![]() ![]() Two or three em dashes can be used to replace an entire word: “Where is the b - hamster?” asked Melanie. You can use two em dashes to indicate that a portion of a word has been omitted, whether intentionally or because the word is unknown: The rabbits cost $50 each -not $40 as he’d previously thought.Įm dashes used in this way are considered less formal than colons or semicolons, so try to limit their use in academic writing. It was the best idea he’d had all year -he’d buy himself a cat. In Place of a Colon or SemicolonĪn em dash can also be used in place of a colon or semicolon if you want to stress the conclusion of a sentence or signal a change of topic: If in doubt about using dashes, check your style guide and, above all, be consistent! 2. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! In contrast, British English tends to use spaced en dashes for such parenthetical statements. The parrot toy I bought yesterday - the red one with the mirror - was cheaper than I thought. However, the Associated Press Stylebook states that em dashes should be spaced, and most newspapers follow its lead: If you want to be more subtle, use parentheses.Īs in the example above, em dashes are usually written without spaces on either side. They are generally thought to be more emphatic than parentheses, so if you want to make a point, use em dashes. In this case, em dashes are used in pairs. The parrot toy I bought yesterday -the red one with the mirror- was cheaper than I thought. To Frame Extra InformationĮm dashes are used to frame extra information in sentences where commas or parentheses would otherwise be used: If not, go to the “ insert symbol” command and find the em dash there. Most word processors automatically produce an em dash if you type two hyphens next to each other. ![]() There is also the hyphen (-), which is shorter than either dash. The em dash (-), which is the width of a capital “M.”.The en dash (–), which is typically the width of a capital letter “N”.Below, we explain what an em dash is and how to use it in your writing. Confused about em dashes? This post is here to help. ![]()
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