Punctuation - hyphens, en dashes and em dashes
We’re learning about some advanced features of English grammar. Lots of native speakers don’t know how to use these features of punctuation correctly, so if you master them, you’ll be way ahead of the game. We're referring to hyphens, en dashes and em dashes：
hyphen -
en dash –
em dash —
Can you see the size difference? A hyphen is the smallest, and an em dash is the largest. If you can't see the difference, it could be the font on your device. Size isn’t the only thing that’s different about them, though. These punctuation marks have completely different uses.
Hyphens
Hyphens are used to join two or more words or parts of words together. Certain words require hyphens; some examples include?self-care,?great-grandfather?and?check-in?(the noun). Look at a dictionary to learn which words need a hyphen and which don’t, and be aware of evolving language.?Email?used to be written with a hyphen but rarely is now; most dictionaries list?well-being?with a hyphen, but many writers spell it without.
We also use hyphens between some compound adjectives before a noun, such as?up-to-date?software, and in numbers that form compound adjectives: a 25-minute lesson. You can usually find the hyphen as a key somewhere on your keyboard.
En Dashes
The slightly longer en dash is not found on your keyboard. This may explain why people don’t use it much (a lot of people use a hyphen in place of en and em dashes). One of the main uses of en dashes is to separate numbers or date ranges. Here are some examples:
She lived during the years 1801–1877.
Please prepare for the lesson by reading pages 4–6.
Arsenal beat Liverpool 1–0 last night.
How can you type the en dash?
On Windows, hold the?Alt?key and type?1050?on the numeric keyboard, then release the Alt key.
On a Mac, type?Option + Dash (-).
Em Dashes
Our longest dash is the em dash. (If you’re wondering about the names, an en dash is about the same width as a capital?N, while an em dash is about the same width as, you guessed it, a capital?M. Look at English being logical.
An em dash is a slippery piece of punctuation that can replace commas or brackets in a sentence. It’s stronger than a comma and makes more of an impact than using brackets; however, it’s weaker than a semicolon or a colon. (I just used a semicolon there. If you’re wondering about those, see the advanced grammar course!)
Generally, em dashes can replace these punctuation marks, but I recommend using them sparingly as they are quite a dramatic piece of punctuation. Here are some sentences with an em dash:
If you love grammar — who doesn’t? — you'll like my announcement tomorrow. (replacing brackets)
You may think you know everything about English grammar, but you don’t — no one does. (replacing a colon or semicolon)
Pete — carrying his ubiquitous shovel — strolled past the window. (replacing commas)
To type an em dash on Windows, hold the?Alt?key and type?1051?on the numerical keyboard.
On a Mac, it’s?Option + Shift + Dash (-).
You can punctuate an em dash either with spaces on either side, like I have, or without. It’s up to you, but make sure you’re consistent.
Questions
1. Which is the longest punctuation mark?
a. hyphen b. en dash c. em dash
2. Which punctuation mark should go in this sentence? The Braves lost 7 __ 0 against the Saracens on Saturday.
a. hyphen b. en dash c. em dash
3. Which punctuation mark can appear between compound adjectives?
a. hyphen b. en dash c. em dash
4. Which of the punctuation marks is visible on a key on most computer keyboards?
a. hyphen b. en dash c. em dash
5. Which punctuation mark is missing from this sentence? You can leave if you want to __ I won’t be mad.
a. hyphen b. en dash c. em dash
Ok! Scroll down for the answers!
Keep scrolling!!!
OK! Here they are!
Answers
C - the em dash is the longest punctuation mark
B - The Braves lost 7–0 against the Saracens on Saturday.
A - hyphens can appear between compound adjectives
A - a hyphen is visible on a key on most computer keyboards
C - You can leave if you want to — I won’t be mad.
How did you do?
0-1 - needs work
2 - getting there!
3 - pretty good
4 - brilliant
5 - sheer perfection!
