How To Use Single Dashes

You can create an em dash in microsoft office software among others by pressing ctrl alt on the number pad.

How to use single dashes. Using the en dash to denote a connection. Those rules also apply to single dashes. To do a find and or replace plug the code into either the find what or replace with text boxes to search for or replace with an em dash. An afterthought or something to be emphasised. 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.

Pamela sat upright in. Dashes are used as punctuation in sentences. There is was again that creak on the staircase. A list an elaboration or summary or another independent clause. See the following examples.

The words between a pair of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence. An en dash is most commonly used to indicate a range of numbers like pages 182 197 in a book or an event happening from 1 p m 5 p m. Use an en dash when you need to connect terms that are already hyphenated or when you are using a two word phrase as a modifier. When used with numbers en dashes can generally be read as to or through for example if you read the statement pages 182 197 out loud it would sound like pages 182 through 197. A single dash can emphasize material at the beginning or end of a sentence.

The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two words. The information inside the dashes is off topic. Dashes add drama parentheses whisper. The nato warsaw pact agreement. 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.

When the dash is used in this way it creates a compound adjective. Take it out and the sentence makes sense. If you re a stickler for the rules use an en dash in your adjective. Hyphens are shorter than dashes and are used to connect words. Using dashes in compound adjectives with equal parts a dash can replace a hyphen in a compound adjective with two equal elements.