How To Use Dashes In The Middle Of A Sentence
A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text not at the bottom.
How to use dashes in the middle of a sentence. Examples include the comma semicolon colon dash hyphen apostrophe and quotation marks. 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. If the break belongs to the surrounding sentence rather than to the quoted material the em dashes must appear outside the quotation marks. Dashes are often used to signal an abrupt change in a sentence indicating that the reader should pay close attention to what comes next. The words between a pair of dashes may or may not form a complete sentence.
Everything i saw in my new neighborhood from the graceful elm trees to the stately brick buildings reminded me of my alma mater. An em dash can be used to mark a list placed in the middle of a sentence where commas are already used. When used to extend a sentence a dash can replace a semicolon a colon or three dots used as a pause for effect. Use a dash to show a pause or break in meaning in the middle of a sentence. When using the abbreviation etc should it be parenthetical i e.
Could use commas in the 15th century when of course nobody had electricity water was often pumped by hand. Hieu vu minh unsplash. Here s what the chicago manual of style has to say about it. Two dashes can emphasize material in the middle of a sentence. How to know when to use dashes or commas or braces when describing something in the middle of a sentence.
Use an em dash to offset lists placed in a sentence. Some style and grammar guides even permit you to write a complete sentence within the dashes. The information inside the dashes is off topic. Generally speaking the dash does not have a unique role. Here are some examples.
Someday he s going to hit one of those long shots and his voice turned huffy i won t be there to see it taken from 6 90. A dash can be used to add emphasis at the beginning middle or end of a sentence. When used as parentheses dashes are alternatives to brackets or commas. Take it out and the sentence makes sense. How to use semicolons to set off a list in a the middle of a sentence.