Dash usage rules

The common “hyphen”; The Unicode dashes; Line breaking rules; MS Word specialties; Typographic usage; A closer look at 

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 

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 

Hyphen Usage: Punctuation Rules & Examples And it's not interchangeable with other types of dashes, such as the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). 22 Feb 2013 There are many rules when a hyphen is fitting. The most The en dash has the simplest usage—between dates and number ranges: On a bad  Here, we review how dashes are used properly. publishers have squabbled for centuries over who gets to set standards for grammar and punctuation. Although many people call the hyphen a “dash,” dash refers to another group of horizontal lines in text. The two most common dashes are the em dash and the en  15 Feb 2015 Em Dash. Em dashes are used to separate phrases—as you would use commas, parentheses, semicolons, colons, ellipses—and isolate  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 

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').

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. When used to extend a sentence, a dash can replace a semicolon (;), a colon (:), or three dots () used as a pause for effect. 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.

Here, we review how dashes are used properly. publishers have squabbled for centuries over who gets to set standards for grammar and punctuation.

A pair of em dashes can be used in place of commas to enhance readability. Note, however, that dashes are always more emphatic than commas. Example. And  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. 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   Em Dashes, Parentheses, or Commas? A good rule of thumb is to reserve em dashes for those places where the comma simply doesn't provide a strong enough 

Dashes. The first thing to know when talking about dashes is that they are almost never required by the laws of grammar and punctuation. Overusing dashes can 

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  3 em dashes can be confusing. Let's take a look at the different types of dashes and when to use these little punctuation marks. En dash. In ranges. The en  Em dashes are punctuation marks that are useful when a writer wants to emphasize a particular phrase within a sentence. They can also be used to Review basic punctuation rules on our instructional pages covering topics such as apostrophes, colons, commas, dashes, hyphens, periods, and more.

1 Mar 2017 “Use real dashes,” says Matthew Butterick in Typography for Lawyers. Rules? The dash obeys few rules. It's flexible. You can use it in place  Hyphen Usage: Punctuation Rules & Examples And it's not interchangeable with other types of dashes, such as the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). 22 Feb 2013 There are many rules when a hyphen is fitting. The most The en dash has the simplest usage—between dates and number ranges: On a bad  Here, we review how dashes are used properly. publishers have squabbled for centuries over who gets to set standards for grammar and punctuation. Although many people call the hyphen a “dash,” dash refers to another group of horizontal lines in text. The two most common dashes are the em dash and the en  15 Feb 2015 Em Dash. Em dashes are used to separate phrases—as you would use commas, parentheses, semicolons, colons, ellipses—and isolate  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