Dashes (Types, How to Use Them, When to Use Them, Grammar Rules)

What are dashes? How do I use dashes in writing? What are the grammar rules that govern the various types of dashes? A dash is a small horizontal line that is used as a punctuation mark in the English language. It resembles the hyphen (a punctuation mark used to separate individual words) in appearance, although it is longer and occasionally higher than the baseline. It is used to denote a pause or a range and is used to divide word groups rather than individual words.

Dash types (em dash and en dash)

The different styles of dashes include the en dash “–”, the em dash “—”, and the horizontal bar “―”. The em dash “—” and the en dash “–” are the two most popular dash forms. These dashes differ not only in their length but also in the function they perform in a sentence. Authors can easily remember the difference between these dashes by remembering the length of the alphabets “M” and “N.”

Em dashes

An em dash, like a comma, a semicolon, a colon, parentheses, and an ellipsis, signifies additional emphasis, a break in the flow of thought, or a sudden shift in direction.

Em dashes, for example, can take the place of parentheses when there are numerous commas in the parenthetical phrase.

Consider the following example:

• After a slight hesitation, Anna jumped up at the dog (or, rather, lunged at it).
• After a slight hesitation, Anna jumped up at the dog—or, rather, lunged at it.

An author can use colons to begin a clause that expands on the text that came before it. Colons are much more formal when compared to dashes. Em dashes, however, are more forceful than colons. Authors typically use em dashes to convey strong emotion or to give their text a more informal tone.

Consider the following example:

• Anna is terrified of two things: lizards and dancing.
• Anna is terrified of two things—lizards and dancing.

Em dashes are used by transcriptionists and authors to substitute letters that are obscure, censored, or purposefully deleted. Em dashes show up in groups of two or three in these instances.

Consider the following example:

A former member of the disgraced team, — — —, provided his statement at court today.

At the end of the letter was a fading sentence: “Love you, Anna, from your de— —ted friend.”

“H— — always get on my nerves. All they know is how to cause trouble everywhere they go.”

Some rules for em dashes

There are some important rules that authors should be careful about when using dashes. These include:

Rule 1

Phrases and words between dashes typically do not belong in the subject.

Example:

Anna—and her lovely pooch—is always welcome here for the Christmas holidays.

Rule 2

When necessary, dashes take the place of mandatory punctuation.

Example:

Without dash: The woman from Manila, Philippines, arrived.

With dash: The woman—she was from Manila, Philippines—arrived.

Rule 3

Spaces around the dash are preferred by some authors and publishers.

Example:

Without space: Anna—and her lovely pooch—is always welcome here for the Christmas holidays.

With space: Anna — and her lovely pooch — is always welcome here for the Christmas holidays.

En dashes

An en dash is slightly shorter than an em dash in length. Despite having a similar appearance to em dashes, en dashes serve a very different purpose. Some common uses of the en dash include:

Indicate a link or connection

A connection or association between two words can be shown with an en dash. Authors typically use en dashes when employing a phrase with two words as a modifier. It is also used for connecting terms that have already been hyphenated. This method of dash usage results in compound adjectives.

Consider the following examples:

• The pro-life–pro-choice debate always sees a high amount of emotional arguments and appeals and ends in heated exchanges.
• The Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian is the keynote speaker for the symposium organized by the charity.

Indicate a range of numbers or span of time

En dashes are frequently used to denote time periods or numerical ranges. The en dash in such sentences is used to represent either “through” or “to.”

Consider the following example:

• The parent-teacher meeting is scheduled to be conducted on Friday, 11:00-11:30 a.m.
• During the years 2002-2010, Anna lived in Manhattan, New York.
• We expect 25-50 celebrities at the gala.
• The tutor asked me to read pages 10–25 as homework for today.

More punctuation marks (all 26 marks)

Sources:

1. Merriam Webster – dash – Definition
2. Wikipedia – Dash
3. Grammar Monster – Using Dashes
4. Yourdictionary – 3 Types of Dashes and Correct Usage in Writing