A dash is a punctuation mark that looks like an extended
HYPHEN. It comes in two sizes,
the em dash (—), the size of letter m and an en dash
(-), the size of letter n.
The em dash is used to mark a break in sentences.
1.
It can be used in pairs to show words in
PARENTHESIS:
Example: All four of them—Sita, Ravi,
Jai, and Bindu—were dancers.
2.
It can introduce something that develops, or is
an example of what has gone before:
Example: You must have seen it, I feel
—the
triangular shaped flag with a dragon inside it.
3.
In writing dialogue, the dash is used to show
breaks in thought and shifts in tone:
Example: "Do you even realize
that I —" Raj suddenly paused talking and started to doodle on his book.
"That you what?" I asked.
"That I — leave it, it doesn’t change
anything."
- An en dash is used to show sequences.
Example: A-Z, 2010-2011.
- It is also used between numbers.
Example: Twenty-eight
Nowadays some people use en dashes in place of em dashes and
treat both as the same as some word processers doesn’t have em dashes.
It is often recommended to not use more dashes while writing
fiction. Though it comes handy once in a while, if your work is littered with
dashes, it look inelegant and editors often edit them out.
This post is a part of the APRIL A-Z Challenge
This post is a part of the APRIL A-Z Challenge
Good to learn about em and en dashes. My keyboard only has an en dash.
ReplyDeleteWe have to insert the em dashes using the symbols option in word.
DeleteEm dashes, en dashes, hyphens, commas, colons, semi-colons... they all give me a headache. :(
ReplyDeleteScribbles From Jenn - Visiting from the A to Z Challenge
Doesn't they give us all head aches. It is fun to learn to order them about though. :)
DeleteEm and en ... this is new to me. Thank you for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad that you liked this Sheetal Susan Jacob. :)
Delete