Waggon was preferred in British English until a century ago, 1 and it still appears occasionally, but it is fast becoming archaic. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. Em dashes are rarely found in formal texts. 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. the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation in a heading. Included marks are the period, comma, semi-colon, colon, question mark, exclamation point, quotation mark, parenthesis, and dash. — Question Mark. “What space?”. 4. To show a break in narration or conversation in place of an ellipsis. Examples:A Quick Guide to Punctuation. g. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. You can use such punctuation as periods, commas, semi-colons, colons, parentheses, brackets, quotation marks, dashes, exclamation points, question marks and some others. En dash ( –) When connecting two words to signify a range, Chinese generally uses an en dash occupying the space of one character (e. Who doesn’t like dashes as emphasis techniques? Just consider the following guidelines: • Note that em-dashes are more emphatic than commas. I also tried powertoys keyboard manager Remap Shortcut, but it. The correct use of em-dashes and ellipses. The correct use of question and exclamation marks. The other everyday use for em dashes—the one I use most—is to mark a break in thought within a sentence. When it comes at the end of a list, put a comma before it if you use the serial comma and don’t if you don’t use the serial comma. To properly use the em dash, spaces should not be placed around it unless the text is being italicized. ) The question mark can be used to indicate editorial uncertainty, either in parentheses or in brackets. If the interruption occurs at the. The example I saw comes from a tweet, reproduced here for convenience: "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior—not a divine social justice warrior, not a liberation. Learn how to use each type in a sentence with these examples and best practices. Em dashes for interruptions: Use em dashes when you are interrupting the main idea of a sentence. Make sure you switch on the Num Lock from the keyboard and you type the number from the Numpad and not from the top row of the keyboard. To format an em dash in Word, type two hyphens, with no spaces, between the words—the dash will automatically form as you continue typing. Periods (), question marks, exclamation marks, and commas are used as in English. What Are Dashes? – or — There are two types of dashes: en dashes and em dashes. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another. Or. Parenthesis, em dash, and en dash - Create sentences that need parenthesis, em dashes, and en dashes but leave them out. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. Enclose the first part of the dialogue in quotation marks but omit the comma. There are two kinds of dashes, the en dash, and the em dash (long dash). For example, with mo—n for 'more than', the dash is likely to be written at x-height. The en dash also signifies an abrupt change. But the most important use of dashes in dialogue is to show one speaker interrupting another. Here’s how to master the em-dash, exclamation point and question mark. &bull First item in the list. Alternatively, pairs of em dashes are used to mark off additionalMy question is the same as keymap swap underscore and dash, but for Windows instead of Linux. An en dash (the shorter dash) expresses a range of values (times, years, dollar amounts). Em dash. The web's most comprehensive guide to American punctuation. By and large, an em dash serves to insert a break in your thought without ending your thought entirely. If it helps, picture the em dash superimposed on the letter “M” and the en dash superimposed on the “N. Use a dash instead of a comma when you want to strongly set off an idea. -Em dashes mark an interruption or break in thought. To create interrupted dialogue that everyone will recognize as such, use an em-dash where you want to end the dialogue. Do not put a space before or after the dash. • Dashes are often used to introduce an abrupt change of thought, while parentheses add information. This technique is best suited for creative or informal writing. Collingwood as Mr. It can be used to separate the elements of a date: 10 septembre 1973 = 10. There should be no space on either side of the dash, including when it is followed by a quotation mark. The em dash is used to represent how the first speaker is being interrupted by the second. 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. Use a dash instead of a comma when you want to strongly set off an idea. ) To offset additional information just like commas and. In general it is the same length as an em-dash, and so this is often used instead. Any grammer Nazi's out there that have the answer, please do so ASAP. SQL*Plus inherits character set from. Just consider the following guidelines: • Note that em-dashes are more emphatic than commas. ). While closely related to other dashes—like the en dash (–) and hyphen (-)—the em dash serves a unique role in typography. The patient reported taking 15 (?) milligrams of alprazolam. When a colon and a comma. Guion Largo o Raya – Em Dash. ColonsFrom The Punctuation Guide : “The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Learn more about punctuation. A parenthesis set off by dashes (or commas) rather than parentheses is still a parenthesis. Those textual examples presented by Chicago that use dashes all use em dashes—and there is no space between the dash and the epigraph's source attribution. em-dash — Long hyphen (—) named em-dash because the dash historically is the length of a lowercase m. The em dash helps separate the parts of a sentence. Em dash character is not a part of ASCII character set. Technically, the mark designating feet is a prime; the mark designating inches is a double prime. Dash. When using an em dash, it is important to consider the spacing around it. the question mark. 2. Hyphens are used to create compound words like: Load-bearing; Well-loved; Great-looking; Less-commonly used punctuation marks Interrobang. Use em dashes instead of commas and parentheses if you want to make information stand out. Signo de interrogación (Question Mark) 7. Fiber in the U. Look at how the entire sentence uses different punctuation marks. I use the alt code - alt+0148. For Example: Weeding, planting, and watering — that’s all we did this weekend to clean up the garden. He worked in his office-cum-dining room. ’ — Eleanor Roosevelt. However, some style guides, such as the Associated Press. Check out all the nuances of this tricky punctuation mark. (stenoscript) The dash may be written low, along the baseline, or high, at x-height, as convenient for whichever letters it links to. Dashes are generally more abrupt and can signify a rapid change of topic. 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. The following example from Toni Morrison’s Beloved shows both uses: “Nothing bad can happen to her. Parenthesis and Dashes: Correct Usage; Question Mark: Definition & Use. It is longer than both the en dash and the hyphen, and its length is equal to the width of the letter “M” in the given font. is omitted in deference to the question mark". While the em dash is used to indicate a sudden break or interruption in a sentence, the en dash is primarily used to show a range or connection between two elements. The en dash (–) → which is like a slightly longer hyphen. 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. Dashes and hyphens aren’t the same thing. 89), would be to only use an em dash after a period if the period marked an abbreviation: An em dash derives its name from being the approximate width of a capital M. Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. 1969–1981. Em dashes are most often used in pairs to call a reader’s attention to the material they set off, making words, phrases, or clauses particularly dramatic or emotional. It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes. The verdict was unanimous — guilty. Looking at the other commend where u/xlrod has a fix; what you have instead is char 65533 or - not a question mark, but a placeholder Unicode "I dunno what this is" character - that suggests your export wasn't right, and has mangled some characters. Many authors and publications choose to use a space either side of the dash, and even sometimes an en dash in place of an em dash. Type a word. Semicolons separate two independent clauses. Upon firing the company’s non-salaried employees—and. Another way to create them is to press and hold Alt and type 0151 on a Windows device or select Option, Shift, and the hyphen key ( ‐) on a Mac. On the other hand, the em-dash works in full sentences and can take the place of commas, colons, and. It is used in place of ‘to’ or ‘through’. [4] 3. The em dash is even longer and is used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon for emphasis. Below are lines of five each of em dashes, en dashes, minuses, and hyphens, all separated by a normal space. An em dash (—) is used to mark an interruption, as mentioned above (“What the—”), or material set off parenthetically from the main point—like this. A space is used before and after the en-dash when used in literary copy. To create the em dash on a Macintosh-based system, hold down the Shift and Option keys and press. The first is in pairs—doing this right here can help you to segment a side piece of information—or they can be used to break a sentence into a separate section nearer the end. In the image below (1) is a hyphen, (2) is an en dash and (3) is the em dash. In Word, you’ll hold down Shift+ Option+minus rather than the Ctrl+Alt+minus mentioned above. Depending on the context, the en dash is read as “to” or “through. Always follow the punctuation rules in formal writing to make your work clearer and more readable. A hyphen. • Dashes are often used to introduce an. Press the space bar. 2 - En dashes are shorter than em dashes. Character escapes used in markup include numeric character references (NCRs) and named character references. However, in this case also why is there an em-dash anyways? If the exclamation or question is full and complete then why is there an "abrupt break in speech. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. This makes them a useful punctuation mark when we want to convey an argument or rapid back-and-forth dialogue between characters. In sentence case, lowercase most words in a title or heading. Among the 16 most commonly used punctuation marks are the period, question mark, exclamation point, and comma. It's a completely different use case. This is more of a life lesson rather than a question of if an em dash is formal or informal. This method can get messy if you have more than two speakers in a conversation, so use it with care. "SAMPLE - TEXT". net web application. 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. Dashes set off loosely related comments and sudden breaks in thought. ] There’s even more explanation: If the break belongs to the surrounding sentence rather than to the quoted material, the em dashes must appear outside the quotation marks. The Spanish names for the hyphen, en-dash and em-dash are guión, semiraya o raya menor, and raya, respectively. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a dash as “the mark (—) used to separate parts of a sentence. Do not combine the dash with any mark of punctuation other than quotation marks, the question mark, the exclamation mark and occasionally the period. And when em dashes are setting off material that requires a punctuation mark like a question mark or exclamation. Perhaps a door was closed on the speaker’s face, cutting off her sentence. Em Dash vs. By Jessica Bennett. En-dash: An en-dash is wider than a hyphen but narrower than an em-dash. Punctuation is the tool that allows us to organize our thoughts and make it easier to review and share our ideas. It was first. g. The above shortcuts are all valid ways you can use to type the em. "-", the line in notepad will look like this for e. On a typewriter, a comma or a period takes the same amount of space as any other letter. S. Pre-electric typewriters normally had only the hyphen-width dash to apply to situations calling for em dashes, so the usual method in U. For example, “the years 2020–2022” or “the hours 9:00 a. As its name suggests, an em dash (—) is roughly the length of the letter M, while an en dash (–) more closely matches an N. 2. There are two common types of dashes. In order to type an en dash on a Mac product, you can hold down the ‘Option’ and ‘-‘ keys simultaneously and an en dash ‘–’ should appear. It can also be used to indicate each person’s speech in a dialogue. Many programs also automatically create an em dash when you type two single hyphens together. The 2010–2011 season was our best yet. The em dash is the chameleon of punctuation marks. On a PC, the em-dash is made by holding down the ALT key and typing 0151 on the number pad. ManhattanMss New Member. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. . For windows, you can hold down the ‘Alt’ and ‘-‘ key and you will get an en dash. Em dashes also substitute for something missing. This appears when you move the pointer over the corrected hyphen. At the end of a sentence. The question mark needs to go after Language. The dash works somewhat like parentheses or commas, but it is used where a stronger punctuation is needed. Ah, the ol’ 疑問符 (ぎもんふ ) — gimonfu, a. When typing, use two hyphens together without spaces to form a dash. An en dash is denoted as (–) Em dashes are longer than hyphens, but shorter than em dashes. It is slightly shorter in length, visually resembling a hyphen, but with different usage. Commas allow for a smoother read than dashes, which interrupt the sentence to draw the reader’s attention. g. An em dash is preferred to divide elements within a sentence and pack a punch. The colon in Spanish is used for enumeration, explanation, or quotes, just like in English. Examples. ". " A Word, Please: A look at the em dash, the hyphen and their rarely seen cousin, the. If you guessed that it’s as wide as the letter “M,” you get a gold star. Examples. The em dash should be used sparingly in your writing. 9. Some authorities include a space between the uncertain word and the opening parenthesis; others omit the space (as shown in the example below). It gets its name from its size which is the. 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. For example: It depends on one thing — trust. The en dash is less well known than. Note: An en dash is slightly longer than a hyphen. Example: apple orchard–scented candle. To insert an em dash in MS Word, you must: Type a word (don’t put a space after it) Type two hyphens. Enter the Dash. An en-dash is also used as a minus sign as in –10°F. Technically the question mark is a full stop and, like an exclamation point, has its own. In doing so, the em dash acts similarly to commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses. These dashes differ not only in their length but also in the function they perform in a sentence. This type of dash is used to indicate a range, especially between numerical quantities like scores and dates. Write an em dash. Typically I replace these special characters in a microsoft product first with replace. punctuation. First, there are two kinds of dashes, called en dashes and em dashes. Within moments of our first interaction — over. ” The answer given does not answer his question. What ‽ When your sentence calls for a question mark and an exclamation mark, the interrobang is the punctuation mark you need. The hyphen is used to connect words, such as in compound adjectives or to divide words at the end of a line. These marks are available in most word processors, though many people simply use single and double quotation marks: 5’ 10”. Microsoft Word shows the em dash as soon you press enter after finishing the. So, they cannot be linked by comma (Commas are only used to link a dependent and an independent clause). The em-dash would indicate something like raising the eyebrows right at the end, or tilting the head down and looking up from under the eyebrows. m. Usage: The em dash is used to indicate interruptions, emphasize elements, set off appositives, replace colons or semicolons, or create breaks in sentence flow. You can also use the Alt key in combination with a sequence of numbers of insert an em dash or en dash. To create an em dash on a PC, hold down the Alt key while typing 0151 on the numberpad of the keyboard. 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. The Manual of Style explains the differences between the hyphen and four types of dashes. Most of the time, adverbs will end in the letters -ly but there are some exceptions to this rule such as the words “very” and “never”. Remember to: Use a colon to emphasize dialogue, show titles and time, or introduce a list. Type a single dash or hyphen. 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. (Note that AP style does not use en-dashes. ”. That is much better than the translation witnessed in other systems, where a bullet in a bulleted list was changed to &bull. When injecting a descriptive clause into a sentence, you are free to use em dashes, commas, or parentheses. 4. An em dash is often used to indicate a break in thought in a sentence. 47 Punctuation with em dash. Hyphens belong to that category of punctuation marks that will hurt your brain if you think about them too hard, and, like commas, people disagree about their use in certain situations. Write with Grammarly What is an em dash? Em dashes differ from other hyphens and dashes not only in usage, which we will discuss shortly, but also in appearance. Type this sign on Mac, press and hold the Command (⌘) key and the hit the M key. We met during the 2011 – 2012 school year. . Guion y raya (Hyphen and Em-dash) 9. However, I can't recall an em dash being used according to your first case in modern publishing. And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. For the the complete list of the first 256 Windows ALT Codes, visit Windows ALT Codes for Special Characters & Symbols. fiscal year 2020–21. The word is usually spelled ether in all main varieties of modern English. However, it depends on the usage and meaning. Being so versatile can create confusion if overused, therefore it is best limited to two appearances per sentence. Go to the system preferences and choose "Language & Text". Key stroke shortcuts: em-dash = alt + 0151; en-dash = alt + 0150. So:Figure 1. @Kenny LJ, please remember there are no absolute rules about the use of any kind of dash as opposed to others… so em-dashes matter here only in the guidelines specified by your house style-book. A single em dash character or a tilde may also be used. , page 387–459); while the hyphen is used to connect words that function together (e. Hyphens might look like dashes, but they aren’t dashes. em. A colon is quieter; a dash is more emphatic and dramatic. 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. Clark went to the Miami Heat – Boston Celtics game. The correct use of dialogue tags. Whenever I have text surrounded by a dash symbol i. Go to the system preferences and choose "Language & Text". If the second clause starts with who then it will become dependent and therefore won't be preceded by a semicolon. How to use en dashes. And an example:There are 14 punctuation marks that are used in the English language. One other exception is dialogue, where authors will. The Chicago Manual of Style says that “periods and commas precede closing quotation marks. [Emphasis mine. AP refers to these simply as dashes and requires a space on either side. Most likely it's an en dash or em dash rather than a real hyphen or minus symbol. [Emphasis mine. The em dash, on the other hand, is a colorful punctuation mark — it can be used to make a strong point! The comma is great for describing, listing, and linking clauses, but it is easy for commas. It depends on one thing: trust. 2. You can use it at the end of a broken-off phrase, or if a. 2] In braille, a dash is represented by dots 6, 36 (,-). Em dashes can also signal an interruption or a sudden change in the direction a writer was heading with a particular sentence. The employee—hoping to go home early—rushed her tasks. Use an em dash to join independent clauses. ”. There is no difference in meaning between fiber and fibre. There is no piece of punctuation that means pause. Em dashes can be used in the following ways: 1. By changing the console code page to something that does support the en dash character, such as 1252, this problem may be corrected. This is a good example of when to use such as dash in a sentence. Quotation marks may be used to indicate that the. The em dash is used when an idea is being interrupted, when clarification is needed, when elaboration is needed, or when items are being listed in a sentence. Press the spacebar. As an outcome those characters are generated in the excel as shown below, which contains a kind of question mark. ellipses —Ellipses are three periods that indicate an omission within a quoted sentence or fragment of a sentence. Thanks very much for your reply, Jennifer. Em-dashes. paxdiablo. An em is simply a unit of measurement within the field of typography. It’s known for being a one-job punctuation mark because it simply communicates questions. The word-processing program may form this automatically when two hyphens are typed together. Like commas and parentheses, em dashes often set off descriptive or parenthetical information. The em dash is a more emphatic substitute for the comma, colon, or parentheses and can be used to indicate omitted words. The correct punctuation would be: Jenny said, “That’s unbelievable!”. The dash kind of serves that role, because it's a very fancy actor. 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. , long-term, red-haired). )6. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a. A hyphen is no substitute for the versatile em dash, a sentence punctuation mark some may simply call "dashes. In informal writing, feet and inches are sometimes expressed as, for example, 5′ 10″ (read: five feet and ten inches). Type another word. In the native Mac word processor, Text Edit, you’ll have access to the. It could be written with a semicolon, a colon, or a period (or a. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Very heavy reverse solidus. This is a common editing mark and has several uses, but its primary purpose is to separate clauses and huge parts of the sentence. For Windows, press Ctrl+Alt +Minus (-) or Alt+0151. The em dash is a versatile punctuation mark that can be used in both formal and informal writing. Adashisthe punctuation name for a mark that used to separate words into statements. 7. quotation mark. The report covers the period 1998–1999. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. If that is the case, you will notice a space on either side of. Command (⌘) + M. Many programs also automatically create an em dash when you type two single hyphens together. An em dash is a punctuation mark that can be used to replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. When you type the hyphen, en dash, and em dash, no spaces should appear on either side of the punctuation mark. The longer EM dash is used as a break or to separate additional information in a sentence. Collingwood as Mr. It can either become: Woman: without her, man is nothing. 3) The Repeating 'Em' Dash. Two em dashes can be used to indicate missing portions of a word, whether unknown or intentionally omitted. It is wider than an en dash (–) or a hyphen (-). And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. g. Although en dashes look similar to hyphens, they have a specific purpose and meaning – en dashes connect words in place of the word “to” or “through”. And like a colon, it can introduce a word or a clause that describes or expands upon what precedes it. 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. In Spanish, the en-dash is not widely used although, due to English influence, its use has become rather common nowadays. A dash can usually be distinguished from a hyphen in print by its greater length. The main use of em dashes is to set off extra information in a sentence. Examples: James opened the door and was surprised to see her. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. It indicates a longer pause than a comma and a semicolon. In Arabic, which is also written from right. Paréntesis (Parentheses) 10. When a character has a sudden change of thought while speaking, an em dash is the correct punctuation to show the break. It can separate independent clauses. En Dash: –. The em dash “—” and the en dash “–” are the two most popular dash forms. It can function like a comma, parenthesis, or colon. The em dash is treated like a question mark or an exclamation mark, which are both followed by the closing. When typing, a hyphen looks like this: (-). -->if the information being set off is at the end of the sentence, use just one em dash. These marks are available in most word processors, though many people simply use single and double quotation marks: 5’ 10”. Hold down the Alt key, press 0 1 5 1 on the numeric pad, and then release the Alt key. Insert an em or en dash using Alt and keyboard shortcuts. In MS Word, enable Num Lock and press Ctrl + Minus Key. Example em dashes:Fun fact: The en dash is called the en rule in British English, and the em dash is called the em rule. ex. Informally, they separate comments that stray from the central idea of the sentence. It can have a couple of uses, but it’s most commonly used in representing a range of numbers. The em dash, or long dash, is the only punctuation mark on a keyboard that. It’s a long dash, the length of two connected hyphens. Em-dashes in Place of a Semicolon. 2. However, you can use dashes or em-dashes. Type the keyboard shortcut or caret code into the Find what text box (see figure 4). ago • Edited 2 yr. Use a question mark after a direct question. How to type — Em Dash?. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). Please read pages 70–77 in your text. Our Rule 1 of Spacing with Punctuation states, “With a computer, use only one space following periods, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks. It doesn't. –5:00 p. En & Em Dashes While sometimes used in other styles to indicate a range of time, AP Style does not use en dashes. 4. In traditional Japanese, questions were simply punctuated with a full stop rather than a question mark. Use an em dash to mark sharp turns in thought. Writers have three choices of punctuation to set off sentence interrupters—commas, parentheses, and em dashes. En Dash vs. Ellipsis (…) [edit | edit source] A sequence of three dots is known as an ellipsis, which is commonly used to indicate omitted text. Example em dashes: Upon discovering the errors—all 124 of them—the publisher.