How do you use an em dash?
How do you use an em dash?
Use an Em Dash to Bring Focus to a List. When a sentence begins with an independent clause and ends with a list, you can use a colon between the clause and the list. When the list comes first, it’s better to use a dash to connect the list to the clause.
What is the em dash rule?
The em dash can be used in place of a colon when you want to emphasize the conclusion of your sentence. The dash is less formal than the colon. After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict—guilty.
What em dash means?
or em dash (ĕm′dăsh′) A symbol ( — ) used in writing and printing to indicate a break in thought or sentence structure, to introduce a phrase added for emphasis, definition, or explanation, or to separate two clauses. [From its being the width of an m in printing.]
Why is an em dash used?
Em dashes can be used in pairs to mark off additional information that is not essential to understand the sentence. Here they function similarly to parentheses or a pair of commas. An em dash can also be used to mark a break in a sentence in place of a semicolon or colon.
Do you capitalize after an em dash?
Don’t capitalize after a dash unless it’s a proper noun that follows. Second—and I’m going to be pedantic here—those examples don’t use proper dashes for what they’re trying to convey. There are two kinds of dashes: en and em. Em dashes are longer and have no spaces before or after—like this.
What does an em dash look like?
It can add a spice—or a dash, if you will—to a sentence by adding emphasis to certain words and phrases. I am talking about the em-dash, which looks like two hyphens connected into one long line. Depending on the sentence, the em-dash can have a similar function to parentheses, colons, commas, and even semicolons.
Do you put a period after an em dash?
Use a dash to indicate an abruptly unfinished thought or remark. Do not include a period or comma after the dash.
Can you end a sentence with an em dash?
An em-dash can be used alone, as in this example from the online The Punctuation Guide: After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict—guilty. The em-dash emphasizes the conclusion of the sentence, but with less formality than a colon.
What is em dash example?
Use em dashes in place of commas or parentheses to create a break in a sentence. Examples: Please call my lawyer—Richard Smith—on Tuesday. This sentence could also be written with commas or parentheses.
How do you make an em dash in Windows?
To make an em dash, press and hold Alt, then type 0151.
Do you put a space after an em dash?
The em dash can function like a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. 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.
Do you use caps after a colon?
Capitalization: First Word After a Colon In British English, the first letter after a colon is capitalized only if it’s a proper noun or an acronym; in American English, the first word after a colon is sometimes capitalized if it begins a complete sentence.
What are the rules of em dash?
The em dash is mostly used in informal writing such as friendly letters, emails, and journals. Do not overuse the em dash in formal writing, such as business letters, research papers, and articles. A good rule is to use parentheses, commas, semicolons, and colons instead of em dashes in formal writing. There should be no spaces…
What is em dash in writing?
An em dash is a versatile bit of punctuation that can function like a comma or colon or set of parentheses. The most common uses of em dashes are for bracketing parenthetical information and for adding emphasis. Using em dashes in this way can add real flair and energy to your writing—a dash (aha!) of drama, if you will.
What is em dash in grammar?
Em dash. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—in each case to slightly different effect. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence.
How do you use dash in a sentence?
To properly use a dash in an English sentence, start by identifying which dash you should use. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words, like and, but, as, or, and for. Place em dashes around non-essential information or a list in the middle of a sentence, like you would with commas.
