However, despite its flexibility, it can only be used. En dashes are incredibly useful punctuation marks, used to add extra emphasis to a sentence or statement. 2)”Are you OK?” is a direct question. I have the same issue in my asp. g. The word “em” is actually a typographical unit of measurement. They also can be used to focus a reader or highlight tone within a dialog. Type another word. But to show a true interruption, the kind that occurs when a speaker is cut off in the middle of sentence or a word, we’ll need something stronger than a comma—namely, an em dash (see also CMOS 6. 7. There is no piece of punctuation that means pause. Within moments of our first interaction — over. Enclose the first part of the dialogue in quotation marks but omit the comma. 4. These sentences can be in the form of a direct question or an indirect question. The English language has several easily-confused horizontal-line punctuation symbols: Hyphen: –. Mac. m. The en dash (–) is one-half the width of an em. Collingwood as Mr. ) When it’s in the middle of the sentence, it doesn’t need to be followed by a comma. Write an en dash. At the risk of being pedantic, an ellipsis is a single symbol, not three dots. The text won't look as good, but realistically, most people won't notice. 2. In informal writing, feet and inches are sometimes expressed as, for example, 5′ 10″ (read: five feet and ten inches). 1986–1998Tip. –8:30 p. En Dash Examples. -->if the information being set off is at the end of the sentence, use just one em dash. There are actually two different kinds of dashes. On a Windows-based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. &bull First item in the list. As its name suggests, an em dash (—) is roughly the length of the letter M, while an en dash (–) more closely matches an N. )The dash (—) is a mark of punctuation used to set off a word or phrase after an independent clause or a parenthetical remark (words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt a sentence). It’s known for being a one-job punctuation mark because it simply communicates questions. En dash ( –) When connecting two words to signify a range, Chinese generally uses an en dash occupying the space of one character (e. It then gives two examples, the second of them demonstrating that "the period . AP refers to these simply as dashes and requires a space on either side. Some writers even use three or more exclamation points, lest the reader not fully grasp the significance of what is being said. Em dashes, in contrast, are frequently used to signal an abrupt change, suggest a pause, or set off a clause within a sentence. The employee, hoping to go home early, rushed her tasks. An em dash is often used to indicate a break in thought in a sentence. Most likely it's an en dash or em dash rather than a real hyphen or minus symbol. In 3, the dash is used in place of a comma, since the change in tone is occuring at the same time as the dialog is being spoken, or near enough that it's the same action. And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. An ellipsis suggests a slight pause, as if one thing happens and then the other. a. But in that case the dash is supposed to be the length of the omitted word, not just a mere em-dash. Write an en dash. En Dash Examples. The patient reported taking 15 (?) milligrams of alprazolam. d) Working 9-5 daily, and keeping up with homework is difficult. Smart punctuation is an iOS feature that automatically. Windows. . The report covers the period 1998–1999. The common editing choice, again supported by Chicago (6. The – is called an en dash. ) If I run the sql statements of the stored procedure until the final select statement only, the data look fine, dash character is still a dash character. This little symbol is beloved. The commands extendash and extemdash are also used to produce en-dash (–), and em-dash (—), respectively. They represent something. 2. The comma is the punctuation mark most likely to cause angst. nouns followed by numerals or letters. This type of dash is usually used to omit a person's name or. Insert an em or en dash using Alt and keyboard shortcuts. The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing. On a Mac: En dash—press option+hyphen key. In English writing, quotation marks or inverted commas, also known informally as quotes, talking marks, speech marks, quote marks, quotemarks or speechmarks, are punctuation marks placed on either side of a word or phrase in order to identify it as a quotation, direct speech or a literal title or name. 5. For more ALT codes for various signs and symbols, see ALT Codes for Miscellaneous Symbols. To illustrate, I’m going to reproduce the first sentence of this paragraph, but with a semicolon: 'Break/Fold Mark'. Depending on the context, the en dash is read as “to” or “through. 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. But it is necessary first to make the difference between a hyphen, and an em dash vs en dash. It can also be used to indicate each person’s speech in a dialogue. Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. 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. 27, 2015. Dash. , May–December or 1995–2020) or pages (e. It could be written with a semicolon, a colon, or a period (or a. There are enough exceptions to this general rule, however, to warrant the following chart, which shows nearly all of the scenarios you are likely to face. " I know you can replace em dashes with — and n-dashes with – (which should be done on the input side of your database); I don't know what the correct replacement for the smart quotes would be. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. En dashes have a space on either side of the dash – like this. You did not tell us which hyphen you use, see answer from MT0. En and em dashes are longer than the hyphen. EM-DASH (–) – with this punctuation mark, you can introduce an explanation or specification, make a break in thought, or separate two parts of the sentence. When a colon and a comma. So I wouldn't say that the dash as an actor can perform the same roles as terminal punctuation, as periods or question marks or exclamation points, but. Technically, the mark designating feet is a prime; the mark designating inches is a double prime. Proper use of punctuation marks can greatly enhance the readability and effectiveness of written communication. 2 - En dashes are shorter than em dashes. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. In your question you took U+002D (CHR(45)) which is in ASCII - for sure this does make any problem. ago • Edited 2 yr. If you want to make your writing easier to read and generally look more professional, you should know what. If the action is in the middle of a sentence, use em dashes outside the quotation marks. First, there are two kinds of dashes, called en dashes and em dashes. It’s equal to the specific point size in any given typeface. In the "Text" tab you will find the list of substitutions. The term “em dash” comes from the field of typography—an “em” is a width equivalent to the height of a given font. Guion y raya (Hyphen and Em-dash) 9. Em dashes can also signal an interruption or a sudden change in the direction a writer was heading with a particular sentence. The following list shows some of the most. 86 Em dash between noun and pronoun; 6. If you're including terminal punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation mark), your speaker's sentence isn't being interrupted, so you wouldn't use em dashes at all. 47 Punctuation with em dash. Remember to: Use a colon to emphasize dialogue, show titles and time, or introduce a list. A hyphen (-) is the shortest “dash” and. They are useful for emotionally-loaded dialogue interruption, because emotions act quickly on the brain. Alt codes only work on the. In fact, the em dash is named after its length—it’s. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. Press the spacebar. 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. It also has several uses, which we will look at below. It is the doppelgänger of the. Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by Bone2pick, Dec 12, 2022. — Question Mark. The ellipsis suggests that Isaac cannot concentrate. dashes. Clark went to the Miami Heat – Boston Celtics game. This method can get messy if you have more than two speakers in a conversation, so use it with care. It. 7 p. But other style guides might say something else—so, unfortunately, there is no. It thus performs many of the same functions as commas, parentheses, and colons, but with a bit more drama—a “wait for it” tension that tends to lend emphasis to whatever it introduces. If that is the case, you will notice a space on either side of. Em dashes are used to set off elements of text with internal punctuation, and en dashes to indicate a numerical range or hyphenate an open compound: The library is organized so that any question—whether technical, reference, or circulation—can be answered by staff. eg What would be more gratifying than being able to help a child in the use of what Vygotsky considered one of man’s greatest tools? Language! I'm sure others will come to offer advice about the em-dash version, if you prefer that. Ron Barrett. These marks are available in most word processors, though many people simply use single and double quotation marks: 5’ 10”. Use of it is more common in formal academic writing that must cite sources. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. Em Dash: Length: The em dash is the longest dash. 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. In example 4, the 1st quote should be a complete sentence or an ellipse followed by a new paragraph describing Bob's face, followed by another paragraph with Peter's response. The difference between a parenthetical comment using parentheses, and one using em dashes, is probably a matter of style. pages 11–23. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Em Dashes The em dash is the longest line among these marks of punctuation (—). The em dash symbol is a single, longer horizontal line — that should not be confused for an en dash - or a hyphen. Don’t put any spaces before and. ’ — Eleanor Roosevelt. [4] 3. Many programs also automatically create an em dash when you type two single hyphens together. 90 Em dashes and line breaks; 6. Whenever I have text surrounded by a dash symbol i. On Macs, the long dash symbol situation is much easier. En & Em Dashes While sometimes used in other styles to indicate a range of time, AP Style does not use en dashes. In addition, write the punctuation mark next to your translation. An en dash is. ”. Mistakes with hyphens are very common: leaving them out when they’re needed, adding them when they’re unnecessary, or putting them. An em dash is a punctuation mark used in writing to denote a break or pause. An em dash is a versatile punctuation mark that looks like an extended dash. It can have a couple of uses, but it’s most commonly used in representing a range of numbers. On a PC, the em-dash is made by holding down the ALT key and typing 0151 on the number pad. There is no difference in meaning between fiber and fibre. The em dash is even longer and is used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon for emphasis. Numeric Keypad: Windows allows the user to type any available character, including diacritical marks, by holding down one of the Alt keys while typing in a numeric code on the numeric keypad, if one is available. This usage explains the dialog part of your question. as you would the phrase and the rest. Like the em dash, the en dash is typically available on your word processor’s symbol map, or it may even be inserted automatically by your word processor when you type inclusive numbers or dates with a hyphen between them. figure dash – 8211: 2013 – en dash — 8212: 2014 — em dash ― 8213: 2015 : horizontal bar ‖ 8214: 2016 : double vertical line ‗ 8215: 2017 : double low line ‘ 8216: 2018 ‘ left single quotation mark ’ 8217: 2019 ’ right single quotation mark ‚ 8218: 201a ‚ single low-9 quotation mark ‛ 8219: 201b. Breaking dialogue into multiple paragraphs. An ellipsis here would show a delayed change in thought and is not correct. — Este libro es mío. Share. An alternative way of displaying speech is via the em dash. By changing the console code page to something that does support the en dash character, such as 1252, this problem may be corrected. Fiber is the preferred spelling in American English, and fibre is preferred in all the other main varieties of English. Mabel tried, despite her. Then, click Undo Dash. To type an em dash in Microsoft Word, press the Option + Shift + hyphen keys (on Mac OS). When listing information, you may use the em dash between the list and independent clause when the list comes first. He worked in his office-cum-dining room. It looks like this: — It’s called an em dash because its width is about the same as a lower-case letter em (m). Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a. Command (⌘) + M. An em dash (—) is the longest of the three dashes and can be used to set off a break in the sentence, as well as add emphasis. ”. But if you use them, you’ll find they can show up near a lot of punctuation marks besides dashes. S. Although these punctuation marks look similar at a glance, they are actually distinct punctuation marks with specific intended uses and with distinct unicode character values. For example, don’t use a dash to begin the interrupter and a comma. Example: “I didn’t say—”. A dash (em dash) is emphatic. It’s a long dash, the length of two connected hyphens. 2. Em dash—press option+shift+hyphen key. An em dash is a punctuation mark used to separate elements within a sentence, typically words or phrases that are too long to be separated by commas or need a dramatic pause during reading. Both Word and Scrivener automatically convert two consecutive hyphens (--) to an em-dash (—), the technical name for this punctuation mark. Proofreading marks and symbols Although a significant amount of editing and proofreading is now done using tools such as Microsoft’s track changes feature and Adobe’s commenting tool, you may find yourself faced with traditional proofreading marks and symbols on a printed document someday. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. The en dash is less well known than. It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. On the other hand, the em-dash works in full sentences and can take the place of commas, colons, and. The word is usually spelled ether in all main varieties of modern English. I agree that it should try to match the size of the missing word. 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. Question marks, exclamation points, and dashes fall inside or outside closing quotations. So, they cannot be linked by comma (Commas are only used to link a dependent and an independent clause). Em-dashes in Place of a Semicolon. And an example:There are two primary types of dashes: the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). g. AP and AMA style guides are agreed: em dash goes inside the quotes, and that's your punctuation. For example, “the years 2020–2022” or “the hours 9:00 a. 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. net web application. Sometimes, the comma indicates a pause that would occur if the sentence were spoken aloud. BOND #2: Adverbs There are many types of adverbs, but by definition, an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Always follow the punctuation rules in formal writing to make your work clearer and more readable. These punctuation marks may fall outside of the closing quotation mark in some cases. 157). The dash can also be used to represent a pause, but a more. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. For the the complete list of the first 256 Windows ALT Codes, visit Windows ALT Codes for Special Characters & Symbols. “November Cotton Flower” by Jean. The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence. The em dash performs a versatile function to help separate certain words from the rest of a sentence. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. [4] 3. The em dash, or long dash, is the only punctuation mark on a keyboard that. 1. 2, Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point, Question Mark, Placement], is never combined with another exclamation point, question mark, period, semicolon, colon, or comma; thus, there is no comma in the first example below. For example: It depends on trust — it always has. 1月—7月 "January to July", which can also be written 1月到7月, with the character 到 in place of the dash). They are: the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, brackets, braces, parentheses, apostrophe, quotation mark, and ellipsis. 1)”Can we go to the cinema?” she asked. This. (The exclamation point, like the question mark [see 8. Some word-processing programs have a mark called an em-dash (longer than a hyphen), which can be used with no space before or after it. I have to warn them—no, no what am I doing? An ellipses indicates omission, which is what I think you are looking for. If a comma is a quarter note rest, then an em dash is a half-note rest. To be effective, the exclamation point should be used in moderation. Typesetters will most likely try to track you down and beat you to death if they. There are three options: Period. Press the space bar. For windows, you can hold down the ‘Alt’ and ‘-‘ key and you will get an en dash. Em dashes (—) are extremely versatile. 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. The standard English punctuation is as follows: period, comma, apostrophe, quotation, question, exclamation, brackets, braces, parenthesis, dash, hyphen, ellipsis, colon, semicolon. ” Originally, typewriters had monospaced fonts (skinny letters and fat letters. For example, this sentence just looks plain wrong: Jenny said , “ That’s unbelievable ! ”. For Windows, press Ctrl+Alt +Minus (-) or Alt+0151. 87): English learners commonly make the mistake of using em dashes incorrectly. And you wouldn't have to do any kind of terminal punctuation, no need for a period or a question mark or an exclamation point. However I run into a bump with special characters like curly quotes en and em dashes etc. Two hyphens typed together form a dash: (--). Technically the question mark is a full stop and, like an exclamation point, has its own. Interrupters—like this right here—are words, phrases, or clauses that break the flow of writing. If the parentheses include an exclamation or question mark: Our road trip to Florida — we love to drive to see all the sights on the way! — took three days to. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a dash as “the mark (—) used to separate parts of a sentence. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. The dash kind of serves that role, because it's a very fancy actor. Dashes are generally more abrupt and can signify a rapid change of topic. is omitted in deference to the question mark". The main reason to use an em dash is to set off an explanation or an abrupt change in thought. For a fuller understanding of the em dash, I quote the CMOS Online in full:7. By and large, an em dash serves to insert a break in your thought without ending your thought entirely. If the information in parentheses has a question mark or an exclamation mark, use the punctuation mark inside the parentheses only if the sentence ends with a different mark. Punctuation Em-dash before question mark. The semicolon is also used between two independent clauses linked by a transitional expression (e. fiscal year 2020–21. ”. In sentence case, lowercase most words in a title or heading. You can also use the Alt key in combination with a sequence of numbers of insert an em dash or en dash. Em dash —, in Windows, with the number keypad: Alt (hold)+ 0 1 5 1. 4. Translation. 6. British authors often prefer to use an en-dash ( – ) with spaces on either side rather than the em. Also, "overuse of the em dash weakens the flow of material" (APA, 2020, p. g. You don’t need to worry about this; both en dashes and em dashes do the same job. The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. 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. The em dash helps separate the parts of a sentence. answered Jul 7, 2010 at 7:53. Please read pages 70–77 in your text. There are two common types of dashes: en dash and em dash which vary in length. , long-term, red-haired). Em dashes can replace ellipses to show an abrupt break in a conversation. The second option likens the word to verbs like fit and knit, which are usually uninflected. Chicago 6. I now seem to be able to do this if I type a character - any character - after the dash, then type the curly end quote mark, and then backspace. The correct use of dialogue tags. How to type — Em Dash?. 🙽. They also can be used to focus a reader or highlight tone within a. This is really useful if you're a few words over the 650 word limit and need to trim a bit. APPLICATION. American usage puts the month first, followed by the day, and then the year. • Dashes are often used to introduce an. After three weeks of deliberation, the jury finally reached a verdict: guilty. -Em dashes mark an interruption or break in thought. Comments. It is slightly shorter in length, visually resembling a hyphen, but with different usage. (2) Em dashes can replace semicolons. Being so versatile can create confusion if overused, therefore it is best limited to two appearances per sentence. For example: (1) Em dashes can replace colons. Typically I replace these special characters in a microsoft product first with replace. 1. If you guessed that it’s as wide as the letter “M,” you get a gold star. This method can get messy if you have more than two speakers in a conversation, so use it with care. Dashes and hyphens aren’t the same thing. If you type in two hyphens/minus without a space before or after, most word processors automatically convert it into an em dash. Question marks, exclamation points, and em dashes can go inside or outside the quotation mark, depending on whether they’re part of the quote or not. Since code page 437 does not include the en dash character, any system using that code page will have to resort to a fallback mechanism to render the file names, such as a question mark. Use a. To Indicate Interruption in Dialogue, Use An Em-Dash. An em dash (—), the longest “dash,” is used as a substitute for a comma, colon, semi-colon, or parentheses and emphasizes information. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons —in each case to slightly different effect. The general rule is that a sentence ends with only one terminal punctuation mark. The em dash, also known as the mutton dash or em rule, refers to the em. That being said, em dashes should not be used in place of hyphens or colons. That doesn't change the fact that in 60 years of reading, I've never come across a trust-worthy writer using any dash directly after a comma, nor. The British practice (followed in most of the world) is to put the. E. Dashes are used to separate two words into statements. 1969–1981. I know I could—and probably should—just remove the question mark, having only the em dash for separation, but then that gets rid of that question-like tone I want the reader to have. Em dash shortcut 3 (Mac): If you are on mac, below is a shortcut to help you type the em dash sign in Word. The president’s speech both began and ended with the word “freedom. FWIW, my product_codes that have a dash show as a dash (hex 2D). Question Mark (?) In grammar, a question mark is a familiar punctuation used to end interrogative sentences. En dashes can be used to separate a date range or span of time. Use an em dash to mark sharp turns in thought. In the "Text" tab you will find the list of substitutions. And the final em dash before the question mark does nothing but to emphasize the distraction, in my opinion. Like parentheses, the em dash can set off nonessential elements; but it does the parentheses one better—it can also set off essential elements. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. 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. It indicates a longer pause than a comma and a semicolon. The most common rule when using parenthetical phrases is to use the correct punctuation mark: commas, em dash, or a pair of parentheses. You would simply end the line of dialogue, have a sentence of narration, and then have a new line of dialogue, even if it's the same speaker continuing. To type an en dash, press Option + hyphen (-) To type an em dash on keyboard, press Shift + Option + hyphen (-) The only problem is that to use. The following example from Toni Morrison’s Beloved shows both uses: “Nothing bad can happen to her. If you need to indicate that someone pauses in speech, say "John paused". For example: The company’s profits have been steadily declining over the past year — a trend that is cause for concern. Thus, an em dash in 9-point type is as long as the height of a. The other everyday use for em dashes—the one I use most—is to mark a break in thought within a sentence. (If you do, up vote that answer. Don’t be confused: punctuation can change!) Also, em dashes don’t get along with periods at all. It probably wouldn’t get away with trying to impersonate a question mark or an exclamation point, but it can stand in for just about any of the other standard sentence marks. Dashes create urgency. Question mark. 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 an example:There are 14 punctuation marks that are used in the English language. Two em dashes can be used to indicate missing portions of a word, whether unknown or intentionally omitted. Waggon was preferred in British English until a century ago, 1 and it still appears occasionally, but it is fast becoming archaic. quotation mark. INCORRECT: The score right now is 3 – 1. Below is a list of punctuation marks written in English; translate each term into French. Mac. , the India–Pakistan issue) To extend sentences just like colons, semicolons, and three dots (e. The em dash triggers readers’ brains to insert a slightly longer pause, which can aid in reading comprehension. To help indicate this “cut” between the two parts, many poems use punctuation, typically an em dash (—) or an ellipsis ( . S. MLA doesn't touch on more than 2 subtitles; however, there is a syntax for a work with more than one title which makes use of ; or, as the delimiter, so perhaps stay away from using semicolons. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. The en dash is approximately the length of the letter N, and the em dash the length of the letter M. 1. How to Create Em Dashes and En Dashes: Em dash (—) Ctrl+Alt+minus (far. F. An em dash is a punctuation mark that can be used to replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. . Other Types of Dash. . Use dashes and ellipses to cut sentences off. In this century, the shorter one is preferred in all main varieties of English.