How To Use Single Dashes

Dashes can be used for emphasis in several ways.

How to use single dashes. Using dashes to extend sentences. Using dashes in compound adjectives with equal parts a dash can replace a hyphen in a compound adjective with two equal elements. 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. The information inside the dashes is off topic. Dashes are used as punctuation in sentences.

Do not use an em dash. A single dash can emphasize material at the beginning or end of a sentence. You can also use dashes in pairs. See the following examples. Using the en dash to denote a connection.

Take it out and the sentence makes sense. 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 list an elaboration or summary or another independent clause. The nato warsaw pact agreement. Pamela sat upright in.

The single dash is normally a feature of informal english and is used especially in narrative to create suspense or to indicate that what follows is. 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. There is was again that creak on the staircase. You can create an em dash in microsoft office software among others by pressing ctrl alt on the number pad.

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. 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. Those rules also apply to single dashes. 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. An afterthought or something to be emphasised.