How To Use Dashes And Ellipses

The following punctuation marks should be used sparingly as they are more specialized than those that appear above.

How to use dashes and ellipses. Em dash or em rule noun. Usually has a space on both sides. In this scriptwriting tutorial i ll show you how to use the dash and ellipsis correctly. Ellipses and dashes often confuse beginning screenwriters. Dash and ellipsis 1.

Some screenwriters use dashes to convey the same thing as ellipses. An ellipsis takes the place of missing words. A dash is a highlighter. Dashes and ellipses how to use each 2. Note how the dashes in the opening monologue from michael clayton written by tony gilroy indicate a character interrupting themselves and changing to another line of thought.

Word will then auto correct those three individual periods into a single ellipsis character which looks very similar to three dots but maybe more or less spaced out depending on the font. Ellipses and dashes are not interchangeable but the misuse of either and both is common. Use a dash to draw attention to parenthetical information to prepare for changes in tone or to introduce or emphasize information. Em dash ctrl alt minus far top right on the number pad. Using commas before and after this interruption would be too confusing.

Em dashes can be used instead of parentheses commas colons and ellipses. Cms uses no spaces around em dashes. Home screenwriting worldbuilding storytelling film tv analysis courses about. Dashes parentheses brackets ellipses. Ap puts spaces on each side of em dashes en dash ctrl minus far top right on the number pad.

An ellipsis is created in word by typing three periods consecutively. Let s move into show not tell now. Colons introduce a restatement explanation list series or some other amplification of the sentence s point to learn more about them read colons and semicolons.