how to use a dash in creative writing

When to Use a Dash: How and When to Use them in Your Writing

• March 25, 2024

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What is a dash, when is a dash used in writing, the em dash (—), the en dash (-), 1) to show time intervals:, 2) to link compound adjectives., 3) to show a divide or connection:, when to use a dash in a sentence, why are dashes not the same as hyphens, examples of sentences that use dash, using dashes excessively, ignoring additional punctuation, ignoring regularity, using dashes in place of words, faqs on how to use dash in writing, we also recommend.

A dash is that one punctuation that is often used wrongly.

When it comes to writing, every word, mark, and punctuation have a purpose. And just like they say, if the purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.

Any error, especially in punctuation can make your work portray a different meaning from your intent.

For example: Let’s eat, grandpa. Let’s eat grandpa. Clearly, these two sentences contain the same words but their meaning is different.

Some writers use a dash where it is irrelevant, others use the wrong dash in the right sentence. Those and more are the errors we will correct in this article.

A dash is a longer kind of punctuation that looks like a hyphen. A dash is used to split parts of a sentence and mark a break. When compared to a semicolon and a comma, it shows a longer pause. It is also known as an em dash or long dash.

Dashes are used in informal writing. They are not used in academic or business writing.

In the Collins Dictionary, a dash is defined as “a straight, horizontal line used in writing, to separate two main clauses whose meanings are closely related.”

Merriam-Webster defines a dash as “a punctuation mark that is used especially to indicate a break in the thought or structure of a sentence.”

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A dash is used in writing when the work is informal writing. It is used for novels, stories, journals, and all forms of informal writing.

It is not used for academic or formal writing. For formal academic writing, use a semicolon, colon and comma.

What are the types of dashes used in writing?

Most writers do not know that there are types of dashes.

The thumb rule is if you must use a dash, use it correctly. Do not put a space before or after a dash.

The two most common types of dash and how to use them are;

To learn when to use a dash in your writing, let’s look at the two types in detail. They are similar but to write well, you need to understand their difference and usage.

Em dash is the longer dash of the two. It is referred to as a double dash.

When a writer wants to highlight extra information, he uses the em dash.

For example; The minister was dressed—rather plainly—in a grey suit.

Your promotion exam results will depend—as my aunt says—on how much hard work you put in.

Use double dashes— if they are appropriate for the type of sentence —in moderation.

You can see how the sentences above will still make sense without the clause between the dashes. However, including em dash signifies that the writer is adding their own opinion into the sentence.

Em dashes are used mainly in novels, journals, and other informal writing types to create a shift in the narrative or from the writers’ ideas. As a result, writers use it in creative writing, especially when writing from a character’s point of view. Em dashes can also be used for the following reasons.

1) The dramatic “em” dash.

The “em” dash is used in a sentence when the writer wants to create a dramatic effect. A dash can be used to emphasize a point or to show a contrast between two dramatic ideas. The “dramatic dash” is intended to startle or surprise the reader at the end of a sentence. For example; It was a long lecture—perhaps the longest of my life.

Berries are my favorite flowers—after lilies, of course.

I enjoy playing on my trampoline—I can jump higher than my sister.

2) The Interrupting ‘Em’ Dash

Em dash used here shows the reader that the speaker was interrupted while speaking.

Writers of dialogue use it to make the conversation sound real.

For example; I love detective film—’ What?! My detective movies are my worst! This is a good example of when to use a dash in your writing.

The second speaker is interrupting the first as the em dash shows.

Just remember to use the right punctuation.

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3) The ‘Em’ Repeating Dash.

Writers use the em dash to show the effect of repeating words. The repetition of dashes typically shows worry or panic. For example: “No—it’s not possible—no—there’s no way it can be…

Now is the time to talk about the en dash. There are many reasons writers use the en dash (-) rather than the em dash. It is shorter and is used to connect words or phrases.

Let’s look at a few reasons writers use the en dash:

When writing a novel or short story that portrays time, a writer needs to use the en dash.

Do you know Mr. John? He worked for the company from 2008-2012.

My working hours range from 9:00 a.m-5:30 p.m.

Another reason to use this dash is to connect compound adjectives. A compound adjective is formed by combining two separate words.

Some writers may use an en dash instead of an en dash if the compound is open and joined by a hyphen.

She is an award-winning sportswoman.

It is used to emphasize a disagreement or to connect two unconnected topics.

Let’s consider a few examples:

Today is the north-south tennis tournament. I’m taking the London-Manchester train this morning.

Dashes are commonly used in the following ways:

• It may be used instead of a semicolon, colon, or comma.
• It usually follows an independent phrase to bring the concept to a close.
• Instead of using brackets to separate additional information from the rest of the sentence, they are used in pairs.
• When writing a dialogue, it is used to distinguish a comment from the rest of the discussion.
• Within a phrase, it begins a sentence.
• It is used to show distance.
• It appears between two adjectives or nation names.

I confused a dash and hyphen for a long time. To help you understand this seemingly mysterious term, we will tabulate the difference.

The following are examples of how to use a dash in a sentence.

• My workday lasts from 9–6.
• The trek is slated to take place from June 12–15.
• One thing is certain–we are about to encounter something unexpected.  
• Everyone–young and old–was encouraged to have immunizations as soon as possible.
• A lot has changed since last year–much of it has been positive.

Errors to Avoid When Using Dashes

While writing dashes be mindful of the following;

Dashes are useful but use them sparingly. Write them in moderation to provide emphasis or explanation. If you use too many dashes in your writing, it will look cluttered and lose its flow.

Other required punctuation marks should not be substituted with dashes. When commas, colons, or semicolons would be more acceptable, leave the dash. Make sure to use punctuation marks correctly when used with dashes, as each one has a specific purpose.

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When using dashes, consistency is necessary. Make sure your writing has a unified style throughout. In the Associated Press Stylebook, for example, it states that a space should be used both before and after an em dash. Newspapers and other media that use APA style often use this spacing method.

Depending on how your sentence is constructed, you may or may not use a dash. For instance, if you use the term “from,” the word “to,” not an en dash, should generally come next.

Rather than saying “The experiment is conducted from June to August,” for instance, use “The experiment is conducted June – August” or “The experiment is conducted June to August.”

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A dash is used to break and separate a statement. When compared to a semicolon and a comma, it shows a longer pause. It is also known as an em dash or long dash.

In the Collins Dictionary, a dash is defined as “a straight, horizontal line used in writing, to separate two main clauses whose meanings are closely connected”.

A dash is used in writing when the work is informal writing. It is used for novels, stories, journals, and all forms of informal writing. It is not used for academic or formal writing. For formal academic writing, use a semicolon, colon and comma.

A dash is a punctuation used to indicate a break in a phrase or shift in the direction of thought. A hyphen, on the other hand, connects two words to form more complicated words. It is used to show that a word has been split and will continue on the next line when ending a sentence.

I applaud you for learning how to use the em and en dash, learning how to type them is equally important.

As a writer, your work is done on a computer which involves typing.I will give some keyboard shortcuts for it

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My philosophy, monday, july 29, 2019, how to use a dash—in fiction writing.

For Interruptions

"I don't know. Maybe it's something . . ." she trailed off.

"I don't know. Maybe it's something--" "Like an animal? Maybe a bear?" Callie interrupted. 

"If only--" A police siren suddenly went off. We looked at each other, and then ran pell-mell down the alley.

"Now I just need peaches, grapes, apples and--" A shopping cart crashed into mine.

"I don't know! Maybe it's something like--" A jaguar , she suddenly realized. Yes, that fit perfectly!

"You said"--she wrenched open the car door--"that she would be safe!"

For a Sudden Change of Thought

"If only--hey, want to go to dinner?" I asked.

I slowly put down my bag. If only--maybe she'd want to go to dinner.

As a Counterpoint to Parentheses

He grabbed every kind of soda he could see--root beer, cream, orange, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Sprite, even grape Fanta--and piled them into his shopping basket.

He grabbed every kind of soda he could see (root beer, cream, orange, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Sprite, even grape Fanta) and piled them into his shopping basket.

He grabbed every kind of soda he could see--root beer, cream, orange, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Sprite, even grape Fanta. He piled them into his shopping basket.

Root beer, cream, orange, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Sprite, even grape Fanta--he grabbed every kind of soda he could see. He piled them into his shopping basket.

He grabbed every kind of soda he could see (root beer, cream, orange, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Sprite, even grape Fanta). He piled them into his shopping basket.

For Quick Emphasis

There was only one place he dreamed of being--Hawaii

Hawaii--it was the only place he dreamed of being.

Joshua had two loves in life--Lucy and tater tots. 

To Help Readability

When the medicine arrived, about two months, three stomach aches, five headaches, and six sleepless nights later, she felt so sick, she didn't know if she could keep the pills down, so she begged to be taken back to the hospital. 

When the medicine arrived--about two months, three stomach aches, five headaches, and six sleepless nights later--she felt so sick, she didn't know if she could keep the pills down, so she begged to be taken back to the hospital.

For Missing Text

Mrs. Fairfax, Thornfield, near Millcote, ----shire.

My dear ------, Please come to m---- at t---- and bring ------ Sincerely, ----t

Hyphens vs. En Dashes vs. Em Dashes

The hyphen connects two things that are intimately related, usually words that function together as a single concept or work together as a joint modifier (e.g., tie-in, toll-free call, two-thirds). The en dash connects things that are related to each other by distance, as in the May–September issue of a magazine; it’s not a May-September issue, because June, July, and August are also ostensibly included in this range. And in fact en dashes specify any kind of range, which is why they properly appear in indexes when a range of pages is cited (e.g., 147–48). En dashes are also used to connect a prefix to a proper open compound: for example, pre–World War II.

How to Properly Write an Em Dash

He grabbed every kind of soda he could see — root beer, cream, orange, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Sprite, even grape Fanta — and piled them into his shopping basket.

He grabbed every kind of soda he could see—root beer, cream, orange, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Sprite, even grape Fanta—and piled them into his shopping basket.

7 comments:

This is *just* what I needed today. THANK YOU

thx for this!! I was confused

Glad it was helpful!

glad i found this. So helpful.

Oh my God, your site is so useful. I'm a freelance editor and a paid beta reader. When I beta read, I also comment on grammar so I include links to my feedback for my clients to read and learn from. I will use your site from now on.

Hi Lili, thank you so much! I do freelance editing too, and it is super helpful to be able to provide a link rather than having to explain everything in that moment.

I love comments :)

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Semicolons, colons, and dashes

What this handout is about.

This handout explains the most common uses of three kinds of punctuation: semicolons (;), colons (:), and dashes (—). After reading the handout, you will be better able to decide when to use these forms of punctuation in your own writing.

The semicolon looks like a comma with a period above it, and this can be a good way to remember what it does. A semicolon creates more separation between thoughts than a comma does but less than a period does. Here are the two most common uses of the semicolon:

1. To help separate items in a list, when some of those items already contain commas.

Let’s look at an example, as that is the easiest way to understand this use of the semicolon. Suppose I want to list three items that I bought at the grocery store:

apples grapes pears

In a sentence, I would separate these items with commas:

I bought apples, grapes, and pears.

Now suppose that the three items I want to list are described in phrases that already contain some commas:

shiny, ripe apples small, sweet, juicy grapes firm pears

If I use commas to separate these items, my sentence looks like this:

I bought shiny, ripe apples, small, sweet, juicy grapes, and firm pears.

That middle part is a bit confusing—it doesn’t give the reader many visual cues about how many items are in the list, or about which words should be grouped together. Here is where the semicolon can help. The commas between items can be “bumped up” a notch and turned into semicolons, so that readers can easily tell how many items are in the list and which words go together:

I bought shiny, ripe apples; small, sweet, juicy grapes; and firm pears.

2. To join two sentences.

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand on its own (independently)—it is a complete sentence. Semicolons can be used between two independent clauses. The semicolon keeps the clauses somewhat separate, like a period would do, so we can easily tell which ideas belong to which clause. But it also suggests that there may be a close relationship between the two clauses—closer than you would expect if there were a period between them. Let’s look at a few examples. Here are a few fine independent clauses, standing on their own as complete sentences:

I went to the grocery store today. I bought a ton of fruit. Apples, grapes, and pears were on sale.

Now—where could semicolons fit in here? They could be used to join two (but not all three) of the independent clauses together. So either of these pairs of sentences would be okay:

I went to the grocery store today; I bought a ton of fruit. Apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

I went to the grocery store today. I bought a ton of fruit; apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

I could NOT do this:

I went to the grocery store today; I bought a ton of fruit; apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

But why would I want to use a semicolon here, anyway? One reason might have to do with style: the three short sentences sound kind of choppy or abrupt. A stronger reason might be if I wanted to emphasize a relationship between two of the sentences. If I connect “I bought a ton of fruit” and “Apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale” more closely, readers may realize that the reason why I bought so much fruit is that there was a great sale on it.

Colons follow independent clauses (clauses that could stand alone as sentences) and can be used to present an explanation, draw attention to something, or join ideas together.

Common uses of colons

1. To announce, introduce, or direct attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation. You can use a colon to draw attention to many things in your writing. The categories listed below often overlap, so don’t worry too much about whether your intended use of the colon fits one category perfectly.

Lists/series example:

We covered many of the fundamentals in our writing class: grammar, punctuation, style, and voice.

Noun/noun phrase example:

My roommate gave me the things I needed most: companionship and quiet.

Quotation example:

Shakespeare said it best: “To thine own self be true.”

Example/explanation example:

Many graduate students discover that there is a dark side to academia: late nights, high stress, and a crippling addiction to caffeinated beverages.

2. To join sentences. You can use a colon to connect two sentences when the second sentence summarizes, sharpens, or explains the first. Both sentences should be complete, and their content should be very closely related. Note that if you use colons this way too often, it can break up the flow of your writing. So don’t get carried away with your colons!

Example: Life is like a puzzle: half the fun is in trying to work it out.

3. To express time, in titles, and as part of other writing conventions. Colons appear in several standard or conventional places in writing. Here are a few examples:

• With numbers. Colons are used to separate units of time (4:45:00 expresses four hours, forty-five minutes, and zero seconds); ratios (2:1), and Bible verses and chapters (Matthew 2:24).
• In bibliography entries. Many citation styles use a colon to separate information in bibliography entries.

Example: Kurlansky, M. (2002). Salt: A world history. New York, NY: Walker and Co.

• With subtitles. Colons are used to separate titles from subtitles.

Example: Everest: The Last Frontier

• After the salutation in a formal business letter. A colon can be used immediately after the greeting in a formal letter (less-formal letters tend to use a comma in this location).

Example: To Whom It May Concern: Please accept my application for the position advertised in the News and Observer.

Common colon mistakes

1. Using a colon between a verb and its object or complement

Example (incorrect):The very best peaches are: those that are grown in the great state of Georgia.

To correct this, simply remove the colon.

2. Using a colon between a preposition and its object

Example (incorrect): My favorite cake is made of: carrots, flour, butter, eggs, and cream cheese icing.

3. Using a colon after “such as,” “including,” “especially,” and similar phrases. This violates the rule that the material preceding the colon must be a complete thought. Look, for example, at the following sentence:

Example (incorrect): There are many different types of paper, including: college ruled, wide ruled, and plain copy paper.

You can see that “There are many different types of paper, including” is not a complete sentence. The colon should simply be removed.

How to check for mistakes

Ask yourself a question: does the material preceding the colon stand on its own? One way to tell if the colon has been properly used is to look only at the words that come in front of the colon. Do they make a complete thought? If not, you may be using the colon improperly. Check above to see if you have made one of the most common mistakes.

Should you capitalize the first letter after a colon?

Different citation styles (such as MLA, APA, Chicago, and AMA) have slightly different rules regarding whether to capitalize the first letter after a colon. If it is important that you follow one of these styles precisely, be sure to use the appropriate manual to look up the rule.

Here’s our suggestion: generally, the first word following the colon should be lower-cased if the words after the colon form a dependent clause (that is, if they could not stand on their own as a complete sentence). If the following phrase is a complete (independent) clause, you may choose to capitalize it or not. Whichever approach you choose, be sure to be consistent throughout your paper.

Example with an independent clause, showing two different approaches to capitalization: The commercials had one message: The geeks shall inherit the earth. (correct) The commercials had one message: the geeks shall inherit the earth. (correct)

Example with a dependent clause (which is not capitalized): There are three perfect times to smile: when I’m with friends, when I’m alone, and when I’m with my dog. (correct)

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 break up the flow of your writing, making it choppy or even difficult to follow, so don’t overdo it.

It’s also important to distinguish between dashes and hyphens. Hyphens are shorter lines (-); they are most often used to show connections between words that are working as a unit (for example, you might see adjectives like “well-intentioned”) or to spell certain words (like “e-mail”).

With that background information in mind, let’s take a look at some ways to put dashes to work in your writing.

1. To set off material for emphasis. Think of dashes as the opposite of parentheses. 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.

Example: After eighty years of dreaming, the elderly man realized it was time to finally revisit the land of his youth—Ireland.

Example: “The Office”—a harmless television program or a dangerously subversive guide to delinquency in the workplace?

Two dashes can emphasize material in the middle of a sentence. Some style and grammar guides even permit you to write a complete sentence within the dashes.

Example: Everything I saw in my new neighborhood—from the graceful elm trees to the stately brick buildings—reminded me of my alma mater.

Example (complete sentence): The students—they were each over the age of eighteen—lined up in the streets to vote for the presidential candidates.

Two dashes can emphasize a modifier. Words or phrases that describe a noun can be set off with dashes if you wish to emphasize them.

Example: The fairgrounds—cold and wet in the October rain—were deserted.

Example: Nettie—her chin held high—walked out into the storm.

2. To indicate sentence introductions or conclusions. You can sometimes use a dash to help readers see that certain words are meant as an introduction or conclusion to your sentence.

Example: Books, paper, pencils—many students lacked even the simplest tools for learning in nineteenth-century America.

Example: To improve their health, Americans should critically examine the foods that they eat—fast food, fatty fried foods, junk food, and sugary snacks.

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. But when the phrase itself already contains one or more commas, dashes can help readers understand the sentence.

Slightly confusing example with commas: Even the simplest tasks, washing, dressing, and going to work, were nearly impossible after I broke my leg.

Better example with dashes: Even the simplest tasks—washing, dressing, and going to work—were nearly impossible after I broke my leg.

4. To break up dialogue. In written dialogue, if a speaker suddenly or abruptly stops speaking, hesitates in speech, or is cut off by another speaker, a dash can indicate the pause or interruption.

Example: “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” denied the politician.

Example: Mimi began to explain herself, saying, “I was thinking—” “I don’t care what you were thinking,” Rodolpho interrupted.

We hope that this handout has helped you better understand colons, semicolons, and dashes! For more information about punctuation, be sure to check out our handout on commas .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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The Many Uses of an Em Dash (—)

Use an em dash to introduce information that explains, amplifies, and builds upon a previous statement.

• I can help you win—if that is what you want.
• We need more people like her—people who stand up for the truth.
• All forms of public transport—trains, buses, ferries, metro—are shut until further notice.
• I’ve been charging the phone for an hour—it won’t turn on.

The em dash helps separate the parts of a sentence. It is a versatile punctuation mark that can take the place of commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons in sentences.

An em dash can also mark dialogue, signify an interruption, indicate a sudden break in thought, and introduce a list.

• I want—I don’t know what I want.
• My mother was—is—a teacher.
• Luxuries turn into necessities—refrigerators, microwave ovens, air conditioners, personal computers, mobile phones.
• Cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles—we treat all small animals.

Em dashes are more emphatic and dramatic than other punctuation marks such as commas and colons, and are seen more often in informal and creative writing than in formal texts.

The em dash (—), also called the em rule, derives its name from being the same width as the capital letter M . It is the longest of the commonly used dashes, longer than an en dash (–), which in turn is longer than a hyphen (-).

To provide additional information

Use em dashes in place of commas to enlarge upon ideas and present additional information, especially when this information is not closely related to the text.

• Maya made a decision that day— a decision that would lead to an unexpected adventure .
• She waved at us— a sad, hopeful little wave .
• My mother was a kind woman— impatient, irritable, irascible, but kind .

An em dash is often simply called a dash .

Also use an em dash instead of a comma to avoid ambiguity—for example, to set off a list that already contains commas.

• Her children— Poco, Tiko, and Loco —attended the ceremony.
• Maya has published four books— a biography, a poetry collection, and two novels .
• All forms of payment— credit cards, gift cards, checks, cash —are accepted here.
• Three animals— a bear, a panther, and a tiger —feature prominently in this story.
• Poco— who already owns four cars, one of which is a Porsche —has bought himself a Ferrari.

Additional information can also be enclosed in parentheses (or brackets, as they are called in British English). However, parentheses diminish the importance of the text they enclose. If the information is important and you want it to stand out, use em dashes instead.

Remember to “close your dashes.” An em dash is needed both before and after a parenthetical element.

• Incorrect: While studying— well, pretending to study , Nesbit fell asleep. Correct: While studying— well, pretending to study —Nesbit fell asleep.
• Incorrect: Three people— the researcher, her assistant, and the subject of the study together received the award. Correct: Three people— the researcher, her assistant, and the subject of the study —together received the award.

To amplify a statement

Use an em dash to introduce new information that explains or builds upon something that precedes it.

• What was more distressing was the sense of loss— not only had he lost his partner but also his best friend .
• Maya thought it a magnificent house— it had huge bay windows, an elegant driveway, and a gabled roof .

Both a colon (:) and an em dash (—) can be used to explain or build upon a statement. The colon is quieter, while the em dash is more dramatic, which is why it is seen more often in informal and creative writing than in formal texts, where the colon is preferred.

The em dash can also be used in place of a semicolon (;) to connect two closely related clauses. (Semicolons are more formal than dashes.)

• I’ve tried everything—nothing works.
• People say they hate airports—not me—I love the bustle and activity and watching everyone know where they’re going.
• At the corner I turned around and waved at her—that was the last time I saw her.

To introduce a list

An em dash can replace a colon to introduce a list or series of elements in a sentence.

• Lulu wants it all— fame, fortune, adventure, and comfortable sandals .
• We serve confectionary— cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and candy .

In formal texts (such as academic and business writing), prefer to use a colon over a dash to introduce a list.

To front a list

The em dash can also be used to start a sentence with a list. This technique is especially useful when the listed elements appear unrelated at first glance, but their description helps the reader link them together.

• Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, and warm woolen mittens —these are some of Julie Andrews’ favorite things.
• A black tie, a silk jacket, and woolen pants —that is all Farley wore to the North Pole.
• Porcelain cats, beaded boxes, wooden monkeys —the room was filled with knickknacks.

A single noun phrase at the start of a sentence can also be followed by an explanatory statement set off by an em dash.

• Procrastination— it will always be my nemesis.
• Truth— does it even mean anything to you?
• A hot cup of tea— that’s all I need to relax.

To mark an aside

Use em dashes to mark an aside and present information tangential to the meaning of a sentence.

• My new sandals— I bought them just yesterday —have fallen apart.
• The cat— she had been yowling since 4 a.m. —curled up and fell asleep when the alarm rang.
• The apple— or what I thought was an apple —was made of plastic.
• Her father— that is, the man who claims to be her father —turned up this morning.

To signal a sudden break

Use em dashes to set off a sudden turn in thought in a sentence.

• The thief— or was it a ghost? —vanished just as I peeked out the window.
• I saw— hey, what’s that? —I saw something strange streak across the sky.
• Maya loves— no, she adores —black roses.

Pauses can similarly be signified by an em dash in writing.

• “Could you— atishoo! —could you pass me a tissue?”
• “I want — I want nothing at all, really.”

To punctuate dialogue

Writers sometimes use em dashes instead of quotation marks to mark dialogue.

• —Do you think he’ll keep his promise? —I hope so, but who can tell? He hasn’t been himself for days.

To signify interruption

Interrupted speech is shown by means of an em dash.

• “I really think—” “It’s no use. There’s nothing else we can do.”

Use an ellipsis (. . .) to indicate an unfinished thought but an em dash to show interrupted speech.

• Unfinished thought: “I think . . .” Interrupted speech: “I think—”

Em dashes can be used in poetry to explain an idea or signify a break in thought.

• “For I have known them all already, known them all— Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons . . .” — T. S. Eliot , “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” 1915

Emily Dickinson is famous for using dashes to great effect in her poems.

• “Forever—is composed of Nows— ’Tis not a different time— Except for Infiniteness— And Latitude of Home—” — Emily Dickinson, “ Forever—is composed of Nows— (690) ,” 1863

Of course, unless you are one of the great reclusive poets of the nineteenth century, avoid using quite so many em dashes.

The source of quoted material (e.g., an author’s name) can be presented using an em dash.

How to insert an em dash

To insert an em dash in Microsoft Word, use one of these ways, whichever you find convenient:

• On Mac OS, press Option+Shift+hyphen key to type an em dash.
• If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys and press the minus sign on the numpad: Ctrl+Alt+minus (on numpad).
• If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, hold down the Alt key and press 0151 on the numpad: Alt+0151 (on numpad).
• Go to the Insert menu. Choose Symbol, click the Special Characters tab, highlight the em dash, and click Insert.
• Type two hyphens one after the other ( - - ), type the word that comes after the em dash, and press Space on your keyboard. Voila—the double hyphen turns into a single em dash! (This magic only works if AutoFormat is enabled in Word.)

In software that does not support extended (or Unicode) characters, it is acceptable to use two hyphens ( - - ) in place of an em dash. In applications such as Notepad and other text editors, copying and pasting from Word works.

Spaces around em dash

Spaces do not typically enclose em dashes in academic and business writing. In news copy, however, spaces often surround this dash.

• “Let’s consider the most versatile piece of punctuation — the dash.” — “ Mad Dash ,” The New York Times , October 22, 2012
• “Pelosi outlines a path to victory for House Democrats in 2020 — and guarantees it” — Headline in The Washington Post , April 6, 2019

In print, typographers may prefer to surround the em dash with spaces. Spaces are not generally used in electronic copy.

Spaced en dash in British usage

In British style, a spaced en dash is used instead of an em dash.

• “His only possessions were a canvas bag, a pair of torn trousers and a blanket – all as filthy as himself.” — Paul Scott , Staying On , 1977
• “Not just this second, but the next and the next – all the time in the world.” — Zadie Smith , White Teeth , 2000
• “He worked with a group of volunteers – largely students and other anti-war activists – to build an artificial roof to hold the shark outside his studio.” — “‘It went in beautifully as the postman was passing’: the story of the Headington Shark,” The Guardian , April 7, 2019

Examples from published content

Here are some examples from writing that show how em dashes can help provide additional information that explains or amplifies a statement.

• During the Second World War, countless manuscripts—diaries, memoirs, eyewitness accounts—were lost or destroyed. Some of these narratives were deliberately hidden—buried in back gardens, tucked into walls and under floors—by those who did not live to retrieve them. — Anne Michaels , Fugitive Pieces (1996)
• Growing older is mainly an ordeal of the imagination—a moral disease, a social pathology—intrinsic to which is the fact that it afflicts women much more than men. — Susan Sontag , “The Double Standard of Aging,” Saturday Review (Sep. 23, 1972)
• Not responding is a response—we are equally responsible for what we don’t do. — Jonathan Safran Foer , Eating Animals (2009)

The following examples show how an em dash is more emphatic than a comma or a colon, and how it can add drama to a sentence.

• One would think a writer would be happy here—if a writer is ever happy anywhere. — Raymond Chandler , The Long Goodbye (1953)
• A little-known United Nations agency decided to make an impact by doling out loans and grant money—all to a single family. It did not go well. — “Why Did a U.N. Agency Give a Family $61 Million?” New York Times (May 7, 2022)

And in this example, we see how em dashes can enclose an aside or other tangential information.

• Then I noticed two flat stones in the ground, a distance of a few feet—six feet?—from the upright stone. — Alice Munro , “Meneseteung,” Friend of My Youth (1990)

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The em dash can be used to begin a sentence with a list and then follow this list with an explanatory statement. Don’t use it to interrupt a complete statement.

Remember to close em dashes when using them to enclose a parenthetical statement.

Use em dashes, not hyphens, to set off additional information.

When an appositive (or a description) itself contains commas, using an em dash can make the sentence clearer to your reader.

The em dash is used to signal an interruption.

Module 2: Proposals and Reports

6.5 hyphens, en dashes, & em dashes.

“Dashes” by Aptiva, is licensed CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain

According to the style manual of the Oxford University Press, “If you take hyphens seriously, you will surely go mad.” [1]

Hyphens are supposed to keep us from misreading things and show us how words in complex phrases relate to each other. The problem is that the rules for hyphens just cannot be applied absolutely consistently—you end up hyphenating everything, including the-kitchen-sink. (*Note: that hyphenation is incorrect.) Professional editors keep long lists of exactly which word pairs they will hyphenate in a specific document (so they don’t end up in therapy).

Hyphens do matter, however. Our language culture seems to encourage piling up ambitious noun phrases. These sentences verge on having a problem called noun stacks or noun strings . To read this kind of stuff, we need hyphens—they show us what goes with what. Hyphens show that a pair of words is acting as a unit, perhaps as an adjective or a compound noun, and must be read as one thing. The common types of unit modifiers—which are two or more words acting as a unit—are discussed in this section, but this is by no means exhaustive coverage of the topic. Different organizations have different in-house rules and style guides that specify their preferences regarding hyphenation. Consult the appropriate style guide when you are writing for an organization that has one. But below are a few general guidelines.

do not hyphenate the common prefixes such as pre, anti, multi, and so on

(Unless failing to do so spells some other word or just looks hopelessly weird)

• prehistoric

hyphenate prefix words (such as self-)

• self-lubricating hinges
• micro-universe

Hyphenate a unit modifier

The unit  in these examples is made up of a number followed by a unit of measurement.

• 5-year grant
• 10-month period
• 28-gigabyte memory
• 4-gallon tub

Hyphenate two words that act as a unit to modify another word

Compound modifiers require hyphens. (Often these are acting as adjectives.)

• below-average rainfall
• warm-up period

on-board timer

pay-off period

They may include a non-verb element and a verb-like element acting as a unit.

• drought-producing system
• water-repellent fabric
• coffee-flavored ice cream
• government-sponsored programs

Watch out for three or more words acting as a unit to modify a noun

Think of the three words as one unit, connected by hyphens.

• a case-by-case basis
• a three-to-one ratio
• the right-to-die statutes
• the air-to-ground voice transmission
• on-the-job experience

Don’t hyphenate units in which the first word ends in -ly.

• highly developed country
• fully equipped computer

The toughest area for hyphenation are those combinations that look like:

adjective + noun + noun

noun + noun + noun

If the initial adjective or noun modifies the final noun, do not use a hyphen.

• embryonic stem cells
• poor economic performance

If the initial adjective or noun modifies the noun directly following it, consider using a hyphen.

• cell-replacement strategies
• cell-surface markers
• big-name automakers
• large-scale production

If you are in doubt about whether to use a hyphen, don’t use it. The recent trend is away from hyphenation and, over time, many words that are originally written using hyphens gradually shake off the hyphenation to become single words. A solid resource on hyphens is Garner’s Modern English Usage ; see “Phrasal adjectives.”

Once you get a partial feel for hyphens, watch out! Everything will seem like it needs a hyphen! When that happens, back off and ask yourself—could someone misread this sentence without a hyphen? If the sentence won’t be misread, give your hyphen key a break.

Be sure to note the difference between a hyphen and an em dash or an en dash . When you are separating a chunk of text within a sentence—such as this phrase—a hyphen is not the correct punctuation mark. You need an em dash instead. An em dash is a dash that is the same as the length of a particular font point size. If you are using 12-point font, the em dash in that font will be 12 points wide. An en dash is slightly less wide than an em dash (but longer than a hyphen) and is used to indicate ranges, such as scores, pages, and dates.

Read pages 274–298. (en dash)

The Yankees beat the Rangers 7–4. (en dash)

Here’s what the different marks look like:

Using these punctuation marks—the hyphen, the em dash, and the en dash—correctly brings a level of professionalism to your writing and makes it easier for your readers to understand the text.

• “Hysteria over Hyphens.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 8 June 2017, http://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2017/06/08/hysteria-over-hyphens . ↵
• This chapter is a derivative of Online Technical Writing by Dr. David McMurrey, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike . License Terms : Technical Writing Essentials by Kim Wozencraft is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise indicated.

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How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

What is an em dash.

The em dash (—) can function like a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. Like commas and parentheses, em dashes set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts. Like a colon, an em dash introduces a clause that explains or expands upon something that precedes it.

The Em Dash Indicates a New Direction

• An em dash can mark an abrupt change or break in the structure of a sentence.

Mabel the Cat was delighted with the assortment of pastries the new bakery featured, but Harry the Dog—he felt otherwise.

• An em dash can indicate interrupted speech or a speaker’s confusion or hesitation.

“Of course you have a point,” Mabel murmured. “That is—I suppose it is concerning.”

The Em Dash as Comma or Parenthesis

• Em dashes are used in place of commas or parentheses to emphasize or draw attention to parenthetical or amplifying material. In this particular task, em dashes occupy a kind of middle ground among the three: when commas do the job, the material is most closely related to what’s around it, and when parentheses do the job, the material is most distantly related to what’s around it; when dashes do the job the material is somewhere in the middle.

And the wide range of its hours of operation—6 a.m. to 6 p.m.—certainly showed concern for customers’ manifold circumstances.

• Dashes set off or introduce defining phrases and lists.

A regular selection of three kinds of croissants—plain, almond, and chocolate—was heartening, both Mabel and Harry agreed.

• An em dash is often used in place of a colon or semicolon to link clauses, especially when the clause that follows the dash explains, summarizes, or expands upon the preceding clause in a somewhat dramatic way.

Harry would never forget the Tuesday that Mabel called him from the bakery, her voice brimming with excitement—the bakery had added cheese Danishes to its selection.

• An em dash or pair of dashes often sets off illustrative or amplifying material introduced by such phrases as for example , namely , and that is , when the break in continuity is greater than that shown by a comma, or when the dash would clarify the sentence structure better than a comma.

The bakery was truly phenomenal. Although they did miss the mark somewhat with the pineapple upside-down cake Mabel ordered—that is, the cake had clearly been baked right-side up.

• An em dash may introduce a summary statement that follows a series of words or phrases.

Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, both macarons and macaroons—the panoply of cookie varieties was impressive as well.

• A dash often precedes the name of an author or source at the end of a quoted passage—such as an epigraph, extract, or book or film blurb—that is not part of the main text. The attribution may appear immediately after the quotation or on the next line.

“One cannot underestimate the effect a good bakery can have on a person’s well-being.” —Mabel the Cat, The Websterburg Reporter

The Em Dash in the Company of Other Punctuation Marks

• If an em dash appears at a point where a comma could also appear, the comma is omitted.

Within its first year, Mabel and Harry had sampled all of the bakery’s offerings—all 62 items—and had also decided that the exercise was worth repeating.

• When a pair of em dashes sets off material ending with an exclamation point or a question mark, the mark is placed inside the dashes.

Mabel tried, despite her dolefulness—for how could she be otherwise?—to bake her own bread but each loaf that emerged from her oven tasted vaguely of tears.

• Dashes are used inside parentheses, and vice versa, to indicate parenthetical material within parenthetical material. The second dash is omitted if it would immediately precede the closing parenthesis; a closing parenthesis is never omitted.

The bakery’s reputation for scrumptious goods (ambrosial, even—each item was surely fit for gods) spread far and wide.

Em dash vs en dash

• Remembering that the em dash is the length of a capital M, it will surprise no one that the so-called “en dash” is the approximate length of a capital N, –. The en dash is the least loved of all; it’s not easily rendered by the average keyboard user (one has to select it as a special character, whereas the em dash can be conjured with two hyphens), so it’s mostly encountered in typeset material. (A hyphen does its job in other text.) It is most often used between numbers, dates, or other notations to signify “(up) to and including.”

The bakery will be closed August 1–August 31. The bakery is open 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. The exceedingly complex recipe spans pages 128–34. Mabel and Harry lived elsewhere 2007–2019.

Note that one does not need words like from and between in these cases. The phrase “open 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.” can be read as “open between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.” or as “open from 6:00 a.m. to/until 6:00 p.m.”

• If you want to be official about things, use the en dash to replace a hyphen in compound adjectives when at least one of the elements is a two-word compound.

the post–Cold War era

The thinking is that using a hyphen here, as in “the post-Cold War era,” risks the suggestion that post attaches only to Cold . It’s unlikely, though, that a reader would truly be confused.

• The en dash replaces the word to between capitalized names, and is used to indicate linkages such as boundaries, treaties, and oppositions.

a Boston–Washington train the pie–cake divide

• A two-em dash, ——, is used to indicate missing letters in a word and, less frequently, to indicate a missing word.

The butter-stained and crumb-embedded note was attributed to a Ms. M—— of Websterburg.

• A three-em dash, ———, indicates that a word has been left out or that an unknown word or figure is to be supplied.

Years later it was revealed that the Websterburg bakers had once had a bakery in ———, a city to the south. But the water quality there was prohibitive to the creating of decent bagels.

While we said above that the em dash, also called the “common dash,” is the most common of the true dashes, hyphens show up more frequently in text. They have a variety of uses.

• Hyphens are used to link elements in compound words .

a baker-owner

• In some words, a hyphen separates a prefix, suffix, or medial element from the rest of the word.

Websterburg’s pre-bakery days a bread-like scone jack-o'-lantern sugar cookies

• As we noted above, a hyphen often does the job of an en dash between numbers and dates, providing the meaning "(up) to and including."

pages 128-34 the years 2007-2019

• A hyphen marks an end-of-line division of a word.

Mabel and Harry don’t like to linger on their memories of Webster- burg’s pre-bakery days.

• A hyphen divides letters or syllables to give the effect of stuttering, sobbing, or halting speech.

"M-m-mabel, the cheese Danish is divine!”

• Hyphens indicate a word spelled out letter by letter.

Let’s not even talk about August, when the bakery is c-l-o-s-e-d.

The em dash is sometimes considered a less formal equivalent of the colon and parenthesis, but in truth it’s used in all kinds of writing, including the most formal—the choice of which mark to use is really a matter of personal preference.

Spacing around an em dash varies. Most newspapers insert a space before and after the dash, and many popular magazines do the same, but most books and journals omit spacing, closing whatever comes before and after the em dash right up next to it. This website prefers the latter, its style requiring the closely held em dash in running text.

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• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida

Use dashes to set off an idea or an appositive within a sentence.

A dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off an idea within a sentence and may be used alone or in pairs. Dashes interrupt a thought in a more dramatic way than a phrase enclosed in commas , but less theatrically than parentheses .

To form a dash, type two hyphens—without a space before, after, or between them—and your word processor will convert them to a dash. You make a dash by hitting the hyphen key twice. The hyphen key is next to the +/= key on your keyboard (the same key with the underscore _ ). Some Word programs will automatically join your hyphens together to make a dash, and some will leave the space. Either way is fine!

Dashes can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence, depending on what you want to emphasize:

• Teaching—the profession has always appealed to me.
• The idea of being a teacher—working with kids, summers off—has always appealed to me.
• I have always known what I want to be—a teacher.

Note: If you put a dash in the middle of your sentence, you need to place another dash at the end of the emphasized information (like parentheses!).

Use dashes thoughtfully and sparingly, or they may lose their effectiveness.

How should dashes be used?

• Cell phones, hand-held computers, and built-in TVs—each a possible distraction—can lead to a potentially dangerous situation if used while driving.
• The young woman took all of the necessary supplies—leash, pet carrier, and paperwork—to the shelter when she went to pick up her newly-adopted dog.
• Genocide—the systematic killing of a racial group—is an atrocity that has created black holes in history.
• Childhood obesity has become a grave concern in many parts of the world—particularly during the last two decades.
• She finally let down her guard—and cried like a baby—when the counselor urged her to let go of her pain.

Use a Dash after a Series or List of Appositives

When you introduce a long series or list of appositives before the subject and verb, you are placing high demands on the reader’s short-term memory. Therefore, use this pattern rarely and only for emphasis. This pattern is particularly appropriate in conclusions, when you are bringing together the major threads of your discussion or argument. Finally, you should place a summary word after the dash and preferably before the subject of the sentence, as indicated by the following examples. The most common summary words that writers use are all, those, this, each, what, none, such, these .

• Jealousy, lust, hate, greed–these are the raw emotions we will explore.
• Lying, stealing, cheating, committing adultery–which is the greatest sin?
• To struggle with meaning, to edit, to combine sentences–these activities are well known to the struggling writer.
• Wining and dining his friends, stroking people’s egos, maintaining a good appearance, and spending money–all were part of his scheme to gain influence.

Use Dashes When You Wish to Emphasize a Parenthetical Element

Commas are usually sufficient punctuation to set off parenthetical elements. In some instances, however, you can use a dash instead, especially if you want to make the insertion more noticeable:

• The building next to ours–the one with the all-cedar exterior–was engulfed in flames.

When you want to whisper rather than shout, you can place the modifiers inside parentheses:

• The secret I have to tell you (the one I’ve been hinting about) will surprise you.

Use Dashes to Embed a Series or List of Appositives

A single appositive or modifier can easily be set off from the rest of the sentence in commas, but you must use dashes when you insert a series of appositives or modifiers. After all, how else will the reader know when the series is over?

• The essential qualities of an effective writer–discipline, effort, inspiration–can be learned by regular writing.
• With the help of her assistant–a high-speed personal computer–she produced a delightful letter.

Use Dashes to Set off an Emphatic Repetition

You can emphasize an important point by placing a dash or comma at the end of the sentence and then repeating a key word or phrase:

• Hal is a computer, the ultimate computer.
• Mrs. Leavitt is a gambler, a compulsive gambler.
• He was disturbed by the warning–the warning that everyone else ignored.
• All rapists should be severely punished–punished in a way they will never forget.

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

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Wednesday, September 18, 2019

How and when to use hyphens, dashes, & ellipses.

12 comments:

Good to know! Thanks for sharing these. I'll eventually forget, but it's nice to have the reference to go back to. For me, these are just as difficult to remember as the difference between "affect" and "effect". Dictionary.com is forever my friend. :)

Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Diane. Writers have more important things to think about than punctuation - that's what editors are for! :)

Great lesson! Thanks!

Thanks, Liza!

Hi Jodie, I'll be keeping this post for reference. Very helpful. Thank you. :-)

Thanks, Tracy. Glad you find my tips helpful! :)

How about em dashes used with quoted material broken up by the speaker asking a question to someone?

Hello... I cannot recast this. My boss wants it this way in a business report. The defendant owned a $10- to $15-million-a-year industry. Or should it be: a $10-million- to $15-million-a-year industry I think both may be correct. Are they? And if so, which one is preferred as written? Also, "a 25- to 30-percent-a-year increase in revenue." Is this truly correct with the suspended hyphen? Again, I am not permitted to recast, as much as I would like to. :-( Thank you so much for any reply.

Hi Mike, Your boss is correct. Go with what he/she says. Jodie

Very important: The comma may be omitted between the em dash and the speaker in a quotation per CMS ed. 16, section 6.86.

Spot-on, Leigh. The 16th edition came out in 2010; this blog post from 2013 refers to the then-decade-old 15th edition.

The idea isolates your aspects of a new chemical substance expression: bare-handed, close-up, die-hard, half-baked, jet-lagged, low-key, never-ending, no-brainer, pitch-dark, self-control, single-handed, sweet-talk, user-friendly, up-to-date, watered-down, work-in-progress, and many others.

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A dash is a punctuation mark. It is similar in appearance to a hyphen, but a dash is longer and it is used differently. The most common versions of the dash are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—).

• 1.1 Examples
• 1.2 Space or no space?
• 2.1.1 Ranges of values
• 2.1.2 Relationships and connections
• 2.1.3 Compound adjectives
• 2.1.4 Usage

Em Dash [ ]

The em dash (—) often seperates a parenthetical thought or interruption.

Examples [ ]

Off duty he wasn’t bad—for a sergeant.

“But, Sarge, it’s just a cold. The Surgeon said—“

Jelly interrupted.

Standing shakily, he became aware that someone—a couple—had entered the store.

Space or no space? [ ]

According to most American sources and to some British sources, an em dash should always be set closed (not surrounded by spaces).

The practice in some parts of the English-speaking world, also the style recommended by The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage (due to the narrow width of newspaper columns), sets it open (separates it from its surrounding words by using spaces or hair spaces when it is being used parenthetically.

Some writers, finding the em dash unappealingly long, prefer to use an open-set en dash. This "space, en dash, space" sequence is also the predominant style in German and French typography .

On a Windows machine, hold down the ALT key and type 0151 on the numpad. On a Mac, hold down the Shift and Options keys and then hold down the minus key.

On Microsoft Word, there is an easy shortcut to type an emdash:

• Type a word.
• Press the spacebar.
• Type in a hyphen, which looks like this: "-"
• Press the spacebar again (optional)
• Type in the next word, and the press space one last time.
• The word is automatically converted to an emdash.

En Dash [ ]

The en dash can be used for ranges, such as 6–10 years, read as "six to ten years". It can also be used to contrast values, or illustrate a relationship between two things, or it can be used instead of a hyphen in compound adjectives in which one part consists of two words or a hyphenated word.

Ranges of values [ ]

The en dash is commonly used to indicate a closed range (a range with clearly defined and non-infinite upper and lower boundaries) of values, such as those between dates, times, or numbers.

Some examples of this usage:

• June–July 1967
• 1:00–2:00 p.m.
• For ages 3–5
• President Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)

The Guide for the Use of the International System of Units ( SI ) recommends that the word to be used instead of an en dash when a number range might be misconstrued as subtraction, such as a range of units. For example, "a voltage of 50 V to 100 V" rather than "a voltage of 50–100 V".

It is also considered inappropriate to use the en dash in place of the words to or and in phrases that follow the forms from ... to ... and between ... and ... .

Relationships and connections [ ]

The en dash can also be used to contrast values, or illustrate a relationship between two things.

• Notre Dame beat Miami 31–30.
• New York–London flight (though some sources say that New York to London flight is more appropriate because New York is a single name composed of two valid words; with a dash the phrase is ambiguous and could mean either Flight from New York to London or New flight from York to London )
• Mother–daughter relationship
• The Supreme Court voted 5–4 to uphold the decision.
• The McCain–Feingold bill
• A C –C single bond

Compound adjectives [ ]

The en dash can be used instead of a hyphen in compound adjectives in which one part consists of two words or a hyphenated word:

• The non– San Francisco part of the world
• The post– MS-DOS era
• High-priority–high-pressure tasks (tasks that are both high-priority and high-pressure).

Hold down the ALT key and type 0150 on the numpad.

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• punctuation

Venus// New Member

When and why to use a dash -.

Discussion in ' Word Mechanics ' started by Venus// , Dec 19, 2012 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); One thing I have never understood is why dashes are used in writing. I understand that a dash can be used to signify an abrupt end in speech where a character may be interrupted. But what about the other times? Here is an example from The Wild Palms by W. Faulkner: He seemed to them: the empty years in which his youth had vanished-the years for wild oats and for daring, for the passionate tragic ephemeral loves of adolescence, the girl- and boy-white, the wild importunate fumbling flesh . . . The quote goes on and on. I can type it all if you need it. But why does he use the dashes in this sentence? Why the dash after "vanish" and the next dash after "girl?" Also, why is it better in some cases to use a dash rather than start a new sentence? Thanks.  

Jon Deavers New Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Well, Faulkner is a bit of a different beast altogether. He was very experimental with his prose and the rhythm that it should be read with. I would hazard a guess here that the intentions of those dashes are to slow you down like the line breaks of poetry.  

Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); In the first instance, I'm pretty sure you could replace the dash with a comma or a colon (the dash after "vanish" that is). It's simply a subordinate clause giving you more detail, but in the form of a list, which is why I say a colon would be possible too. I could be wrong though. In the second instance, it's because it is actually "girl-white and boy-white". While I have no idea what "girl-white and boy-white" could possible mean, he used a dash there because "girl-white" is in fact one word, but he wanted to omit the repetition since "boy-white" followed immediately afterward. Others can correct me if I'm wrong. This is just what I think.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); In one article I read, the dash can be used for emphasis. I do like the idea of using it to slow a reader down or use it for rhythm too though. Another article called it a "super comma" that should not be used where a regular comma would suffice. That confused me a little because in the other article I read the examples they used to show the use of a dash would have been just fine with commas. This article: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/semi-colons-colons-and-dashes/  

F.E. New Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Venus// said: ↑ One thing I have never understood is why dashes are used in writing. I understand that a dash can be used to signify an abrupt end in speech where a character may be interrupted. But what about the other times? Here is an example from The Wild Palms by W. Faulkner: He seemed to them: the empty years in which his youth had vanished-the years for wild oats and for daring, for the passionate tragic ephemeral loves of adolescence, the girl- and boy-white, the wild importunate fumbling flesh . . . ​ The quote goes on and on. I can type it all if you need it. But why does he use the dashes in this sentence? Why the dash after "vanish" and the next dash after "girl?" Also, why is it better in some cases to use a dash rather than start a new sentence? Thanks. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); F.E. said: ↑ There might be a mixture of em dashes and hyphens in your example. I'm assuming the first "dash" is actually an em dash, and that the next two are actually hyphens. It also might be possible that the em dash (the first "dash") was probably used because a colon was already used in the sentence -- compare to " He missed the empty years in which his youth had vanished: the years for wild oats and for daring, for the passionate tragic ephemeral loves of adolescence, ... " As to your last question, it's mostly a style issue. Em dashes can be used to connect clauses and phrases together (like with the semicolon and colon), and it can be used to insert clauses and phrases in the middle of another clause, and it can be used to apply "focus" onto a clause or phrase that is between a pair of em dashes, and it can be used to show an abruptness between two clauses/phrases, and it can be used to show an interruption in dialogue, and it can be used to insert narrative in the middle of two pieces of dialogue, ... The best way to see how em dashes are now being used in fiction is to look at the prose in the novels and short stories of your favorite authors. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); F.E. when you say "it can be used to show an abruptness between two clauses/phrases" do you mean that a writer may use a dash when they want two clauses or phrases to be read together in a more unified way? Whereas a period may slow the reader down too much. Does that question make sense?  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Venus// said: ↑ Thank you. That was helpful. Do you know why one might use an em dash instead of a semicolon or colon? (Besides their already being a colon or semicolon in the sentence I mean.) Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Venus// said: ↑ F.E. when you say "it can be used to show an abruptness between two clauses/phrases" do you mean that a writer may use a dash when they want two clauses or phrases to be read together in a more unified way? Whereas a period may slow the reader down too much. Does that question make sense? Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Thanks again! That cleared it up for me quite a bit. I will probably still do a little more reading on the subject too.  

BawaK New Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Description I sometimes use it to describe something in the sentence without breaking the flow of the sentence. e.g.: "But as his luck would have it, his car - a new-ish Polo - had a nervous breakdown on a side-road..." I hope that helps. The replies before this are also very helpful.  

mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); don't try to second guess faulkner... and for pete's sake, don't emulate him in re that muddled mix of colon/em dashes!... no editor today would let that pass from a new and unknown writer... here's where you can find answers to your punctuation questions, that you should keep in your favorites menu: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/566/01/  

OurJud Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); BawaK said: ↑ Description I sometimes use it to describe something in the sentence without breaking the flow of the sentence. e.g.: "But as his luck would have it, his car - a new-ish Polo - had a nervous breakdown on a side-road..." I hope that helps. The replies before this are also very helpful. Click to expand...

Stormburn Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); When I use em dashes I keep it simple and consistent. In my current short story I use the em dash to show interruptions and to show action someone engaged in as they speak ( this occurred once).  

Lifeline South. Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); After getting a few headbutts, I stick to using the normal dash '-' for things like 'run-down' or similar (sorry, english grammar is still not my best so I don't know the name for this kind of words). Then there's the em-dash '—', which you could use instead of a semicolon, but it transfers a bit shorter time and is best used in really abrupt jumps of the mind or i.e. when a thought gets rudely interrupted. All other sentence constructions I do with '...,;:.'  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Stormburn said: ↑ ... and to show action someone engaged in as they speak ( this occurred once). Click to expand...

mashers Contributor Contributor Community Volunteer

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); OurJud said: ↑ Can you give an example of this? It's sounds like you're talking about dialogue beats and I'm curious as to how you use a dash in this area. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); I'm up a tower, so, I'm on my smart phone. You're dead on mashers said: ↑ I think he means like this: “I don’t know"— he spread he hands, —"it just happened!” I’m not 100% sure on the punctuation for that though. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); Stormburn said: ↑ I'm up a tower, so, I'm on my smart phone. You're dead on “I don’t know"— he spread he hands, —"it just happened!” I adjusted the punctuation marks. I can do a full reply later today when I'm back at the hotel. Click to expand...

xanadu Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); OurJud said: ↑ I'm pretty sure that's incorrect usage, and that it should be, simply: It's not a great example, though, because I suspect there should be a full stop after 'I don't know.' Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); No matter what, I believe the dash should be inside the quotes. I can't think of a time I've seen dialogue with a dash punctuated with the dash outside the quotes. But even still, that looks absolutely wrong to my eyes. She slid the paper across the desk. "Your prints," she said, "were found on the knife." "Your prints," she said, sliding the paper across the desk, "were found on the knife." mashers said: ↑ “Your prints”—she slid the paper across the desk,—“were found on the knife.” Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); mashers said: ↑ Ok the example wasn’t great, but I don’t think the em dash in situations like this is necessarily incorrect. A better example: “Your prints”—she slid the paper across the desk,—“were found on the knife.” The em dash indicates that the action interrupts the dialogue. Click to expand...

Laurus Disappointed Idealist Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_b7c32fe3359af3d576130b5a63ad48b9'); }); http://www.probizwriters.com/PBW-blog/index.php/em-dash-en-dash-or-hyphen/ Em dashes are used to separate phrases—as you would use commas, parentheses, semicolons, colons, ellipses—and isolate ancillary thoughts, offset examples, signal an interruption, or indicate emphasis. It separates distinct parts of a sentence by adding a discernable pause that’s stronger than a comma, but not as abrupt as a colon, semicolon or pair of parentheses. Click to expand...

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