There are actually two types of dashes, each with different uses: theem dash—also called the "long dash," according to Oxford Online Dictionaries—and theen dash, which doesn't have another name but falls between the hyphen and em dash in terms of length. The en dash is so named becau...
Some years ago — never mind how long precisely — I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. An em dash can also be used to mark a break in a sentence in place of a semicolon or colon. In this context, dashes are often used for emphasis or to...
An em dash (—) is a punctuation mark that we can use in a variety of different situations. It is longer than both the en dash (–) and the hyphen (-) and we use em dashes in sentences in unique ways to the other two. An em dash or long dash (—) is what comes to mind of...
Here are some common scenarios when you may want to use an em dash: 1. Emphasizing a Word or Phrase Use an em dash to draw attention to a specific word or phrase, adding emphasis to it within a sentence. Example: “The research findings revealed a substantial improvement in patient outcom...
How to put the em dash into a sentence Now that you know when you can use an em dash, it's important not to overboard with it. Twice per sentence is plenty. There's no set rule for how many times you can use it per page, use your best judgement. ...
What Is an Em Dash? The em dash can be used in place of commas, colons, semicolons, and parentheses to increase sentence variety and readability. The em dash triggers readers’ brains to insert a slightly longer pause, which can aid in reading comprehension. It’s a long dash, the len...
To make an em dash in HTML, type—. Often, I find that the best method is to put the instructions on a separate line. To make an em dash in HTML, type the following: — Double Quotation Marks with Single Quotation Marks Another British-American difference is how we use single quotation...
A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the width of the letter N and the em dash as the width of the letter M. These dashes not only differ in length, however, they also serve different functions within a sentence. Here’s a ...
To make an em dash in HTML, type—. Often, I find that the best method is to put the instructions on a separate line. To make an em dash in HTML, type the following: — Double Quotation Marks with Single Quotation Marks Another British-American difference is how we use single quotation...
An ellipsis is a trio of periods (…) that serve as a placeholder for text. Let's look at how to use ellipses in grammar correctly.