Let's begin with the dash. It is important to note that there are two types of dashes. First, we will look at the em dash. Then, we will look at the en dash.
The em dash "—" is used to signify a change in thought, or to highlight a purposeful pause.
Example: The family will be going to Timothy's graduation—if he doesn't fail his physics class.
Example: Stockholm—the capital city of Sweden—is about a six hour drive from Denmark.
The em dash is also used as a substitute for commas when a particular part of a sentence is important and needs to be stressed.
Example: Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology—the most difficult college courses—have to be completed by sophomore year.
Example: The most important items on my grocery list—sugar, milk and flour—must be bought this week so that I can make the cake.The en dash "–" is used in place of the word to when referring to a span of time or measure of distance. It also used to form compound words.
Example: John played professionally from the years 1990–2000.
Example: The London–New York flight is scheduled for eight hours.
Example: Janet attended the monthly Parent–Teacher conference.
The hyphen is used to join two or more words. Hyphens distinguish individual words in a compound verb, adjective or adverb. Hyphens are also use for some numbers.
Example: His store only sold high-quality suits.
Example: The English-based course was given in Berlin.
Example: Paulette's mother is forty-nine years old.
Never use the hyphen, em dash and en dash interchangeably! They each have their specific purpose. Do you have any good examples of correct (or incorrect) usages of dashes and hyphens? Join the conversation by posting a comment!
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