Note that in British English, the punctuation marks only go inside of the quotation marks if the punctuation is part of the quoted material, although many writers make an exception for periods. Use an em dash to join independent clauses. Fig. Punctuation marks, like words and paragraph breaks, are tools. If the second clause starts with who then it will become dependent and therefore won't be preceded by a semicolon. However I run into a bump with special characters like curly quotes en and em dashes etc. The example I saw comes from a tweet, reproduced here for convenience: "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior—not a divine social justice warrior, not a liberation. 6 Dash [UEB §7. Two em dashes can be used to indicate missing portions of a word, whether unknown or intentionally omitted. However, some style guides, such as the Associated Press. You don’t need to worry about this; both en dashes and em dashes do the same job. 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. 2, Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point, Question Mark, Placement], is never combined with another exclamation point, question mark, period, semicolon, colon, or comma; thus, there is no comma in the first example below. To type the — using the keyboard you can the Alt code from the shortcode section. An em dash is often used to indicate a break in thought in a sentence. 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. Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by Bone2pick, Dec 12, 2022. I've never heard about en dashes being used for em dashes. The em dash “—” and the en dash “–” are the two most popular dash forms. The standard English punctuation is as follows: period, comma, apostrophe, quotation, question, exclamation, brackets, braces, parenthesis, dash, hyphen, ellipsis, colon, semicolon. A single em dash character or a tilde may also be used. 1986–1998Tip. . Paréntesis (Parentheses) 10. Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. In modern usage, a question mark or an exclamation point—but never a comma, a colon, or a semicolon—may precede an em dash. For example, “the years 2020–2022” or “the hours 9:00 a. So I wouldn't say that the dash as an actor can perform the same roles as terminal punctuation, as periods or question marks or exclamation points, but. 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). In particular, do not use the colon-dash (:—) to introduce a quotation or a list. the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation in a heading. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. The other function is to punctuate compound modifiers that include an open compound or two or more hyphenated compounds. In the image below (1) is a hyphen, (2) is an en dash and (3) is the em dash. ” Stutters, Stammers, and Pauses. This means we only use one em dash instead of two when the interruption comes at. These punctuation marks may fall outside of the closing quotation mark in some cases. Em dashes are rarely found in formal texts. The conventions for dialogue allow a narrator to “interrupt” the speakers at any time and for any reason. The en dash, often overlooked, is a punctuation mark that can be used in place of an em dash. En Dash vs. It is shorter than an em-dash and longer than a hyphen. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. It is longer than a hyphen (-) or an en dash (–). 3 Answers Sorted by: 2 No, because the dash (which should properly be an M-dash, like this — ) is an interrupter. 1. The employee—hoping to go home early—rushed her tasks. The question mark can be used to indicate editorial uncertainty, either in parentheses or in brackets. When it comes to usage, the ellipsis resembles a couple of other punctuation marks: the dash and the colon. Punctuation Marks Wheel : This 2-page print-out makes a punctuation marks wheel; it consists of a base page together with a wheel that spins around. It depends on one thing: trust. Below is a list of punctuation marks written in English; translate each term into French. But if you use them, you’ll find they can show up near a lot of punctuation marks besides dashes. You will only be tested on the rules of the em dash, which is what we’ll cover here. In most situations, a colon is better than an em dash, but if the list is being tacked on to the end of a complete sentence, or feels like an aside (see above), then an em dash might make sense. Several options will pop up, including the em dash. In the "Text" tab you will find the list of substitutions. Em Dash — : ALT 0151; En Dash – : ALT 0150; Double Left Angle Quotation Mark « : ALT 0171 ; Double Right Angle Quotation Mark » : ALT 0187; Inverted Question Mark ¿ : ALT 0191; Inverted Exclamation Mark ¡ : ALT 0161; Symbol and Special Characters. Em Dash: Length: The em dash is the longest dash. In almost every instance, you should place the footnote marker after the punctuation. When print spacing or font types make it difficult to determine the length of the line, remember that hyphens join words and word parts together and dashes separate thoughts or ideas. 2. A numeric character reference in hexadecimal format. Use em dashes instead of commas and parentheses if you want to make information stand out. The text won't look as good, but realistically, most people won't notice. When it displays it in the application, the dash turns into a question mark !?!?!? I then have an Export button, which writes these back to a textfile. An em dash is a punctuation mark used in writing to denote a break or pause. ManhattanMss New Member. An en dash is always used without any space before or after it. g. The sixth edition recommended an unspaced em dash for these purposes. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. En dash ( –) When connecting two words to signify a range, Chinese generally uses an en dash occupying the space of one character (e. Both spellings are many centuries old, and neither spelling was clearly prevalent on either side of the Atlantic until the second half of the 18th century. Examples. ” The answer given does not answer his question. Type another word. Microsoft Word shows the em dash as soon you press enter after finishing the. One to look out for: the colon. They also can be used to focus a reader or highlight tone within a. And an example:There are two primary types of dashes: the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). 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. The space needed after these punctuation marks is proportioned automatically. Hold down the Alt key, press 0 1 5 1 on the numeric pad, and then release the Alt key. Typesetters will most likely try to track you down and beat you to death if they. In general it is the same length as an em-dash, and so this is often used instead. “What are you talking about—wait, Johnny said it was Maria!”. pages 11–23. A dash is a break in thought, from one focus to another. An em-dash can be used alone, as in this example from the online The Punctuation Guide: After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict—guilty. , em dash, en dash, or hyphen), you should put the footnote marker before it. 90 Em dashes and line breaks; 6. Thanks very much for your reply, Jennifer. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—in each case to slightly different effect. em. Question Mark (?) In grammar, a question mark is a familiar punctuation used to end interrogative sentences. Other Types of Dash. A dash is used to separate part of a sentence and indicate a break. Some writers even use three or more exclamation points, lest the reader not fully grasp the significance of what is being said. newspaper publishing was to represent an em dash with two. An ellipsis suggests a slight pause, as if one thing happens and then the other. Incorrect. Character escapes used in markup include numeric character references (NCRs) and named character references. I solved by this link. The em dash is a versatile mark used to define, explain, and insert material. " 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. Informally, they separate comments that stray from the central idea of the sentence. ] There’s even more explanation: If the break belongs to the surrounding sentence rather than to the quoted material, the em dashes must appear outside the quotation marks. Yes, the em dash is used in formal writing. ] There’s even more explanation: If the break belongs to the surrounding sentence rather than to the quoted material, the em dashes must appear outside the quotation marks. Technically, the mark designating feet is a prime; the mark designating inches is a double prime. . e. 9. If you type in two hyphens/minus without a space before or after, most word processors automatically convert it into an em dash. –8:30 p. Example: She gave him her answer—No! Exclamation Mark (!) An exclamation mark is used to show emphasis. a) She is wearing a new yellow dress, and looks clean and neat. (The exclamation point, like the question mark [see 8. 1. The em dash is as wide as the letter m—about twice as wide as a hyphen. 2. The August–September issue of a magazine. When injecting a descriptive clause into a sentence, you are free to use em dashes, commas, or parentheses. This technique is best suited for creative or informal writing. " "The sixth edition. parentheses. For instance, you would render a character named Mr. The correct use of em-dashes and ellipses. Comments. If that is the case, you will notice a space on either side of. An em dash is longer than the en. Another way to create them is to press and hold Alt and type 0151 on a Windows device or select Option, Shift, and the hyphen key ( ‐) on a Mac. A colon is quieter; a dash is more emphatic and dramatic. “A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses. Interrupters—like this right here—are words, phrases, or clauses that break the flow of writing. Dashes are used to separate two words into statements. k. immediately recalled the books. Comma. 2. To help indicate this “cut” between the two parts, many poems use punctuation, typically an em dash (—) or an ellipsis ( . Write an em dash. For example: It depends on trust — it always has. It then gives two examples, the second of them demonstrating that "the period . I believe you can also type a space before typing the quote, then delete the space. An em dash or a pair of em dashes may indicate a sudden break in thought or sentence structure or an interruption in dialogue. It probably wouldn’t get away with trying to impersonate a question mark or an exclamation point, but it can stand in for just about any of the other standard sentence marks. In Unicode, the em dash is U+2014 (decimal 8212). A dash can usually be distinguished from a hyphen in print by its greater length. An en-dash is also used as a minus sign as in –10°F. Very heavy reverse solidus. It's difficult for me to judge the tone of the sentence examples you used, so I can't give a specific suggestion. [Emphasis mine. Examples: James opened the door and was surprised to see her. NOTE: An em dash is not a hyphen. The em-dash emphasizes the conclusion of the sentence, but with less formality than a colon. Hyphen. The president’s speech both began and ended with the word “freedom. They represent something. This eliminates option B. Use em-dash for denoting a break or a clarification within a sentence: “Three authors—John Grisham, Danielle Steele, John Updike—have between them written eighty-nine books. m. “November Cotton Flower” by Jean. The en dash is a punctuation mark that is slightly longer than a hyphen (-) but shorter than an em dash (—). For degrees, use a space between the en dash and the degree and the emphasis. No comma is implied. Press the space bar. In traditional Japanese, questions were simply punctuated with a full stop rather than a question mark. Although the en dash and em dash are the most commonly used types of dashes, there is another type of dash called the 3-em dash (the size of three em dashes). ”. . Ellipsis (…) [edit | edit source] A sequence of three dots is known as an ellipsis, which is commonly used to indicate omitted text. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. On a Windows-based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. When a quotation is presented as a single sentence made up of material from two or more original sentences, ellipses should be used for all omitted segments. The report covers the period 1998–1999. Feb. This is more of a life lesson rather than a question of if an em dash is formal or informal. Have you a reason why you think curved brackets should be abandoned in favour of dashes in this particular example? The linked article doesn't contrast differences in availability or effect between the punctuation variants available. In the second example below, an em dash is more common than a colon, though the use of a colon is nevertheless correct. The Mac command to make an em dash. g. The patient reported taking 15 (?) milligrams of alprazolam. Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. On a Mac: En dash—press option+hyphen key. The em dash, on the other hand, is a colorful punctuation mark — it can be used to make a strong point! The comma is great for describing, listing, and linking clauses, but it is easy for commas. Hyphens might look like dashes, but they aren’t dashes. When. g. A dash is a punctuation mark that resembles a hyphen, but longer. Identify the sentence that is punctuated correctly. The em dash indicates a shift in Isaac's mood. The em dash can be used in place of commas, colons, semicolons, and parentheses to increase sentence variety and readability. apostrophe. When interrupters fall midsentence, always use a pair of punctuation marks to surround them. If you prefer, you can configure your keyboard in Windows to accept Unicode codepoint numbers, instead of "traditional". Example: “I didn’t say—”. Write an en dash. In formal writing, the em dash is often used to indicate a break or interruption in a sentence. Learn how to use each type in a sentence with these examples and best practices. When typing, use two hyphens together without spaces to form a dash. Em dash character is not a part of ASCII character set. m. Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does. I use the alt code - alt+0148. 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. Hold down. Remember to: Use a colon to emphasize dialogue, show titles and time, or introduce a list. Spaniards actually have a bit of a hard time when learning those alternative uses in. C. While closely related to other dashes—like the en dash (–) and hyphen (-)—the em dash serves a unique role in typography. However, I can't recall an em dash being used according to your first case in modern publishing. Waggon was preferred in British English until a century ago, 1 and it still appears occasionally, but it is fast becoming archaic. “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. The shift from em dash to en dash reflects contemporary writing practice and the new focus on digital content. Below are lines of five each of em dashes, en dashes, minuses, and hyphens, all separated by a normal space. Google Docs: Type two hyphens in a row (it will become an en dash) If you’re using Microsoft Word, you can use autoformat to create an en dash. Ah, the ol’ 疑問符 (ぎもんふ ) — gimonfu, a. 2. For example: The company’s profits have been steadily declining over the past year — a trend that is cause for concern. An em dash can be used for the same purpose. One other exception is dialogue, where authors will. 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. I agree that it should try to match the size of the missing word. There are actually two different kinds of dashes. In dialogue, question marks, exclamation points, and em dashes typically fall within closing quotation marks. And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. APPLICATION. Dashes and hyphens aren’t the same thing. An en dash is. Consider the examples below: 3. 86 Em dash between noun and pronoun; 6. “Wait!” she shouted. That may occasionally appear in old writing, where em dashes after commas and semicolons are more common. Guion Largo o Raya – Em Dash. The – is called an en dash. Hyphens are used to create compound words like: Load-bearing; Well-loved; Great-looking; Less-commonly used punctuation marks Interrobang. Examples. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. That might be something worth fixing in case you have people with accents in their names, that are. An em-dash is used to show a break in thought—not in velocity—within a sentence (for not the greatest example). ”. When Your Punctuation Says It All (!) 364. Proper use of punctuation marks can greatly enhance the readability and effectiveness of written communication. The term “em dash” comes from the field of typography—an “em” is a width equivalent to the height of a given font. Should a question mark be used after an em dash that abruptly ends a sentence? Ask Question Asked 1 year, 2 months ago Modified 2 months ago Viewed 164 times 4 I looked through a number of the site's questions to find an answer to my problem. Type a single dash or hyphen. According to CMOS, “in British usage, an en dash (with space before and after) is usually preferred to the em dash as punctuation in running text. The en dash is twice as long as a hyphen and is most commonly used to signify a range between two words or numbers, for example the date range: 1990-2014. Always follow the punctuation rules in formal writing to make your work clearer and more readable. Em dashes (—) are extremely versatile. Usage: The em dash is used to indicate interruptions, emphasize elements, set off appositives, replace colons or semicolons, or create breaks in sentence flow. The punctuation mark should not be confused with dashes (–, —), which are. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. For example, this sentence just looks plain wrong: Jenny said , “ That’s unbelievable ! ”. Look at how the entire sentence uses different punctuation marks. Perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons. If a comma is a quarter note rest, then an em dash is a half-note rest. Example Parentheses: After three weeks on set, the cast was fed up with his direction (or, rather, lack of direction). If the action is in the middle of a sentence, use em dashes outside the quotation marks. Perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons. An ellipsis is a punctuation mark consisting of three periods in a row. There are two types of dash. )The dash (—) is a mark of punctuation used to set off a word or phrase after an independent clause or a parenthetical remark (words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt a sentence). punctuation. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. Use an em dash to mark sharp turns in thought. It’s known for being a one-job punctuation mark because it simply communicates questions. The word-processing program may form this automatically when two hyphens are typed together. While closely related to other dashes—like the en dash (–) and hyphen (-)—the em dash serves a unique role in typography. Em dashes can replace ellipses to show an abrupt break in a conversation. You create an em-dash by typing two hyphens, and most word processing programs will tie them automatically into the longer dash. Most of the time, adverbs will end in the letters -ly but there are some exceptions to this rule such as the words “very” and “never”. Dashes and hyphens. SQL*Plus inherits character set from. EM dashes are wonderful if used correctly in poetry, but not in stories (especially being useless around question marks). 1. Em-dashes in Place of a Semicolon. d) Working 9-5 daily, and keeping up with homework is difficult. Quotation from wiki ( Em dash) When an actual em dash is unavailable—as in the ASCII character set—a double ("--") or triple hyphen-minus ("---") is used. En dashes can be used to separate a date range or span of time. (Other things can do that too, but we’ll get to those in a bit. Hence, 12/5/2010 means December 5, 2010, in American usage. Mingo Evil Flamingo, Feb 21, 2010 #3. Looking at the other commend where u/xlrod has a fix; what you have instead is char 65533 or - not a question mark, but a placeholder Unicode "I dunno what this is" character - that suggests your export wasn't right, and has mangled some characters. “I’ll come with—” In this example, the em dash indicates interrupted speech. The long dash is the widest of the three horizontal marks that may be used in the middle of a sentence. The correct punctuation would be: Jenny said, “That’s unbelievable!”. 89: "In modern usage, a question mark or an exclamation point—but never a comma, a colon, or a semicolon—may. Picture the em dash the same width as the letter “M” and the en dash the same width as the letter “N. This technique is best suited for creative or informal writing. But in that case the dash is supposed to be the length of the omitted word, not just a mere em-dash. Type this sign on Mac, press and hold the Command (⌘) key and the hit the M key. Should a question mark be used after an em dash that abruptly ends a sentence? Ask Question Asked 1 year, 4 months ago Modified 4 months ago Viewed 168 times 4 I. Chicago 6. Example em dashes:Fun fact: The en dash is called the en rule in British English, and the em dash is called the em rule. INCORRECT: The score right now is 3 – 1. The comma is the punctuation mark most likely to cause angst. 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. The en dash is used to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time. Type the keyboard shortcut or caret code into the Find what text box (see figure 4). Also, "overuse of the em dash weakens the flow of material" (APA, 2020, p. It was originally a humorous and slightly sanitized version of the curse word, but it has become the standard form. Please read pages 70–77 in your text. . When using an em dash, it is important to consider the spacing around it. They also establish a relationship between words and ideas. g. However, you can use dashes or em-dashes. The above shortcuts are all valid ways you can use to type the em. c) He thinks that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. When it comes at the end of a list, put a comma before it if you use the serial comma and don’t if you don’t use the serial comma. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. The en dash is spaced so screen readers don’t mistake an unspaced en for a hyphen. Otherwise, confusion rather than clarity is likely. That is much better than the translation witnessed in other systems, where a bullet in a bulleted list was changed to &bull. The en dash is shorter than an em dash but longer than a hyphen. Em dashes can also signal an interruption or a sudden change in the direction a writer was heading with a particular sentence. A hyphen makes compound words. g. For example, to type the em dash ( — ), hold down Alt while typing 0151 on the numeric keypad. The em is the longest in the dash suite. em-dash — Long hyphen (—) named em-dash because the dash historically is the length of a lowercase m. I went out with a guy based on his use of dashes once. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. An en dash (the shorter dash) expresses a range of values (times, years, dollar amounts). Depending on the context, the en dash is read as “to” or “through. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons —in each case to slightly different effect. The em dash (—) is a versatile punctuation mark used to enhance the readability and clarity of written text. There should be no space on either side of the dash, including when it is followed by a quotation mark. Comments. Guion y raya (Hyphen and Em-dash) 9. One is to connect continuing, inclusive numbers. answered Jul 7, 2010 at 7:53. Consider the examples below:3. When a colon and a comma. It can be used to separate the elements of a date: 10 septembre 1973 = 10. Some word processing programs read the two hyphens automatically as the single mark of punctuation known as. The em dash performs a versatile function to help separate certain words from the rest of a sentence. — Question Mark. Accordingly, the em dash, under the right circumstances, serves as an alternative to any of the other marks—the comma, colon, semicolon, and parentheses—as long as it is used sparingly. A direct question is an interrogative sentence that asks an. The en dash (–) is one-half the width of an em. If it helps, picture the em dash superimposed on the letter “M” and the en dash superimposed on the “N. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. Type another word. Alternatively, pairs of em dashes are used to mark off additionalAn en-dash is also used in numerical series as in from ten–twenty pieces. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said the em-dash was versatile—it can even take the place of the semicolon. The em dash triggers readers’ brains to insert a slightly longer pause, which can aid in reading comprehension. Em dashes are used to replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. MLA doesn't touch on more than 2 subtitles; however, there is a syntax for a work with more than one title which makes use of ; or, as the delimiter, so perhaps stay away from using semicolons. In Google docs, use insert special character. g. But in that case the dash is supposed to be the length of the omitted word, not just a mere em-dash. In AP style, the dash should be set off with spaces on both sides.