How To Use Dashes Properly

See the following examples.

How to use dashes properly. Place em dashes around non essential information or a list in the middle of a sentence like you would with commas. Read also about the difference between dashes and hyphens. The two most common dashes are the em dash and the en dash. Dashes are used to extend a sentence to replace colons semicolons or three dots. When the dash is used in this way it creates a compound adjective.

Here are two examples of proper dash usage. Dashes can be used for emphasis in several ways. Dashes can also be used as parenthesis. A hyphen is used for linking words and parts of words together. The em dash can be used to replace parentheses colons and commas.

Using the en dash to denote a connection. If the sentence appears disjointed or does not make sense you may need to revise it instead of using the dashes. There should be spaces before and after a dash in british english. Generally using the em dash makes the writing style more informal as if you were writing to an old friend. When a range with en dash falls at the end of a sentence word will split the number after the en dash to next line.

In order to use this dash sign you have to press control and key in the numeric keypad. The em dash the en dash and the 3 em dash. This grammar lesson offers an explanation on the correct use of dashes and gives examples of dashes used in sentences. Using dashes correctly isn t just an old school technique. To properly use a dash in an english sentence start by identifying which dash you should use.

This handout focuses on how to use dashes correctly. There are actually three different types of dashes. Where parentheses indicate that the reader should put less emphasis on the enclosed material dashes indicate that the reader should pay more attention to the material between the dashes. They can be used on their own or in pairs to offset a word or phrase. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for.