How To Use Dashes In A Sentence
How to use dashes in a sentence.
How to use dashes in a sentence. A dash mustn t be confused with a hyphen which is used to combine words together and is slightly shorter in length than a dash. Place em dashes around non essential information or a list in the middle of a sentence like you would with commas. A dash can be used to add emphasis at the beginning middle or end of a sentence. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for. It is used in the same manner as a parenthetical expression.
Dashes can also be used as parenthesis. Dashes are used to separate groups of words not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does. Generally speaking the dash does not have a unique role. Rather than placing parentheses around a phrase within a statement writers can opt to surround the phrase with an em dash on either end. A dash is a versatile punctuation mark that can be used within a sentence instead of brackets or a colon to show parenthesis.
The name em indicates that the dash is roughly the size of the letter m. An em dash is used to indicate a break in a sentence or question. This is a punctuation lesson on using dashes. Dashes are often used to signal an abrupt change in a sentence indicating that the reader should pay close attention to what comes next. It is usually used as an alternative to another type of punctuation.
How are dashes used. It s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text not at the bottom. Read also about the difference between dashes and hyphens. When used to extend a sentence a dash can replace a semicolon a colon or three dots used as a pause for effect.
Example sentences with the word dashes. Dashes are used to extend a sentence to replace colons semicolons or three dots.