How To Use Dashes When Writing
A dash may or may not have a space on either side of it.
How to use dashes when writing. 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. My brothers richard and john are visiting hanoi. 3 when writing fractions in full. These are en dashes the same length as a lowercase n. An em dash is used to indicate a break in a sentence or question.
The information inside the dashes is off topic. Dashes between numbers dashes are used between numbers. Use a dash to show a pause or break in meaning in the middle of a sentence. The name em indicates that the dash is roughly the size of the letter m. 1 to show ranges.
Dashes can be used for emphasis in several ways. Dashes add drama parentheses whisper. It s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. It is usually used as an alternative to another type of punctuation. 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.
The words between a pair of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for. The most common types of dashes are the en dash and the em dash. Place em dashes around non essential information or a list in the middle of a sentence like you would with commas. The great barrier reef the most extensive coral reef system on earth is estimated to be wiped out by 2050.
Do not confuse a dash with a hyphen which is shorter. Em en and the double hyphen. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas colons and brackets. Rules for using dashes generally speaking the dash does not have a unique role. It is used in the same manner as a parenthetical expression.