As you can see, the em-dashes in these sentences perform a similar function to parentheses. They add greater context to a detail mentioned in the sentence, though they aren’t integral parts of the sentence by themselves. Therefore, they’re set apart with em-dashes. Em-dashes can be use...
4. The em dash indicates a sudden change of thought in a sentence. Examples: I had a great vacation in Bali — oh! Is that your dog? He’s so cute! When to Use En Dash (–) with Examples Theen dash(–) is slightly wider than the hyphen (-) but narrower than the em dash (...
Parentheses vs. Dashes | Types & Usage from Chapter 2 / Lesson 9 120K Learn when to use parentheses vs dashes in a text. Explore the three types of dashes, including the em dash, en dash, and hyphen, and study examples of each. Related...
Here’s a good strategy to use when trying to decide whether to use em-dashes or parentheses in your writing: If you find yourself wanting to throw in a little extra information about a noun in a particular sentence and are not sure whether the parentheses or the em-dash is the way to...
A colon’s primary purpose is to join an independent and dependent clause together to show emphasis on the second part of the sentence. Here, we can use an em dash. But, we can’t use em dashes in place of colons when the colon is being used at the start of the list. Have a ...
Use an em dash to mark sharp turns in thought Em dashes can also signal an interruption or a sudden change in the direction a writer was heading with a particular sentence. This technique is best suited for creative or informal writing. If you use it in academic writing, you might look ...
2. To replace commas—in style Commas often serve the same role as parentheses, they add extra info to a sentence. This extra bit of information is called an appositive. Whenever commas are used with appositives you can replace them with em dashes. You probably don't want to do it with...
Using semicolons to join two or more ideas in a sentence The universe has always called to human beings;there could be no more final frontier than space. Using semicolons to join two independent clauses Sam thought David was inviting him to the picnic to enjoy a nice day out;as it tur...
Depending on the sentence, a hyphen “-” is apunctuation markused directly between words to join or link them together. In addition to their true name, a hyphen, they can also be described as “dashes.” How Can You Use Hyphens?
A hyphen is a punctuation mark used to connect words, creating compounds. Sometimes, a hyphen becomes a permanent part of the spelling of a compound term, no matter where the term is used in a sentence. Other times, whether or not you should use a hyphen depends on how a compound functi...