seen cousin, the. (stenoscript) When used as punctuation, an en or em dash is doubled, like a long ⹀, to distinguish it from its phonetic use. (I would even have removed to in that construction, so that the parallel starts at the verbs assume and become. Simply type a word, then space, then the. It is shorter than an em-dash and longer than a hyphen. An alternative way of displaying speech is via the em dash. Example: You’ll see him if you look”—she pointed across the street—“just over there. The em dash shows the break in thought and is clean and abrupt. parentheses. It should be noted that dashes are almost never required by the rules of grammar and punctuation. . DASHES. When you use AutoCorrect Options, you can also click Stop Automatically Creating Dashes, or click Control AutoCorrect Options to open the AutoCorrect dialog box. The closest thing I could find was this: Is it acceptable to place a dash after a question mark? An em dash—or dash for short—is a straight, horizontal line positioned about halfway between the bottom and top of a lower-case letter. 1月—7月 "January to July", which can also be written 1月到7月, with the character 到 in place of the dash). In general it is the same length as an em-dash, and so this is often used instead. By Jessica Bennett. Option C is eliminated because there must be some punctuation for linking. The good news is that the ACT isn’t going to test you on the differences between the two. The difference between a parenthetical comment using parentheses, and one using em dashes, is probably a matter of style. The – is called an en dash. ”. But OP is asking about "correct use of the em dash," not whether he should use it. As an outcome those characters are generated in the excel as shown below, which contains a kind of question mark. , May–December or 1995–2020) or pages (e. Ron Barrett. To properly use the em dash, spaces should not be placed around it unless the text is being italicized. If you want to make your writing easier to read and generally look more professional, you should know what. An em dash is preferred to divide elements within a sentence and pack a punch. Look at how the entire sentence uses different punctuation marks. Hence, 12/5/2010 means December 5, 2010, in American usage. Note that in British English, the punctuation marks only go inside of the quotation marks if the punctuation is part of the quoted material, although many writers make an exception for periods. Le lineette (in inglese Em Dashes) "—" La lineetta è utilizzata in inglese per segnalare degli incisi enfatici, quindi spesso sostituendo virgole, parentesi e due punti italiani. At the risk of being pedantic, an ellipsis is a single symbol, not three dots. ". Comments. The en dash is shorter than an em dash but longer than a hyphen. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. There are many uses for elipses and dashes. In traditional Japanese, questions were simply punctuated with a full stop rather than a question mark. Example em dashes: Upon discovering the errors—all 124 of them—the publisher. It’s known for being a one-job punctuation mark because it simply communicates questions. , long-term, red-haired). Press the space bar. When a colon and a comma. Examples: James opened the door and was surprised to see her. Use em-dash for denoting a break or a clarification within a sentence: “Three authors—John Grisham, Danielle Steele, John Updike—have between them written eighty-nine books. 5. 5. The question mark needs to go after Language. To insert an interjection in the middle of a sentence, place one em dash on both sides of the interjected phrase. Resume the dialogue with another opening quotation mark, complete the dialogue, and end with a period and a closing quotation mark. En-dash: An en-dash is wider than a hyphen but narrower than an em-dash. Modern Japanese uses the question mark in the same way English speakers do to denote a question, be it typed or handwritten. Hyphens and dashes. )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). Remember to: Use a colon to emphasize dialogue, show titles and time, or introduce a list. In something called an appositive—a phrase that provides more information—you can use an em dash instead. In Word, you’ll hold down Shift+ Option+minus rather than the Ctrl+Alt+minus mentioned above. April 5–June 4. The correct use of question and exclamation marks. If a comma is a quarter note rest, then an em dash is a half-note rest. Don’t confuse it with a hyphen (-). 🙽. However, I can't recall an em dash being used according to your first case in modern publishing. The em dash should be used sparingly in your writing. When you spin the wheel, punctuation marks appear, including: period, comma, question mark, hyphen, dash, parentheses, apostrophe, ellipsis, quotation mark, colon, semicolon, exclamation point. g. ’ — Eleanor Roosevelt. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. Treat etc. However, The Oxford Style Manual notes that “many British publishers use an en rule with. It was originally a humorous and slightly sanitized version of the curse word, but it has become the standard form. In most situations, a colon is better than an em dash, but if the list is being tacked on to the end of a complete sentence, or feels like an aside (see above), then an em dash might make sense. If your keyboard can't produce a dash, you will have to resort to a hyphen as a stand-in. ”Command for an Em dash on a mac : Shift-Option-Hyphen; Command for an Em dash on Microsoft Word : Alt + Ctrl + (minus) Em dash in HTML : — or — En Dash. (An em dash, or long dash, is used: in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an. Punctuation Marks Wheel : This 2-page print-out makes a punctuation marks wheel; it consists of a base page together with a wheel that spins around. m. Underscore: _. If you need to indicate that someone pauses in speech, say "John paused". Question mark. Many programs also automatically create an em dash when you type two single hyphens together. The em dash triggers readers’ brains to insert a slightly longer pause, which can aid in reading comprehension. That said, let’s look at the two dashes and what makes them different. An em dash is a versatile punctuation mark that looks like an extended dash. An en-dash is also used as a minus sign as in –10°F. e. The general rule is that a sentence ends with only one terminal punctuation mark. Paréntesis (Parentheses) 10. immediately recalled the books. That should explain it. 1973. 1. [Emphasis mine. Commas allow for a smoother read than dashes, which interrupt the sentence to draw the reader’s attention. Follow the end quotation mark with an em dash and the action or thought and then another em dash. left single quotation mark: 146 ’ right single quotation mark: 147 “ left double quotation mark: 148 ” right double quotation mark: 149 • bullet: 150 – en dash: 151 — em dash: 152 : ⃜ : small tilde: 153 ™ trade mark sign: 154 : š : Latin small letter s with caron: 155 › single right-pointing angle quotation mark: 156 : œ. When using an em dash, it is important to consider the spacing around it. In the "Text" tab you will find the list of substitutions. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. Have you a reason why you think curved brackets should be abandoned in favour of dashes in this particular example? The linked article doesn't contrast differences in availability or effect between the punctuation variants available. (Check out more punctuation. However, you can use dashes or em-dashes. Workaround. Em dashes also substitute for something missing. Don’t be confused: punctuation can change!) Also, em dashes don’t get along with periods at all. Signo de exclamación (Exclamation Point) 8. Punctuation Em-dash before question mark. Alternatively, pairs of em dashes are used to mark off additionalAn en-dash is also used in numerical series as in from ten–twenty pieces. Punctuation is the tool that allows us to organize our thoughts and make it easier to review and share our ideas. Follow. Easily find character codes for the HTML # sign, HTML @ symbol (at symbol), HTML percent sign, HTML ampersand (& HTML code), HTML copyright symbol and HTML caret insertion point, along with regular punctuation like the question mark, exclamation point, non-breaking hyphen, non-breaking space and more. ”. Use an en dash for ranges and an em dash to separate non-essential information. Hold down the left.