How To Use Dashes When Writing
Use a dash to show a pause or break in meaning in the middle of a sentence.
How to use dashes when writing. Dashes between numbers dashes are used between numbers. The great barrier reef the most extensive coral reef system on earth is estimated to be wiped out by 2050. Rather than placing parentheses around a phrase within a statement writers can opt to surround the phrase with an em dash on either end. Dashes can be used for emphasis in several ways. They are shorter than em dashes the same length as uppercase m.
It is used in the same manner as a parenthetical expression. The information inside the dashes is off topic. These are en dashes the same length as a lowercase n. To properly use a dash in an english sentence start by identifying which dash you should use. It is usually used as an alternative to another type of punctuation.
The material inside the dashes relates to the information in the rest of the sentence but it acts as an interruption to the main point that you re making. Rules for using dashes generally speaking the dash does not have a unique role. The em dash is the longest of the dashes and is used to indicate a pause for added effect emphasis an added thought or a change in thought. Do not confuse a dash with a hyphen which is shorter. The words between a pair of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence.
A single dash can emphasize material at the beginning or end of a sentence. Dashes add drama parentheses whisper. Take it out and the sentence makes sense. Em en and the double hyphen. A dash may or may not have a space on either side of it.
A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the length of the letter n and the em dash as the length of the letter m. It s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. My brothers richard and john are visiting hanoi. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas colons and brackets. Dashes are used to separate groups of words not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does.