Proper Use of Dashes

Proper Use of Dashes

Transcript

1. Proper Use of Dashes Hyphen, En dash, or Em dash, oh my! Katherine Fox, KatherineFox@rocketmail.com
4. Hyphen Compound Terms: Compound terms are phrases that consist of more than one word but represent a single item or idea. There are three different styles. • Open (or spaced) compounds are written as separate words: o real estate o car wash o chief of staff • Hyphenated compounds use hyphens between the words: o well-respected o check-in o free-for-all • Closed (or solid) compounds are written as a single word. o notebook o bookstore o whodunit
5. En dash • Span or Range of Numbers o The 2009–2010 season was our best yet. • Scores o The vote was split 62–38 along party lines. • Conflict or connection o The liberal–conservative debate.
6. Em dash • Em dashes in place of commas o Both Dagan and Diskin oppose military action against Iran unless all other options—primarily international diplomatic pressure and perhaps sabotage—have been exhausted. • Em dashes in place of parentheses o After three weeks on set, the cast was fed up with his direction—or, rather, lack of direction. • The em dash in place of a colon o After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict—guilty. • Multiple em dashes o Mr. J—— testified that the defendant yelled, “Die, a——,” before pulling the trigger.
7. Resources • Punctuation Guide http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/ • Purdue Online Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/ • Grammar Girl http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl