How To Use Em Dashes In A Sentence

In this use em dashes are similar to commas and parentheses but there are subtle differences.
How to use em dashes in a sentence. The em dash in place of a colon. Em dash is versatile in its own terms it can even take the place of the semicolon. Although colons and commas can serve the same function em dashes create a more dramatic effect. To illustrate i m going to reproduce the first sentence of this paragraph but with a. The most common types of dashes are the en dash and the em dash.
Use an em dash but use it wisely. The dash is less formal than the colon. 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. Em dashes are great. When the list comes first it s better to use a dash to connect the list to the clause.
To properly use a dash in an english sentence start by identifying which dash you should use. Take the following sentence as an example. 2 the weary traveler forgot something in the airport bathroom her plane ticket. Use em dashes in place of a semicolon. Use an em dash to bring focus to a list.
Jamel brinkley from no more than a bubble in a lucky man this is a straightforward but captivating look at how an em dash can be used in a sentence to create an image for the reader. The em dash can be used in place of a colon when you want to emphasize the conclusion of your sentence. They provide variety to your sentence structure plus add style to your writing. For example em dashes are used when a parenthetical remark contains an internal comma or would otherwise sound awkward if enclosed by commas. 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.
Place em dashes around non essential information or a list in the middle of a sentence like you would with commas. Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder with a dash of the dictionary. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for. If you know of another way please share in the comments. It s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause.