How To Use Dashes As Commas

Consider brushing up on other commonly used punctuation marks in english grammar.

How to use dashes as commas. Let s start with those quiet parentheses. Using the en dash to denote a connection. An em dash is made by typing two hyphens. There are three types of dashes in writing used to convey different ideas in an engaging way. First the dash can be used where commas or parentheses might be used as an aside or interruption in the middle of a sentence.

You use them to surround something that seems a bit out of place in the sentence an aside a clarification or a commentary. Here are a few examples of interrupters punctuated with commas. Sometimes it s just irresistible to include that additional information that we hope will make our meaning clearer or provide context. In general you can think of parentheses commas and dashes as a continuum of marks. Use a dash to cut off dialogue.

When to use dashes parentheses and commas we all insert extra information in sentences at times with dashes parentheses also known as brackets or commas. To properly use a dash in an english sentence start by identifying which dash you should use. Examine these useful hyphen em dash and en dash examples. When a thought is left unfinished however a dash should be used instead. Use an en dash when you need to connect terms that are already hyphenated or when you are using a two word phrase as a modifier.

For example i never said he began when typing a completed sentence a comma precedes the closing quotation mark and the attribution. Interrupters can be used for multiple purposes. Use a longer em dash to join independent clauses with words like and but as or and for. Dashes replace otherwise mandatory punctuation such as the commas after iowa and 2013 in the following examples. The man from ames iowa arrived.

See the following examples. To create this punctuation mark on a macintosh based system hold down the option key and press the minus key. Words and phrases between dashes are not generally part of the subject. They are often used for emphasis to indicate a switch in tone to qualify a subject or as a side note. The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two words.