Grammar How to Use Dashes in Sentences |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

How to Use Dashes in Sentences

The en dash and the em dash offer different functions for punctuation. They also have different ways they can be made using a keyboard. In this brief discussion, we’ll review common uses of the en dash and the em dash as well as methods for forming them with your keyboard.

En Dash

An en dash is roughly the width of an n and a little longer than a hyphen. It is often used in placed of the word to for inclusive ranges of dates and numbers.

Examples
2001–2021

January–June

pages 124–219

index items 2:4–5:7

An en dash is used in place of a hyphen when combining open compounds as well.

Examples
North Carolina–Virginia border

a high school–college conference

the New Dehli–Tokyo flight

Some stylebooks or in-house style guidelines might also include an en dash where commas, colons, semicolons, or parentheses might otherwise be used. In either case, the en dash would have spaces around it. This style is rare in formal writing and more common in informal writing.

Examples
I bought two tickets right behind the first-base dugout – something my son has always wanted – for tomorrow’s Cubs game.

Julia turned in the report two weeks early – a big surprise for us all.

I pay the bills – they have all the fun.

I need three items at the store – dog food, vegetarian chili, and cheddar cheese.

I wish you would – oh, never mind.

To form an en dash on most PCs, you can:

  • hold down the ALT key and type 0150 at the same time;
  • hold down CTRL, Num Lock, and the hyphen symbol (-) together; or
  • go to the Insert menu at the top of your file, click on Symbol, and locate the en dash in the font you are using; then click Insert.

Em Dash

An em dash is the width of an m and longer than both a hyphen and an en dash. Use the em dash sparingly in formal writing.

Similar to the en dash with spaces around it, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate emphasis, an interruption, an introduction, or an abrupt change in thought. An em dash has no spaces around it.

Examples
I bought two tickets right behind the first-base dugout—something my son has always wanted—for tomorrow’s Cubs game.

Julia turned in the report two weeks early—a big surprise for us all.

I pay the bills—they have all the fun.

I need three items at the store—dog food, vegetarian chili, and cheddar cheese.

I wish you would—oh, never mind.

To form an em dash on most PCs, you can:

  • hold down the ALT key and type 0151 at the same time;
  • hold down CTRL, ALT, Num Lock, and the hyphen symbol (-) together;
  • type a word, type two hyphens in a row, and continue typing (no spaces before or after the hyphens); or
  • go to the Insert menu at the top of your file, click on Symbol, and locate the em dash in the font you are using; then click Insert.

Pop Quiz

The following sentences include hyphens where either an en dash or an em dash should be used. Identify which dash would be correct. Some answers might allow for either dash to be used (i.e., en dash with spaces around it or em dash with no spaces around it).

  1. Alberto attended the University of Colorado from 1998-2002.
  2. I never thought I’d settle down-until I met Annette, that is.
  3. Those outfits remind me of pre-Industrial Revolution fashion.
  4. This week’s Bible study focuses on 1 Peter 4:1-11.
  5. Jack has the pail-Jill has the water.

Pop Quiz Answers

  1. Alberto attended the University of Colorado from 1998–2002. en dash
  2. I never thought I’d settle down – until I met Annette, that is.
    OR I never thought I’d settle down—until I met Annette, that is. en dash or em dash
  3. Those outfits remind me of pre–Industrial Revolution fashion. en dash
  4. This week’s Bible study focuses on 1 Peter 4:1–11. en dash
  5. Jack has the pail – Jill has the water.
    OR Jack has the pail—Jill has the water. en dash or em dash

 

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