Thus, an em dash in 9-point type is as long as the height of a. Em dash character is not a part of ASCII character set. The different styles of dashes include the en dash “–”, the em dash “—”, and the horizontal bar “―”. Among the 16 most commonly used punctuation marks are the period, question mark, exclamation point, and comma. To illustrate, I’m going to reproduce the first sentence of this paragraph, but with a semicolon: 'Break/Fold Mark'. the question mark. And be careful to not mix different punctuation marks. Ellipsis, dash, and colon. Example em dashes: Upon discovering the errors—all 124 of them—the publisher. When typing, a hyphen looks like this: (-). ) To offset additional information just like commas and. It looks like this: — It’s called an em dash because its width is about the same as a lower-case letter em (m). 5. Adashisthe punctuation name for a mark that used to separate words into statements. The en dash is approximately the length of the letter N, and the em dash the length of the letter M. ”. ” But the width of the two dashes isn’t the only thing that separates the two. Em Dash: —. To create the em dash on a Macintosh-based system, hold down the Shift and Option keys and press. The en dash also signifies an abrupt change. Treat etc. On a Windows-based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. This is really useful if you're a few words over the 650 word limit and need to trim a bit. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said the em-dash was versatile—it can even take the place of the semicolon. The en dash is less well known than. Deploy single quote marks used for quotes within dialogue. When listing information, you may use the em dash between the list and independent clause when the list comes first. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. The en dash is less well known than. However, if the punctuation mark is a dash (i. When interrupters fall midsentence, always use a pair of punctuation marks to surround them. (An em dash, or long dash, is used: in pairs, to mark off information or ideas that are not essential to an. Translation. Or you can create an em dash by typing Ctrl+alt+minus on your number pad. Here are the code points for the Unicode dashes that are of the Common script, along with their general categories. I know I could—and probably should—just remove the question mark, having only the em dash for separation, but then that gets rid of that question-like tone I want the reader to have. If the parentheses include an exclamation or question mark: Our road trip to Florida — we love to drive to see all the sights on the way! — took three days to. SQL Developer is Java based which does not use NLS_LANG settings but SQL*Plus does, so you have to set NLS_LANG properly. Em dashes, in contrast, are frequently used to signal an abrupt change, suggest a pause, or set off a clause within a sentence. A dash can usually be distinguished from a hyphen in print by its greater length. Note that although this answer cites only CMOS, I'm fairly confident (based on experience) that most major style. “What space?”. The correct use of question and exclamation marks. Em dashes also substitute for something missing. Em-dashes. Yes, the em dash is used in formal writing. — Este libro es mío. . Perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons. Dash: Dashes set off a series within a phrase: “Of the many breakfast options — omelets, waffles, pastries — he only wanted coffee”; indicate a break in thought: “Felipe’s is a popular eatery — in Harvard Square”; or attribute a quotation to an author: “‘You must do the thing you think you cannot do. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a dash as “the mark (—) used to separate parts of a sentence. The colon in Spanish is used for enumeration, explanation, or quotes, just like in English. The word ellipsis comes from an ancient Greek word that means “to leave out. An em dash is the width of the letter "m" in the font and type size being used, and should never be used in place of an en dash or hyphen. parentheses. Em dashes can be used in the following ways: 1. Use the en dash ("short dash") to join inclusive numbers:. (The exclamation point, like the question mark [see 8. If it helps, picture the em dash superimposed on the letter “M” and the en dash superimposed on the “N. The hyphen (-) should be used in compound names and words as follows: In phrasal adjectives, which follow “three basic rules: (1) Generally, if it is placed before a noun, you should. Em dashes can be used to. , long-term, red-haired). Insert em Dash. Spaniards actually have a bit of a hard time when learning those alternative uses in. In English, there is no space between the word preceding the punctuation mark and the punctuation mark itself. (stenoscript) The dash may be written low, along the baseline, or high, at x-height, as convenient for whichever letters it links to. The en dash will appear in the text field where your cursor is. You would simply end the line of dialogue, have a sentence of narration, and then have a new line of dialogue, even if it's the same speaker continuing. Two hyphens typed together form a dash: (--). (stenoscript) When used as punctuation, an en or em dash is doubled, like a long ⹀, to distinguish it from its phonetic use. Enclose the first part of the dialogue in quotation marks but omit the comma. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another. 🙽. An ellipsis is a punctuation mark consisting of three periods in a row. Thoreau believes that “if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life. As its name suggests, an em dash (—) is roughly the length of the letter M, while an en dash (–) more closely matches an N. (Other things can do that too, but we’ll get to those in a bit. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—in each case to slightly different effect. En dashes (–) represent a range between numbers, dates, and times. At the end of a sentence. Use an em dash (a symbol that is longer than a hyphen) when the speaker stops speaking on their own or is interrupted. En dashes are incredibly useful punctuation marks, used to add extra emphasis to a sentence or statement. Examples:A Quick Guide to Punctuation. The main difference between them is that at least some. By and large, an em dash serves to insert a break in your thought without ending your thought entirely. They represent something. apostrophe. The em-dash would indicate something like raising the eyebrows right at the end, or tilting the head down and looking up from under the eyebrows. Who doesn’t like dashes as emphasis techniques? Just consider the. An em dash is a versatile punctuation mark that looks like an extended dash. If the list follows the independent clause, it is best to use a colon instead. em. g. 91 Em dashes in lieu of quotation marks; 6. The patient reported taking 15 (?) milligrams of alprazolam. g. “November Cotton Flower” by Jean. Some consider its use informal. Go to the system preferences and choose "Language & Text". the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation in a heading. En dashes are shorter than em dashes, and they indicate a range or connection between numbers or words. The em dash suggests an instantaneous jump from one part to the other, as if the two parts are both happening at the same time. This is also true for the dot part of the question mark, and exclamation mark. To format an em dash in Word, type two hyphens, with no spaces, between the words—the dash will automatically form as you continue typing. Question mark! Exclamation point. 4. To create an em-dash on a Windows computer, hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. These two types of dashes serve different purposes: The EN dash, the shorter of the two dashes, is used to mark ranges. When you type the hyphen, en dash, and em dash, no spaces should appear on either side of the punctuation mark. An em dash is preferred to divide elements within a sentence and pack a punch. 'Break/Fold Mark'. ago. ) If I run the sql statements of the stored procedure until the final select statement only, the data look fine, dash character is still a dash character. There are two alternatives: (1) shitted, which appears about once for every instance of shat; and (2) shit, uninflected in the past tense. 4. A dash is a punctuation mark that resembles a hyphen, but longer. Parenthetical expressions, despite their name, don’t always have to be between parentheses. In English writing, quotation marks or inverted commas, also known informally as quotes, talking marks, speech marks, quote marks, quotemarks or speechmarks, are punctuation marks placed on either side of a word or phrase in order to identify it as a quotation, direct speech or a literal title or name. ex. CORRECT: The score right now is 3–1. ” Em dashes are the most versatile, nuanced, and. The em dash in American English is a punctuation mark that helps to convey emphasis, introduction, interruption, or a swift change of thought. Our Rule 1 of Spacing with Punctuation states, “With a computer, use only one space following periods, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks. And you wouldn't have to do any kind of terminal punctuation, no need for a period or a question mark or an exclamation point. (We won’t get into the serial comma issue here. However, some style guides, such as the Associated Press. Em Dashes The em dash is the longest line among these marks of punctuation (—). Character escapes used in markup include numeric character references (NCRs) and named character references. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. You’ve probably heard of hyphens and em dashes, but what about en dashes? Learn what they are and how to use them with this helpful article. It is used to indicate a range of values, such as numbers, dates, and times. Em dash shortcut 3 (Mac): If you are on mac, below is a shortcut to help you type the em dash sign in Word. Do not put a space before or after the dash. There's no shortcut and the only way to do it on a keyboard is to type the em dash alt code (Alt + 0151) or the en dash alt code (Alt + 0150). Consider the examples below: 3. There should be no space between the en dash and the adjacent material. It could be written with a semicolon, a colon, or a period (or a. Use of it is more common in formal academic writing that must cite sources. An em dash (—) is a punctuation mark. “I didn’t expect to — “An em dash or a pair of em dashes may indicate a sudden break in thought or sentence structure or an interruption in dialogue. For Example: Weeding, planting, and watering — that’s all we did this weekend to clean up the garden. 48 The En Dash, Numerals. On a PC, the em-dash is made by holding down the ALT key and typing 0151 on the number pad. Use a question mark after a direct question. En dash. 1. In fiction, the em dash almost always appears with no spaces around it. There is a space before the first period and after the last period. There are two kinds of dashes, the en dash, and the em dash (long dash). Several options will pop up, including the em dash. But if you use them, you’ll find they can show up near a lot of punctuation marks besides dashes. ). 86 Em dash between noun and pronoun; 6. ”. Many people use these two dashes interchangeably. Most likely it's an en dash or em dash rather than a real hyphen or minus symbol. Type another word. Sometimes, a character might stutter or stammer over certain words. For the the complete list of the first 256 Windows ALT Codes, visit Windows ALT Codes for Special Characters & Symbols. As an outcome those characters are generated in the excel as shown below, which contains a kind of question mark. Em Dash: Length: The em dash is the longest dash. Remember to: Use a colon to emphasize dialogue, show titles and time, or introduce a list. And be careful to not mix different punctuation marks. Mistakes with hyphens are very common: leaving them out when they’re needed, adding them when they’re unnecessary, or putting them. The en dash (–) → which is like a slightly longer hyphen. Press the Spacebar. Semicolons separate two independent clauses. It's a completely different use case. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a related thought plus a conjunction like or, but, yet, as, for, and after the second dash. An em dash represents a longer pause—a bigger break—than a comma. Some word processing programs read the two hyphens automatically as the single mark of punctuation known as an em dash, which the program will process as this: (—). There are two types of dash. One other exception is dialogue, where authors will. 2 Answers. The em dash is a more emphatic substitute for the comma, colon, or parentheses and can be used to indicate omitted words. Make sure you switch on the Num Lock from the keyboard and you type the number from the Numpad and not from the top row of the keyboard. First, there are two kinds of dashes, called en dashes and em dashes. The misplacement of periods and commas is the most common mistake writers make when punctuating dialogue. These marks are available in most word processors, though many people simply use single and double quotation marks: 5’ 10”. The change in the second description of the clock's sounds emphasizes Isaac's unease. A dash (em dash) is emphatic. The punctuation mark should not be confused with dashes (–, —), which are. On cell phones running Android’s Gboard or iOS operating systems, press and hold the hyphen on the onscreen keyboard. The sixth edition recommended an unspaced em dash for these purposes. Enter the replacement character in the Replace with text box (see figure 5). If you're including terminal punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation mark), your speaker's sentence isn't being interrupted, so you wouldn't use em dashes at all. ManhattanMss New Member. 47 Punctuation with em dash. The em dash performs a versatile function to help separate certain words from the rest of a sentence. But other style guides might say something else—so, unfortunately, there is no. The most flexible and versatile punctuation mark—the Em Dash. 2. Interjections can stand alone as minor sentences, punctuated with a period, exclamation point, or question mark. A dash is used to separate part of a sentence and indicate a break. Parentheses diminish the importance of a phrase, while dashes enhance it. TWO-EM DASH U+2E3A: Pd, dash Common ⸻ THREE-EM DASH U+2E3B: Pd, dash Common ⹀ DOUBLE HYPHEN U+2E40: Pd, dash Common 〜 WAVE DASH U+301C: Pd, dash Common 〰 WAVY DASH. A dash is a break in thought, from one focus to another. When. They are: the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, brackets, braces, parentheses, apostrophe, quotation mark, and ellipsis. If you’re adding extra information to clarify a sentence, you’re using a parenthetical expression. Dashes should not be overused. And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. Look at it. NOTE: An em dash is not a hyphen. m. Don’t overthink it—let intuition guide you. c) He thinks that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Em dash—press option+shift+hyphen key. The above shortcuts are all valid ways you can use to type the em. They are useful for emotionally-loaded dialogue interruption, because emotions act quickly on the brain. Em dashes join onto the words before and after—like this. They are named en dashes but they are as wide as the letter N. 2. The em dash is the chameleon of punctuation marks. To type the — using the keyboard you can the Alt code from the shortcode section. Just consider the following guidelines: • Note that em-dashes are more emphatic than commas. Write with Grammarly What is an em dash? Em dashes differ from other hyphens and dashes not only in usage, which we will discuss shortly, but also in appearance. If the information in parentheses has a question mark or an exclamation mark, use the punctuation mark inside the parentheses only if the sentence ends with a different mark. The em dash (—) is a versatile punctuation mark used to enhance the readability and clarity of written text. April 5–June 4. (I usually just replace all curly single quotes with ' and all curly. Em dashes can also signal an interruption or a sudden change in the direction a writer was heading with a particular sentence. AP style calls for a space on both sides of an em dash, but most other styles, including MLA and APA, omit the spaces. A hyphen is no substitute for the versatile em dash, a sentence punctuation mark some may simply call "dashes. What ‽ When your sentence calls for a question mark and an exclamation mark, the interrobang is the punctuation mark you need. The hex number is case-insensitive,. Follow the end quotation mark with an em dash and the action or thought and then another em dash. Use a dash instead of a comma when you want to strongly set off an idea. So, they cannot be linked by comma (Commas are only used to link a dependent and an independent clause). It doesn't. However, the semicolon, colon, dash, question mark, and exclamation point fall outside of the quotation marks (unless, of course, the quoted material has internal punctuation of its own). Type a single dash or hyphen. Clark went to the Miami Heat – Boston Celtics game. You did not tell us which hyphen you use, see answer from MT0. Em dashes are used to set off elements of text with internal punctuation, and en dashes to indicate a numerical range or hyphenate an open compound: The library is organized so that any question—whether technical, reference, or circulation—can be answered by staff. Example: “I didn’t say—”. At the word level, hyphens differentiate parts of words to help in readability. For more ALT codes for various signs and symbols, see ALT Codes for Miscellaneous Symbols. " I know you can replace em dashes with — and n-dashes with – (which should be done on the input side of your database); I don't know what the correct replacement for the smart quotes would be. — Question Mark. The closest thing I could find was this: Is it acceptable to place a dash after a question mark? An em dash—or dash for short—is a straight, horizontal line positioned about halfway between the bottom and top of a lower-case letter. Consider the examples below:3. An ellipsis suggests a slight pause, as if one thing happens and then the other. That's it! Now, your ugly text messages at least won't break code or URLs. The longer EM dash is used as a break or to separate additional information in a sentence. This method can get messy if you have more than two speakers in a conversation, so use it with care. 👉 Em dash Mac: hold down the option + shift + the hyphen keys and viola! 👉 Em dash Word: tap the minus sign twice and continue writing. Some word-processing programs have a mark called an em-dash (longer than a hyphen), which can be used with no space before or after it. The dash is a great way to indicate an abrupt change of thought or a parenthetical statement, and sometimes this may be useful after a question is complete. Type this sign on Mac, press and hold the Command (⌘) key and the hit the M key. , em dash, en dash, or hyphen), you should put the footnote marker before it. Rule #5. Here’s how to master the em-dash, exclamation point and question mark. Imagine someone saying the line, rather than it being inner monologue. Examples. If you guessed that it’s as wide as the letter “M,” you get a gold star. Very heavy reverse solidus. How to create en dashes and em dashes. The em dash is a versatile mark used to define, explain, and insert material. A Hebrew period in a traditional serif face usually looks like a tiny tilted square (a diamond; ). In your example sentence, the question is really only complete at the very end, so the first. To create an em dash on a PC, hold down the Alt key while typing 0151 on the numberpad of the keyboard. ”. m. It is wider than an en dash (–) or a hyphen (-). Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. Type the keyboard shortcut or caret code into the Find what text box (see figure 4). There are three options: Period. To insert an em dash in MS Word, you must: Type a word (don’t put a space after it) Type two hyphens. The em dash (—) is twice as long as the en. a. The en dash (–) is one-half the width of an em. Em Dashes. This type of dash is usually used to omit a person's name or. The hyphen is used to connect words, such as in compound adjectives or to divide words at the end of a line. In MS Word, enable Num Lock and press Ctrl + Minus Key. Commas allow for a smoother read than dashes, which interrupt the sentence to draw the reader’s attention. 6. - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation Em Dash: What Is an Em Dash? The em dash in American English is a punctuation mark that helps to convey emphasis,. Check out all the nuances of this tricky punctuation mark. There is no difference in meaning between fiber and fibre. To create an em-dash on a Windows computer, hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. The final, foolproof way to type an em dash in Word is to go to the. Always put commas and periods inside the quote. Mark said: “I am confused if I should finish them with one of the final stop punctuation marks (when, as I read, 1- every sentence must be finished by an appropriate punctuation mark [the final stop], and 2- neither the dash nor the ellipsis are the final stop punctuation marks). (I would even have removed to in that construction, so that the parallel starts at the verbs assume and become. An em dash (—), the longest “dash,” is used as a substitute for a comma, colon, semi-colon, or parentheses and emphasizes information. 5. 1969–1981. 8. The most common rule when using parenthetical phrases is to use the correct punctuation mark: commas, em dash, or a pair of parentheses. 8. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. The text won't look as good, but realistically, most people won't notice. Typesetters will most likely try to track you down and beat you to death if they discover you're using the wrong term :-) Share. dashes. Use a. ) The question mark can be used to indicate editorial uncertainty, either in parentheses or in brackets. The word is usually spelled ether in all main varieties of modern English. To illustrate, I’m going to reproduce the first sentence of this paragraph, but with a semicolon:Question Marks, Exclamation Points, and Em Dashes. A hyphen. One to look out for: the colon. To insert an interjection in the middle of a sentence, place one em dash on both sides of the interjected phrase. ” The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence. I went out with a guy based on his use of dashes once. Quotation marks may be used to indicate that the. However, there is a specific use native speakers give to this Spanish punctuation mark: in emails or letters, greetings are written using colons, whereas in English you usually use a comma unless you’re being very formal. Use an En dash as a replacement for the word ‘to’ or to denote a range of numbers. Once again, the em-dash adds more emphasis than the traditional punctuation mark. Hence, 12/5/2010 means December 5, 2010, in American usage. Pre-electric typewriters normally had only the hyphen-width dash to apply to situations calling for em dashes, so the usual method in U. Em dashes are used to replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. Alternatively, pairs of em dashes are used to mark off additionalMy question is the same as keymap swap underscore and dash, but for Windows instead of Linux. For instance, you would render a character named Mr. Writers have three choices of punctuation to set off sentence interrupters—commas, parentheses, and em dashes. Please read pages 70–77 in your text. For example, “the years 2020–2022” or “the hours 9:00 a. The dashes are more prominent, and thus suggest a more prominent comment. 87 Em dashes for sudden breaks or interruptions; 6. Once again, the em-dash adds more emphasis than the traditional punctuation mark. Em dash (—) Twice as long as the en dash, the em dash can be used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon to enhance readability or emphasize the conclusion of a sentence. Enclose the first part of the dialogue in quotation marks but omit the comma. There should be no space on either side of the dash, including when it is followed by a quotation mark. Em-dashes in Place of a Semicolon. First, one is longer: The em dash (—) → which is like two hyphens joined together. It can either become: Woman: without her, man is nothing. When you describe a flight or itinerary, you can use an en dash. However, I can't recall an em dash being used according to your first case in modern publishing. “Wait!” she shouted. Use an en dash for ranges and an em dash to separate non-essential information. Em dashes are compelling punctuation marks, rich with punctuation possibilities. 6. Use to indicate duration or continuing or inclusive numbers such as dates, times or reference numbers, use an en-dash (a slightly. ColonsFrom The Punctuation Guide : “The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. An En dash is half the width of an Em dash. In this example, the speech ends with a question mark, prioritising a comma that would normally be placed to frame the speaking phrase. The en dash is shorter than an em dash but longer than a hyphen. 1. To turn smart punctuation off, all you have to do is go to Settings > General > Keyboard, and then turn off the "Smart Punctuation" toggle. Then, click Undo Dash. C-----. No commas following the em dashes. Actual output : 1993 1995 Expected output : 1993 – 1995 I have done the UTF-8 encoding in Java but still getting the same output in the excel. It can function like a comma, parenthesis, or colon. This is more of a life lesson rather than a question of if an em dash is formal or informal. If you want to stop -- from being turned into — (emdash) you need to use the + button and add a new rule to replace -- with -- (replace with itself) Or, right click in a text field and go to "Substitutions" and disable "Smart. ”. We met during the 2011 – 2012 school year. “This is my book,” said María calmly. This measurement is. The en dash is a punctuation mark that is slightly longer than a hyphen (-) but shorter than an em dash (—). In traditional Japanese, questions were simply punctuated with a full stop rather than a question mark. SQL*Plus inherits character set from. The Dash. In Unicode, the em dash is U+2014 (decimal 8212). -->if the information being set off is at the end of the sentence, use just one em dash. Select the Replace, Replace All, or Find Next button (see figure 6). The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. Fig. The good news is that the ACT isn’t going to test you on the differences between the two. (If you do, up vote that answer. To Indicate Interruption in Dialogue, Use An Em-Dash. Mac. Household appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves are. This is largely the result of the many different ways the comma is used. Windows. Em dash. Capitalize only the following words: the first word of the title or heading. While closely related to other dashes—like the en dash (–) and hyphen (-)—the em dash serves a unique role in typography. @Kenny LJ, please remember there are no absolute rules about the use of any kind of dash as opposed to others… so em-dashes matter here only in the guidelines specified by your house style-book.