![]() The appositive is "freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either." It renames "three benefits.")Ī dash can be used to replace a semicolon that replaces a period (full stop) to give a smoother transition between two sentences: (Mark Twain's original quotation uses a colon. It is by the fortune of God that we have three benefits - freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either.Here, the appositive renames "one thing.") Here is another example: In the two sentences above, the word "effort" is known as an appositive. She demanded just one thing from her students - effort.She demanded just one thing from her students: effort.Do not use an em dash.Ī dash can be used to replace a colon that offers more information about something previously mentioned in the sentence. ![]() Note: If you're a stickler for the rules, use an en dash in your adjective. (2) Using Dashes in Compound Adjectives with Equal PartsĪ dash can replace a hyphen in a compound adjective with two equal elements. Note: If you're a stickler for the rules, use an en dash between times and dates. (As the values are inclusive, the fire lasted 5 days.) The Great Fire of London took place 2–6 September 1666.When using dashes between ranges, the values are inclusive. Using a dash in a range is particularly common in tables. The project will be delivered January–June.Here are some more examples of using dashes with ranges. Note: This is an alternative to the following: (A dash will usually replace the words from.to or between.and.) For example: Use of Dashes Explained in Detail (1) Using Dashes with Ranges (e.g., Times and Dates)Ī dash can be used between times and dates. The hyphen and the en dash are almost indistinguishable from each other when using normal size fonts. Here are the four main dash-like characters ordered longest to shortest: Some writers like to use two hyphens (-) to represent one dash to differentiate. That's not such a crime, but it's something of a missed opportunity to show off that you know the difference between a hyphen and a dash. The em dash is the same length as the character "M" (uppercase), and the en dash is same length as the letter "n" (lowercase).Īs dashes do not feature on a standard keyboard, lots of people use hyphens instead of dashes. There are two types of dash: the em dash (-) and the en dash (–). When used as parentheses, dashes are alternatives to brackets or commas. When used to extend a sentence, a dash can replace a semicolon ( ), a colon (:), or three dots (.) used as a pause for effect. It is usually used as an alternative to another punctuation mark. "Love is a serious mental disease." - Platoįor the most part, the dash does not have a unique role in grammar.(In this example, the dashes have been used commas or parentheses, i.e., brackets.) It depends - as my mother used to say - on trust.(4) To mark a parenthesis (e.g., an afterthought or a clarification). (Here, the dash has been used like an ellipsis (three dots).) (Here, the dash has been used like a semicolon.) (In this example, the dash has been used like a colon.) (2) To divide the equal parts of a two-part adjective. (1) To show ranges (e.g., with times and dates). Here is more detail of the five ways dashes are used: (2) Using Dashes in Compound Adjectives with Equal Parts.(1) Using Dashes with Ranges (e.g., Times and Dates).
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