How To Use Em Dashes
Does your sentence contain a list that is introduced by a pause in the middle if so you can use either an em dash or a colon the colon is more formal.
How to use em dashes. An em dash is about the width of the letter m which is where it gets its name. When you think of an em dash think of emphasis they often help emphasize specific information. Type em dashes by pressing alt 0151 for windows or shift option minus for mac. The above shortcuts are all valid ways you can use to type the em dash in word. There are three types of dashes the em dash the en dash and the hyphen.
Em en and the double hyphen. Em dashes so called because they are at least historically the width of the character m are used for emphasis or interruption. Em dashes in place of parentheses. If you want to include the parenthetical content more subtly use parentheses. Main em dash takeaways.
Em dashes can be used to emphasize important or essential information midsentence or at the end of sentences. They are much wider than en dashes and are also called long dashes. Rules for using the em dash 5 useful long dash rules. An em dash can connect an independent clause with the related thought in. Most commonly a dash connects an independent clause with another with a related thought plus a conjunction like or but yet as for and after the second dash.
There are three forms of dashes. Although colons and commas can serve the same function em dashes create a more dramatic effect. If you want to draw attention to the parenthetical content use dashes. The weary traveler forgot something in the airport bathroom her plane ticket. Em dash shortcut 3 mac.
Em dashes set apart parenthetical phrases or clauses in a sentence in this use em dashes are similar to commas and parentheses but there are subtle differences for example em dashes are used when a parenthetical remark contains an internal comma or would otherwise sound awkward if enclosed by commas. Although many people call the hyphen a dash dash refers to another group of horizontal lines in text. For this usage make sure you use two em dashes. Putting spaces before and after an em dash is a matter of preference. Em dashes look like this.