What does a dash in a sentence look like?

A dash is a little horizontal line that floats in the middle of a line of text (not at the bottom: that’s an underscore). It’s longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does.

What are the 4 uses of dashes?

With that background information in mind, let’s take a look at some ways to put dashes to work in your writing.
  • To set off material for emphasis. Think of dashes as the opposite of parentheses. …
  • To indicate sentence introductions or conclusions. …
  • To mark “bonus phrases.” …
  • To break up dialogue.

What are the 3 types of dashes?

There are actually three different types of dashes: the em-dash, the en-dash, and the 3-em dash. The em-dash can be used to replace parentheses, colons, and commas. Generally, using the em-dash makes the writing style more informal—as if you were writing to an old friend.

How do you use dashes in writing?

Use dashes to set off an idea or an appositive within a sentence. A dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off an idea within a sentence and may be used alone or in pairs. Dashes interrupt a thought in a more dramatic way than a phrase enclosed in commas, but less theatrically than parentheses.

How do you use two dashes in a sentence?

Double dashes are used instead of commas (or parentheses) to interrupt a sentence. The phrase separated by dashes must be grammatically inessential, by which I simply mean that the sentence will still work without that phrase.

What is the difference between a hyphen and dash?

A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side.

What is a dash in writing?

A dash is expressed as an “em dash” ( — ) in printing, is expressed in plain text as two hyphens ( — ) and is used in place of a comma, colon or semicolon for greater emphasis. It denotes a major break or pause and should not be overused.

What is the difference between a dash and a hyphen?

A hyphen joins two or more words together while a dash separates words into parenthetical statements. The two are sometimes confused because they look so similar, but their usage is different. Hyphens are not separated by spaces, while a dash has a space on either side.

What does the dash mean in writing?

A dash is a horizontal line that shows a pause or break in meaning, or that represents missing words or letters. Note that dashes are rather informal and should be used carefully in writing. Dashes are often used informally instead of commas, colons and brackets.

What does a slash mean in a sentence?

To separate lines in prose

A slash can show a line break in a poem, song, or play, usually if several short lines are being written together on one long line. Consider the two examples below: Mary had a little lamb/ little lamb, little lamb/ Mary had a little lamb/ whose fleece was white as snow.

What is a hyphenated word examples?

Commonly Hyphenated Words: Examples

Empty + handed = Empty-handed, which means to have nothing in your hands. Mother + in + law = Mother-in-law, who is the mother of your spouse. Merry + go + round = Merry-go-round, which is another word for a carousel. Self + esteem = Self-esteem, which is similar to your confidence.

What is a dash called in grammar?

The dash (—), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another. If your keyboard can’t produce a dash, you will have to resort to a hyphen as a stand-in.

How do you list things in a sentence?

To list items within a sentence, use lowercase letters in parentheses to identify each item. Use the correct punctuation— either commas or semi-colons— to separate the items in a list.

What are 20 examples of compound sentences?

Compound Sentences
  • I like coffee. Mary likes tea. → I like coffee, and Mary likes tea.
  • Mary went to work. John went to the party. I went home. → Mary went to work, but John went to the party, and I went home.
  • Our car broke down. We came last. → Our car broke down; we came last.

Why do some words have dashes?

We use hyphens to combine certain types of words. These include compound modifiers, such as adjectives and participles. We hyphenate many numbers when they are spelled out in word form, like twenty-one. Sometimes, we hyphenate words after prefixes, but not every prefix requires a hyphen.