Plagarized Punctuation Guide #1

I give credit, though. This is from https://allthingsfreelancewriting.com/blog/punctuation-guide/

The article is just too good not to share. More next time.

Dashes may seem pretty simple and straightforward. But did you know there are three main types — the en dash, em dash, and triple-em dash? Here, we’ll cover all three (plus the hyphen which can be easily confused with a dash).

• hyphen (-)
• en dash (–)
• em dash (—)
• triple em dash (— — —) [This one is new to me]

Hyphens

The hyphen (-) is not technically a dash, but it looks like a short one.

How to type a hyphen

Hyphens are easy to type as they have a dedicated key on U.S. keyboards that’s shared with the underscore.

When to use hyphens

Hyphens should be used when:

• A word has more than one syllable and is divided between two lines.
• You want to spell out a word letter by letter in your writing (g-o-o-d-b-y-e).
• You need to join two or more words to form compound adjectives before a noun (kind-hearted person).
• Two vowels make a word awkward (pre-elect).
• A lack of a hyphen would cause the word to be misread (re-creation).
• You write compound numbers (thirty-two).
• You want the text to be read as a stutter (I’m s-s-s-sorry).
• You use certain prefixes like all- and self- (self-sufficient).
• You use certain suffixes like -elect (president-elect).

En dashes

The en dash (–) is a dash that’s the length of the letter “n.”

How to type an en dash

You can type an en dash on a Mac by pressing the “option” key and the hyphen key at the same time. On Windows, press the “Alt” key, type 0150, and release the “Alt” key.

When to use en dashes

En dashes are used to replace the words “to” and “through” in ranges of numbers, spans of time, and scores. For example:

• I read chapters 1–3 of my book.
• The seasonal resort is open April–October.
• The Eagles are winning 21–19.

They’re also used if you’re writing a compound adjective and a hyphen doesn’t work. This often happens when the compound adjective is a proper noun. Here’s an example:

• She’s a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist.

You wouldn’t put a hyphen between Pullitzer and Prize so you add the en dash which tells the reader the two preceding words are part of the compound adjective.

Em dashes

Now, for the favorite of many writers — the em dash. Em dashes are longer dashes that are the length of the letter “m.”

How to type an em dash

To type an em dash on a Mac, press “option+shift+hyphen key” at the same time. Note, some mac keyboards have an “alt” key instead of the “option” key. On a PC, press “control+alt+hyphen key.”

If you have trouble, you can always head over to Google, search for em dash, and copy and paste the mark into your document.

When to use em dashes

Em dashes are a very versatile type of punctuation that can be used to replace other marks, such as parentheses or commas. They work well when you want to set information apart, mark an abrupt turn in a sentence, or expand on something without creating a run-on sentence.

Here are some examples:

• My favorite dress — which had beautiful floral appliques all over it — was destroyed in the wash.
• I love to cook — I’m always trying new recipes.
• We went to the lake and had a great day but — never mind, I don’t want to talk about it.

3-em dashes

The 3-em dash is created by typing the em dash three times in a row with spaces between each em dash (— — —)

When to use 3 em dashes

The 3-em dash is commonly used by journalists to signal that words have been left out or names have been omitted — like names of sources who don’t want to go on the record.

It can also be used to cite works by the same author in a Chicago format paper.