How To Use Dashes As Commas

Examine these useful hyphen em dash and en dash examples.

How to use dashes as commas. Interrupters are usually punctuated with commas or em dashes on both sides of the word phrase or clause. To create an en dash using a keyboard on a windows based system hold down the alt key and simultaneously type 0150. You can also explore how to use other misunderstood punctuations such as the colon and semicolon. Consider brushing up on other commonly used punctuation marks in english grammar. Using the en dash to denote a connection.

Use a dash to cut off dialogue. 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. When the dash is used in this way it creates a compound adjective. Remember that the dash is considered more jarring than using commas or parentheses so consider which punctuation achieves the desired effect. When a thought is left unfinished however a dash should be used instead.

Interrupters can be used for multiple purposes. Place em dashes around non essential information or a list in the middle of a sentence like you would with commas. For example i never said he began when typing a completed sentence a comma precedes the closing quotation mark and the attribution. 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. American psychological association notes that you would use the en dash for.

An em dash is made by typing two hyphens. First the dash can be used where commas or parentheses might be used as an aside or interruption in the middle of a sentence. Dashes replace otherwise mandatory punctuation such as the commas after iowa and 2013 in the following examples. There are three types of dashes in writing used to convey different ideas in an engaging way. 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.

To create this punctuation mark on a macintosh based system hold down the option key and press the minus key. Joe and his trusty mutt was always welcome. Sometimes it s just irresistible to include that additional information that we hope will make our meaning clearer or provide context. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for. In general you can think of parentheses commas and dashes as a continuum of marks.