Dashes
Essential Question
How do we decide what type of dashes to use in sentences?
Grammar in the World
Sometimes knowing when to use the correct punctuation in a sentence is hard! When you are writing, do you ever ask yourself, “Should I put a comma here? A semicolon? A period?” The rules can be mind-boggling. Today you are going to learn about a punctuation mark that is as versatile as it is controversial—the em dash.
image by Mizzou Academy
What Do I Know?
What do you already know about when to use em dashes in writing? Use this interactive to find out.
Look at the following sentence and decide where the em dashes should go. Then, click on the answer to check your work. (Hint: Some sentences need one em dash, and some need two.)
- I think and I say this with all honesty that pie is one of my favorite desserts. answer
- Pies have been around a long time as far as back as ancient Greece and Rome although those pies were more savory than sweet. answer
- The first pie recipe was published by the Romans it was for a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie. answer
- I have several favorite types of pie pecan, lemon meringue, and key lime. answer
- In the United States, around 186 million pies are sold a year that’s a lot of pie! answer
image source Links to an external site.
Building Blocks
Grammar is a complex system and structure of language. Mizzou Academy Grammar Lab spotlights one skill (or block) at a time, but it’s often helpful to see how a skill works together with other, related blocks to build the language structure as a whole. You may find the following resource topics helpful as context for this lesson:
Learn About Em Dashes
While we are learning about the em dash for this lesson, the em dash is part of a family of dashes. Before we learn about the em dash, let’s review the other types of dashes.
|
Type of dash |
How to type |
Function |
Explanation and Examples |
|
Hyphen - |
To add a hyphen, use the dash (-) key on your keyboard. |
A hyphen joins words or parts of words |
Always hyphenate the prefix “self.” Example:
Hyphenate a compound modifier when the modifier is located before the word it is modifying. Example: Cindy’s hair is crazy looking when she wakes up. (In this example, the modifier “crazy looking” is after the noun “hair,” so you do not need a hyphen. |
|
En dash – |
To add an en dash on a Mac, use “option + -”. On a PC, use “Alt + Ctrl + -”. |
An en dash is called by this name because it is roughly the same width as the capital letter N. It represents a range in numbers, dates, or time. |
Generally, you could substitute the word “to” or “through” in place of the en dash. Example: The 2019–2020 season was a wonderful year for Kansas City Chiefs football fans. Kelly walks her dog from 6:00–7:00 every morning. |
The em dash
Now let’s learn about the very versatile (and controversial!) punctuation mark known as the em dash. The em dash got its name because it is roughly the same width as the capital letter M, and the New York Times has called the em dash “the bad boy, or cool girl, of punctuation. A freewheeling scofflaw. A rebel without a clause.” Did you know a punctuation mark could be so scandalous?
Let’s learn about how to use this versatile and controversial punctuation mark so that you, too, can know how to use this “bad boy, or cool girl” in your writing.
|
Em dash — |
|
|
To add an em dash on a Mac, use “option + shift + -” On a PC, use “Alt + Ctrl + -” |
|
|
When to Use an Em Dash: |
Example: Three Mizzou Academy curriculum writers—Karen, Stephanie, and I—are all fans of the em dash. |
|
In place of a comma |
|
|
In place of parentheses |
Some of my friends—well, most of them, really—don’t understand why I love grammar so much. |
|
In place of a colon |
My family laughed when I told them what I wanted for my birthday—a new grammar book. |
|
In place of a semicolon |
Using correct grammar is an important skill to know—it will help readers clearly understand what you want to communicate. |
While em dashes are commonly used in both formal and informal writing, they are often used in poetry, too. A famous poet, Emily Dickinson, is quite famous for her use of em dashes. As you read the following poem, think about how her use of em dashes affects how you read the poem and even its meaning.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers (314)
By Emily Dickinson
“Hope” is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—
I’ve heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet—never—in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of me.
Do I Get It?
What have you learned about how to use em dashes? Use this interactive exercise to find out.
Decide whether a hyphen, en dash, or em dash should go between the words in bold in the sentences below.
Look at the following sentence and decide where the em dashes should go. Then, click on the answer to check your work. (Hint: Some sentences need one em dash, and some need two.)
- In 16th-century England, the upper class would entertain their guests by making “surprise” pies with animals inside frogs, birds, and even foxes that would jump out when the pie was cut. answer
- The most popular pie to eat on Thanksgiving which probably does not surprise anyone is pumpkin pie. answer
- The Pilgrims did not eat pumpkin pie at the first Thanksgiving celebration it was, however, eaten during the second Thanksgiving. answer
- You can buy the most expensive pie in the world at the Lord Dudley Hotel in Sydney, Australia for an astronomical price $9,500. answer
- I love to eat pie with whipped cream on top although ice cream is delicious on top of most pies, too. answer