How To Use Dashes In Middle Of Sentence
Read also about the difference between dashes and hyphens.
How to use dashes in middle of sentence. Depending on the context the em dash can take the place of commas parentheses or colons in each case to slightly different effect. Dashes can also be used as parenthesis. What is an em dash and when should you use it. On both sides of a list in the middle of a sentence when that list contains commas. The material inside the dashes relates to the information in the rest of the sentence but it acts as an interruption to the main point that you re making.
These dashes not only differ in length. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas colons and brackets. Dashes are often used to signal an abrupt change in a sentence. However some people use only one dash to tack a complete sentence onto another complete sentence. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for.
The most common types of dashes are the en dash and the em dash. On a windows based system you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the alt key and typing 0151 to create the em dash on a macintosh based system hold down the shift and option keys and press the minus key notes techwalla adding that alternatively you can. Ap style calls for a space on both sides of an em dash but most other styles including mla and apa omit the spaces. Two dashes can emphasize material in the middle of a sentence. This grammar lesson offers an explanation on the correct use of dashes and gives examples of dashes used in sentences.
Do not confuse a dash with a hyphen which is shorter. Notwithstanding its versatility the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. My brothers richard and john are visiting hanoi. Some style and grammar guides even permit you to write a complete sentence within the dashes. The words between a pair of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence.
An em dash also called a long dash or thick dash is approximately the width of the letter m which is where it earns its name. Confusing louie stormed into the room and took four items off the desk a pen a paper clip and two sheets of paper before leaving in a hurry. A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the length of the letter n and the em dash as the length of the letter m. Here are some different situations when you can use an em dash. They also serve different functions within a sentence.