How do you use a dash in a speech?

The main things to remember are: Use an em dash if the speaker stops mid-word, in the same way as you’d use a hyphen. Put it inside the closing quotation marks. Use an em dash if the speaker’s able to complete a word, but someone or something stops them before they finish their thought.

How do you represent a dash?

A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts of words. It’s not interchangeable with other types of dashes. A dash is longer than a hyphen and is commonly used to indicate a range or a pause. The most common types of dashes are the en dash (–) and the em dash (—).

What is a correct way to use a dash in a sentence?

Use dashes to mark the beginning and end of a series, which might otherwise get confused, with the rest of the sentence: Example: The three female characters—the wife, the nun, and the jockey—are the incarnation of excellence. Dashes are also used to mark the interruption of a sentence in dialogue: Example: “Help!

What is it called when there is a dash in the middle of a sentence?

The em dash is an incredibly versatile punctuation mark that can be used instead of parentheses, commas, colons, or quotation marks in a sentence.

What does a dash mean in dialogue?

Dashes are used to show a range or in place of parentheses to show that information has been inserted into a sentence. Dashes are only used in informal writing; in academic and business writing, use parentheses, commas, or colons instead. Do not put a space before or after a dash.

How do you type a dash or a hyphen?

To begin, a hyphen (-) is shorter than a dash (–). Hyphens join words together and dashes indicate range. But that’s just the beginning. If you really want to keep these lines straight, read on.

Does a dash mean to or through?

The en dash is used to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time. There should be no space between the en dash and the adjacent material. Depending on the context, the en dash is read as “to” or “through.”

Why is it called an em dash?

The character is called an em dash because it is one em wide, a length that varies depending on the font size. One em is the same length as the font’s height (which is typically measured in points). So in 9-point type, an em dash is nine points wide, while in 24-point type the em dash is 24 points wide.

What is this called dash English?

The dash (—), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. If your keyboard can’t produce a dash, you will have to resort to a hyphen as a stand-in. In British usage, we use only a single hyphen to represent a dash – like this.

Why do you use a dash in a sentence?

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 are the different types of phrases?

Here are some of the types of Phrases used: 1. Noun Phrases: A noun phrase consists of a noun and all its modifiers. 2. Verb Phrases: A verb phrase consists of a verb and all its modifiers. 3. Gerund phrases: A gerund phrase is a noun phrase that starts with a gerund.

How to use idioms and phrases correctly?

In order to excel in English, it is important to know and understand the concept of correct usage of idioms and phrases. An Idiom is a common word or phrase which signifies otherwise from its literal meaning but can be understood because of its popular usage. A phrase is a small group of words that adds meaning to a sentence.

What is a phrase in writing?

A phrase is a group of words that stand together as a single unit, typically as part of a clause or a sentence. A phrase does not contain a subject and verb and, consequently, cannot convey a complete thought. A phrase contrasts with a clause. A clause does contain a subject and a verb, and it can convey a complete idea.