![]() It’s a technique that’s often used when authors transcribe verbal communications. To Signal an InterruptionĮm dashes can signal an interruption, particularly in dialogue and other forms of written speech. Let’s take a closer look at each way you can effectively use this versatile punctuation mark in your sentences: 1. Finally, you can use em dashes as an alternative to parenthesis. On the other hand, they can substitute missing information or missing parts of a word. What’s more, an em dash can also signal a sentence break when you want to clarify something or give extra focus to a list of items. Use the em dash to indicate an interruption or an abrupt change in thought. It has multiple uses, making it a especially useful in informal writing or fiction. What is an Em Dash Used for?Īn em dash is the longest of the dashes. Between hyphen and en dash, there’s em dash, one of the most versatile punctuation marks that you can use. This versatile symbol helps adding structure, clarity, and even personality to otherwise complex sentences. When a comma or colon isn’t enough, or you want to avoid using parentheses, the em dash may be the punctuation mark for you. An em dash can replace commas, parentheses, and colons.Typically, you shouldn’t include a space before or after the em dash.Long dashes help add clarity, signal a break, or indicate an interruption in a sentence.They often help emphasize specific information. When you think of an em dash, think of emphasis.When do I use a colon A colon looks like this: : In a sentence, a colon’s job is to introduce information and give it context. Now let’s discuss the details on when and how to use each and where the dash ( ) fits in. An em dash is about the width of the letter ‘M’, which is where it gets its name A semicolon ( ) is used to join related independent clauses together in the same sentence without a conjunction.Type em dashes by pressing Alt+0151 for Windows or Shift+Option+Minus (-) for Mac.There are some other less well-known uses for the em dash for. They are much wider than en dashes and are also called long dashes. Em dashes are also sometimes used as bullet points in a vertical list in informal writing.“The Tamir Rice Story: How to Make a Police Shooting Disappear – GQ,” accessed April 14, 2019. Poetry Magazine, “Toy Boat by Ocean Vuong,” text/html, Poetry Foundation, April 14, 2019. Larry Beason and Mark Lester, A Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage, Sixth (Bedford/St. Because of its versatility, the em dash is particularly useful for creating this kind of stream of consciousness flow.įor more on Tamir Rice, see the footnote below. The regular flow of one line to the next shifts fairly easily, but then is cut off abruptly by the em dash. In portraying the relationship between these two ideas with an em dash, Vuong mimics the rhythm of thought. The em dash in this case simultaneously connects and separates “ arriving” and “ departing,” much in the same way one thought diverges into another. To start with “no shores to arrive,” the speaker begins with the thought of “ arriving” somewhere else, or going somewhere else, which would mean “ departing.” The em dash introduces the idea that in order to “ arrive” one must first “ depart,” which is something that the speaker cannot do. At first, the speaker in the poem says that there are “no shores now to arrive.” Then, indicated by the em dash, they reflect upon how there are also no shores “ to depart.” This would suggest that there is nowhere at all for the speaker to either go or to leave-that they are nowhere. ![]() ![]() This particular use of an em dash does not so much make a connection as much as it indicates a break in thought. Consider this excerpt from the same poem: ![]() Ocean Vuong also uses an em dash in the same poem to connect two very closely related ideas. Yet, readers can still easily understand Vuong’s intention to expand on the “ toy boat” in the poem. Neither side of the em dash even qualifies as a clause (which A Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage states must have at least a subject and a verb ). Here, the em dash is used to show the relationship between “ toy boat” and “ oarless,” such that readers know that the “ toy boat” is “ oarless.” In this case, the em dash is used to continue one idea into the next. In the poem “Toy Boat,” dedicated to Tamir Rice, a young African-American boy who was shot by a police officer, Ocean Vuong uses dashes to make connections. There are, however, some uses that are more characteristic in poetry. Em dashes can play many different roles in a piece of writing, and because there are so many ways to use them it is very difficult to use them incorrectly. ![]()
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