How To Use Dashes When Writing
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.
How to use dashes when writing. They are shorter than em dashes the same length as uppercase m. Dashes between numbers dashes are used between numbers. The words between a pair of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence. These are en dashes the same length as a lowercase n. Em en and the double hyphen.
A dash may or may not have a space on either side of it. There are three forms of dashes. The most common types of dashes are the en dash and the em dash. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for. Take it out and the sentence makes sense.
My brothers richard and john are visiting hanoi. The name em indicates that the dash is roughly the size of the letter m. The great barrier reef the most extensive coral reef system on earth is estimated to be wiped out by 2050. When used to extend a sentence a dash can replace a semicolon a colon or three dots used as a pause for effect. Rather than placing parentheses around a phrase within a statement writers can opt to surround the phrase with an em dash on either end.
Do not confuse a dash with a hyphen which is shorter. 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. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas colons and brackets. Dashes add drama parentheses whisper. A single dash can emphasize material at the beginning or end of a sentence.
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. The information inside the dashes is off topic. An em dash is used to indicate a break in a sentence or question. It is used in the same manner as a parenthetical expression. 1 to show ranges.