How do you use dashes in writing?

How do you use dashes in writing?

Dashes

1. To set off material for emphasis. Think of dashes as the opposite of parentheses.
2. To indicate sentence introductions or conclusions.
3. To mark “bonus phrases.” Phrases that add information or clarify but are not necessary to the meaning of a sentence are ordinarily set off with commas.
4. To break up dialogue.

Are dashes appropriate in formal writing?

Use an em dash sparingly in formal writing. In informal writing, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought.

What effect do dashes have in writing?

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.

Can you use hyphens in essays?

The hyphen ( – ) is mostly used to join together two words to form a compound noun, adjective or verb. However, this is not usually how you would use hyphens in an academic essay, since typesetting is not an issue.

What is a dash example?

A dash can be used between times and dates. (A dash will usually replace the words from…to or between…and.) For example: USSR existed 1922–1991….(1) Using Dashes with Ranges (e.g., Times and Dates)

Time	Event
0800–0830	Introduction
0830–0930	Lesson 1
0930–1230	Lessons 2–3

What are dashes called in writing?

The dash (—), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. If you are writing for publication, you will probably have to use the single hyphen; in other contexts, you should consider using the more vivid double hyphen.

Is a dash informal?

Did you know that dashes are informal punctuation? Dashes are one example; exclamation marks are another. You can avoid informal punctuation by replacing with a more formal punctuation alternative. Dashes can be replaced by several other punctuations including commas, colons and brackets.

How do you use a dash instead of a comma?

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 I type an m dash?

To make an em dash, press and hold Alt, then type 0151.

How do you use double dash in a sentence?

Double dashes are used instead of commas (or parentheses) to interrupt a sentence. The phrase separated by dashes must be grammatically inessential, by which I simply mean that the sentence will still work without that phrase.

How do I type an en dash?

Hold down one of the Alt keys and type on the numeric keypad: 0150 for an en dash or 0151 for an em dash. The dash appears when you release the Alt key. On a keyboard with no numeric keypad, use a Fn (Function) key combination to type the numbers.

How do I insert an en dash in Word?

Insert an Em or En dash using shortcut keys To create an Em dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl + Alt + – . To create an En dash, use the shortcut key combination Ctrl + – . Num Lock must be enabled and you need to use the minus key on the numeric keypad.

How do you use en dash in a sentence?

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 is an en dash vs em dash?

There are two types of dash. The en dash is approximately the length of the letter n, and the em dash the length of the letter m. The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges. The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.

When should I use an 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.

When should you use an em dash?

1 Answer. An em-dash is typically used as a stand-in for a comma or parenthesis to separate out phrases—or even just a word—in a sentence for various reasons (e.g. a parenthetical; an ersatz-ellipsis). Examples where an em-dash should be used: School is based on the three R’s—reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic.

What is an en dash used for?

The en dash is used to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time. There should be no space between the en dash and the adjacent material. Depending on the context, the en dash is read as “to” or “through.” The 2010⁠–⁠2011 season was our best yet.

Why do you use dashes between words?

When you connect words with the hyphen, you make it clear to readers that the words work together as a unit of meaning. Generally, you need the hyphen only if the two words are functioning together as an adjective before the noun they’re describing. If the noun comes first, leave the hyphen out.

Is there a space before and after an en dash?

Important: Spacing with Hyphens and Dashes When using the hyphen, the en dash, or the em dash, most—but not all—style books advocate putting space neither before nor after them. By definition, a hanging hyphen will have a space after it but not before it.

Can an em dash start a line?

Em dashes can end or start a line. In most text typefaces, em dashes have no side bearings, which make them appear very close to the words they separate.

Which dash is about half the length of an em dash?

En dashes. Despite its name, the en dash has more in common with the hyphen than with the em dash. In fact, it helps to think of the en dash, which is half the length of the em, as a variant of the hyphen.

Do you put dashes between numbers?

You should always hyphenate numbers when you are describing compound numbers between 21 and 99 (except 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90). A compound number is any number that consists of two words; for example, eighty-eight, twenty-two, forty-nine. Numbers higher than 99 do not need a hyphen.

Should there be a hyphen between year and old?

“Year old” should be hyphenated when it modifies a noun that follows it. That is, when the phrase is describing the age of a person, place, or thing, and it precedes that noun in a sentence, then it should be written as year-old.

Does Old Fashioned have a hyphen?

“Old fashioned” can also be used as a noun, meaning a cocktail made of whiskey, bitters, sugar, and fruit. Notice that “old-fashioned” when used as a compound adjective has a hyphen because we link two adjectives by a hyphen when we use them to describe a noun. When used as a noun, “old fashioned” has no hyphen.

How do you write a number with 3 letters?

Learn to write numbers from 1 to 9.

1. 1 = one.
2. 2 = two.
3. 3 = three.
4. 4 = four.
5. 5 = five.
6. 6 = six.
7. 7 = seven.
8. 8 = eight.