How To Use Dashes As Commas

To create this punctuation mark on a macintosh based system hold down the option key and press the minus key.

How to use dashes as commas. When to use dashes parentheses and commas we all insert extra information in sentences at times with dashes parentheses also known as brackets or commas. Interrupters are usually punctuated with commas or em dashes on both sides of the word phrase or clause. Joe and his trusty mutt was always welcome. Parentheses are the quiet whisper of an aside commas are the conversational voice of a friend walking by your desk and dashes are the yowl of a pirate dashing into a fray. For example i never said he began when typing a completed sentence a comma precedes the closing quotation mark and the attribution.

See the following examples. Remember that the dash is considered more jarring than using commas or parentheses so consider which punctuation achieves the desired effect. Use a dash to cut off dialogue. American psychological association notes that you would use the en dash for. Let s start with those quiet parentheses.

When a thought is left unfinished however a dash should be used instead. Using the en dash to denote a connection. To properly use a dash in an english sentence start by identifying which dash you should use. Interrupters can be used for multiple purposes. The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two words.

There are three types of dashes in writing used to convey different ideas in an engaging way. Place em dashes around non essential information or a list in the middle of a sentence like you would with commas. The man from ames iowa arrived. They are often used for emphasis to indicate a switch in tone to qualify a subject or as a side note. You can also explore how to use other misunderstood punctuations such as the colon and semicolon.

Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for. 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. Dashes replace otherwise mandatory punctuation such as the commas after iowa and 2013 in the following examples. Sometimes it s just irresistible to include that additional information that we hope will make our meaning clearer or provide context. First the dash can be used where commas or parentheses might be used as an aside or interruption in the middle of a sentence.