You did not tell us which hyphen you use, see answer from MT0. The em dash is even longer and is used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon for emphasis. . When a quotation is presented as a single sentence made up of material from two or more original sentences, ellipses should be used for all omitted segments. Hold down the Alt key, press 0 1 5 1 on the numeric pad, and then release the Alt key. Windows. Example. The em dash shows the break in thought and is clean and abrupt. Dashes are generally more abrupt and can signify a rapid change of topic. How to create en dashes and em dashes. Once again, the em-dash adds more emphasis than the traditional punctuation mark. In short: the em-dash cannot be used in Spanish like any of those English examples, except perhaps 2(a). Wave dash ( ～)Sorted by: 58. Have you a reason why you think curved brackets should be abandoned in favour of dashes in this particular example? The linked article doesn't contrast differences in availability or effect between the punctuation variants available. The semicolon is also used between two independent clauses linked by a transitional expression (e. g. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons —in each case to slightly different effect. It probably wouldn’t get away with trying to impersonate a question mark or an exclamation point, but it can stand in for. It is used in place of ‘to’ or ‘through’. Many authors and publications choose to use a space either side of the dash, and even sometimes an en dash in place of an em dash. The word-processing program may form this automatically when two hyphens are typed together. Em dashes are the longest of the common dashes (I won’t be covering 2-em and 3-em dashes in this article) and are so named because they are the width of the letter “m. A colon is a more formal but weaker punctuation mark than an em dash. The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence. Le lineette (in inglese Em Dashes) "—" La lineetta è utilizzata in inglese per segnalare degli incisi enfatici, quindi spesso sostituendo virgole, parentesi e due punti italiani. Translation. It may be used in place of commas, a semicolon, a colon, or parentheses. (If you do, up vote that answer. ManhattanMss New Member. En Dash vs. I now seem to be able to do this if I type a character - any character - after the dash, then type the curly end quote mark, and then backspace. Don’t overthink it—let intuition guide you. The em dash, also known as the long dash or mutton dash, is a punctuation mark used in writing to indicate a pause or break in a sentence. More Punctuation Rules Read all about the most common and rare punctuation marks, from question marks to em dashes and parentheses to interrobangs. Press the space bar. There are actually two different kinds of dashes. g. Em Dashes The em dash is the longest line among these marks of punctuation (—). g. [Emphasis mine. eg What would be more gratifying than being able to help a child in the use of what Vygotsky considered one of man’s greatest tools? Language! I'm sure others will come to offer advice about the em-dash version, if you prefer that. Learn more about punctuation. Clark went to the Miami Heat – Boston Celtics game. 47 Punctuation with em dash. TWO-EM DASH U+2E3A: Pd, dash Common ⸻ THREE-EM DASH U+2E3B: Pd, dash Common ⹀ DOUBLE HYPHEN U+2E40: Pd, dash Common 〜 WAVE DASH U+301C: Pd, dash Common 〰 WAVY DASH. You can use it at the end of a broken-off phrase, or if a. If the action is in the middle of a sentence, use em dashes outside the quotation marks. 51). Character encoding is a link between the visual representation of a character (like a registration mark or em-dash) and the bytes that store them in memory. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. Example: apple orchard–scented candle. It can separate independent clauses. A space is used before and after the en-dash when used in literary copy. 1)”Can we go to the cinema?” she asked. First, one is longer: The em dash (—) → which is like two hyphens joined together. Wave dash ( ～) Sorted by: 58. In your example sentence, the question is really only complete at the very end, so the first. An em dash (—) is used to mark an interruption, as mentioned above (“What the—”), or material set off parenthetically from the main point—like this. On a PC, the em-dash is made by holding down the ALT key and typing 0151 on the number pad. Actually, the rules are fairly set on spaces before or after an "em-dash" -- you don't use them. Dash: Dashes set off a series within a phrase: “Of the many breakfast options — omelets, waffles, pastries — he only wanted coffee”; indicate a break in thought: “Felipe’s is a popular eatery — in Harvard Square”; or attribute a quotation to an author: “‘You must do the thing you think you cannot do. In terms of punctuation marks like this, the em dash is the most extended dash, which can replace parentheses, colons, and commas. In general it is the same length as an em-dash, and so this is often used instead. C-----. The president’s speech both began and ended with the word “freedom. To turn smart punctuation off, all you have to do is go to Settings > General > Keyboard, and then turn off the "Smart Punctuation" toggle. To create an em-dash on a Windows computer, hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. If the information in parentheses has a question mark or an exclamation mark, use the punctuation mark inside the parentheses only if the sentence ends with a different mark. Collingwood as Mr. . Use to indicate duration or continuing or inclusive numbers such as dates, times or reference numbers, use an en-dash (a slightly. The longer EM dash is used as a break or to separate additional information in a sentence. To create an em-dash on a Windows computer, hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. "SAMPLE - TEXT". The commands extendash and extemdash are also used to produce en-dash (–), and em-dash (—), respectively. . However, in this case also why is there an em-dash anyways? If the exclamation or question is full and complete then why is there an "abrupt break in speech. To properly use the em dash, spaces should not be placed around it unless the text is being italicized. That said, let’s look at the two dashes and what makes them different. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. On a Windows-based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. Like the em dash, the en dash is typically available on your word processor’s symbol map, or it may even be inserted automatically by your word processor when you type inclusive numbers or dates with a hyphen between them. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another. When a character has a sudden change of thought while speaking, an em dash is the correct punctuation to show the break. Upon firing the company’s non-salaried employees—and. If you want to use hyphens before and after your text, click AutoCorrect Options. If you want to stop -- from being turned into — (emdash) you need to use the + button and add a new rule to replace -- with -- (replace with itself) Or, right click in a text field and go to "Substitutions" and disable "Smart. But it is necessary first to make the difference between a hyphen, and an em dash vs en dash. What you read in the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas is correct: only parenthetical remarks and dialogues are correct uses of the em-dash in Spanish. There are two common types of dashes: en dash and em dash which vary in length. ” Correct. Some methods for forming these punctuation marks on a PC: En dash—hold down the Alt key and type 0150 on the numeric keypad. To create an em dash on a PC, hold down the Alt key while typing 0151 on the numberpad of the keyboard. (The exclamation point, like the question mark [see 8. AP refers to these simply as dashes and requires a space on either side. Don’t use end quotes between paragraphs of speech. So:Figure 1. The question mark needs to go after Language. The dash can also be used to represent a pause, but a more. Then, after you press the space bar after the word after the dash, most word processing programs will turn those two little hyphens‐‐into an em dash—like so. MLA doesn't touch on more than 2 subtitles; however, there is a syntax for a work with more than one title which makes use of ; or, as the delimiter, so perhaps stay away from using semicolons. En dash ( –) When connecting two words to signify a range, Chinese generally uses an en dash occupying the space of one character (e. However, the semicolon, colon, dash, question mark, and exclamation point fall outside of the quotation marks (unless, of course, the quoted material has internal punctuation of its own). Microsoft Word shows the em dash as soon you press enter after finishing the. In example 4, the 1st quote should be a complete sentence or an ellipse followed by a new paragraph describing Bob's face, followed by another paragraph with Peter's response. For more ALT codes for various signs and symbols, see ALT Codes for Miscellaneous Symbols. Always put commas and periods inside the quote. , em dash, en dash, or hyphen), you should put the footnote marker before it. It shows continuity between numbers and indicates that a multiword term is part of a compound adjective: “The conference runs January 2–3”; “The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists were applauded. Anything powerful enough to cross the Wall usually retained enough magic to assume the shape of a soldier, or to become invisible. In Spanish, the en-dash is not widely used although, due to English influence, its use has become rather common nowadays. Character escapes used in markup include numeric character references (NCRs) and named character references. In your question you took U+002D (CHR(45)) which is in ASCII - for sure this does make any problem. Exclamation point. For windows, you can hold down the ‘Alt’ and ‘-‘ key and you will get an en dash. An em dash (—) is a punctuation mark. If you type in two hyphens/minus without a space before or after, most word processors automatically convert it into an em dash. Thanks very much for your reply, Jennifer. A numeric character reference in hexadecimal format. Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of words like a hyphen does. Use the en dash ("short dash") to join inclusive numbers:. [Emphasis mine. Whether it's better to use a comma here or an em dash is another matter. " Until some more people post on this I'd take my post with a grain of salt. Usage: The em dash is used to indicate interruptions, emphasize elements, set off appositives, replace colons or semicolons, or create breaks in sentence flow. Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. In MS Word, enable Num Lock and press Ctrl + Minus Key. The en dash is spaced so screen readers don’t mistake an unspaced en for a hyphen. Em dashes are used to replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. Being so versatile can create confusion if overused, therefore it is best limited to two appearances per sentence. The en dash also signifies an abrupt change. American usage puts the month first, followed by the day, and then the year. Household appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves are. If the list follows the independent clause, it is best to use a colon instead. Question marks, exclamation points, and em dashes can go inside or outside the quotation mark, depending on whether they’re part of the quote or not. Punctuation Em-dash before question mark. Your specific issue regards "smart quotes," "em dashes" and "en dashes. Hyphen A handy guide full of rules and examples so you can use the hyphen with confidence. Em dashes are most often used in pairs to call a reader’s attention to the material they set off, making words, phrases, or clauses particularly dramatic or emotional. Edit: I wrote this sentence just for the question, actually hoping to avoid being bogged down by too much context, but since the first commenter felt it was lacking, I've adjusted the text a little bit. Don’t put any spaces before and. These, along with the other 12, are all listed neatly and explained for you here. Formally, this job is reserved for the em dash, but there is some leniency in use depending on the publisher. When you type the hyphen, en dash, and em dash, no spaces should appear on either side of the punctuation mark. g. If it helps, picture the em dash superimposed on the letter “M” and the en dash superimposed on the “N. Periods (), question marks, exclamation marks, and commas are used as in English. But in that case the dash is supposed to be the length of the omitted word, not just a mere em-dash. Em dashes (—) are extremely versatile. An alternative way of displaying speech is via the em dash. Share. For example, don’t use a dash to begin the interrupter and a comma. Should a question mark be used after an em dash that abruptly ends a sentence? Ask Question Asked 1 year, 2 months ago Modified 2 months ago Viewed 164 times 4 I looked through a number of the site's questions to find an answer to my problem. An em dash (—), the longest “dash,” is used as a substitute for a comma, colon, semi-colon, or parentheses and emphasizes information. En & Em Dashes While sometimes used in other styles to indicate a range of time, AP Style does not use en dashes. Question mark! Exclamation point. Most likely it's an en dash or em dash rather than a real hyphen or minus symbol. Interjections can stand alone as minor sentences, punctuated with a period, exclamation point, or question mark. If you’re adding extra information to clarify a sentence, you’re using a parenthetical expression. Although the en dash and em dash are the most commonly used types of dashes, there is another type of dash called the 3-em dash (the size of three em dashes). — Este libro es mío. , I need 1 thing – money. An em dash can be used for the same purpose. The word is usually spelled ether in all main varieties of modern English. They are useful for emotionally-loaded dialogue interruption, because emotions act quickly on the brain. Signo de exclamación (Exclamation Point) 8. Enter the replacement character in the Replace with text box (see figure 5). The example I saw comes from a tweet, reproduced here for convenience: "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior—not a divine social justice warrior, not a liberation. They are usually used in two different ways. However I run into a bump with special characters like curly quotes en and em dashes etc. And an example:There are 14 punctuation marks that are used in the English language. 90 Em dashes and line breaks; 6. Proper use of punctuation marks can greatly enhance the readability and effectiveness of written communication. This is really useful if you're a few words over the 650 word limit and need to trim a bit. In almost every instance, you should place the footnote marker after the punctuation. Example em dashes:Fun fact: The en dash is called the en rule in British English, and the em dash is called the em rule. Em dash: 2015 ― Horizontal bar: 2017 ‗ Double low line: 2018 ‘ Left single quotation mark: 2019 ’ Right single quotation mark: 201A ‚ Single low-9 quotation mark: 201B ‘ Single high. as you would the phrase and the rest. British authors often prefer to use an en-dash ( – ) with spaces on either side rather than the em. ago. quotation mark. S. En Dash: –. They are named en dashes but they are as wide as the letter N. When the dash is used, the change in the thought or sentence structure should be evident and distinct. Write an en dash. You can also use the Alt key in combination with a sequence of numbers of insert an em dash or en dash. Two types of dashes are used in punctuation: the em-dash (—) and the en-dash (–). If you want to make your writing easier to read and generally look more professional, you should know what. [Emphasis mine. You don’t need to worry about this; both en dashes and em dashes do the same job. Press the Spacebar. Examine these useful hyphen, em dash and en dash examples. The Chicago Manual of Style says that “periods and commas precede closing quotation marks. Example: “I didn’t say—”. When injecting a descriptive clause into a sentence, you are free to use em dashes, commas, or parentheses. Feb. The difference between a parenthetical comment using parentheses, and one using em dashes, is probably a matter of style. In most situations, a colon is better than an em dash, but if the list is being tacked on to the end of a complete sentence, or feels like an aside (see above), then an em dash might make sense. For instance, we could use em dashes in place of commas or parentheses: One of the twins—she couldn’t tell them apart—ran to greet her. I've never heard about en dashes being used for em dashes. figure dash – 8211: 2013 – en dash — 8212: 2014 — em dash ― 8213: 2015 : horizontal bar ‖ 8214: 2016 : double vertical line ‗ 8215: 2017 : double low line ‘ 8216: 2018 ‘ left single quotation mark ’ 8217: 2019 ’ right single quotation mark ‚ 8218: 201a ‚ single low-9 quotation mark ‛ 8219: 201b. “What space?”. In informal writing, feet and inches are sometimes expressed as, for example, 5′ 10″ (read: five feet and ten inches). The em dash (—) is twice as long as the en. Look at how the entire sentence uses different punctuation marks. 🙽. BOND #2: Adverbs There are many types of adverbs, but by definition, an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Em-dashes in Place of a Semicolon. That's it! Now, your ugly text messages at least won't break code or URLs. I agree that it should try to match the size of the missing word. Em dashes are most often used in pairs to call a reader’s attention to the material they set off, making words, phrases, or clauses particularly dramatic or emotional. Wagon and waggon are different spellings of the same word meaning, among other things, a sturdy four-wheeled vehicle for transporting things. If your style guide calls for spaces around a dash, you use a different character altogether, the "en-dash. The dash ( — ), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. The em dash “—” and the en dash “–” are the two most popular dash forms. 1. These dashes differ not only in their length but also in the function they perform in a sentence. Em Dash vs. At the risk of being pedantic, an ellipsis is a single symbol, not three dots. Em dash—hold down the Alt key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. That is much better than the translation witnessed in other systems, where a bullet in a bulleted list was changed to &bull. On cell phones running Android’s Gboard or iOS operating systems, press and hold the hyphen on the onscreen keyboard. Between independent clauses linked by a transitional expression. The different styles of dashes include the en dash “–”, the em dash “—”, and the horizontal bar “―”. This is largely the result of the many different ways the comma is used. One is to connect continuing, inclusive numbers. The em dash is the chameleon of punctuation marks. When listing information, you may use the em dash between the list and independent clause when the list comes first. 48 The En Dash, Numerals. For example, one em in an 18-point typeface equals. m. For your example: “Well, I thought you—” He stopped himself. However, you can use dashes or em-dashes. When it displays it in the application, the dash turns into a question mark !?!?!? I then have an Export button, which writes these back to a textfile. The correct use of question and exclamation marks. Thoreau believes that “if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life. ". These sentences can be in the form of a direct question or an indirect question. Ah, the ol’ 疑問符 (ぎもんふ ) — gimonfu, a. The 2010–2011 season was our best yet. Em Dash (—) An em dash is one of the three kinds of dashes that functions like a comma, a colon, or parentheses in introducing a clause. The above shortcuts are all valid ways you can use to type the em. If a comma is a quarter note rest, then an em dash is a half-note rest. After three weeks of deliberation, the jury finally reached a verdict: guilty. The en dash is shorter than an em dash but longer than a hyphen. You will find this material in chapters 8–12. " "The sixth edition. The em dash, also known as the mutton dash or em rule, refers to the em. In something called an appositive—a phrase that provides more information—you can use an em dash instead. Follow the end quotation mark with an em dash and the action or thought and then another em dash. 92 Em dashes in lists, indexes, and tables;. Use em dashes instead of commas and parentheses if you want to make information stand out. Do not use the first one to mean a dash; it never does. An ellipsis here would show a delayed change in thought and is not correct. Example em dashes: Upon discovering the errors—all 124 of them—the publisher. An em dash or a pair of em dashes may indicate a sudden break in thought or sentence structure or an interruption in dialogue. Though not necessarily a matter of punctuation, there is one important distinction between American and British usage when it comes to dates. “November Cotton Flower” by Jean. apostrophe. Question Mark (?) In grammar, a question mark is a familiar punctuation used to end interrogative sentences. The em dash symbol is a single, longer horizontal line — that should not be confused for an en dash - or a hyphen. Should a question mark be used after an em dash that abruptly ends a sentence? Ask Question Asked 1 year, 4 months ago Modified 4 months ago Viewed 168 times 4 I. ellipses —Ellipses are three periods that indicate an omission within a quoted sentence or fragment of a sentence. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. When using an em dash, it is important to consider the spacing around it. For example: It depends on trust — it always has. An en dash is. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to connect two or more words (or parts of words) to show that they form one unit of sense—e. Em dash (—) Twice as long as the en dash, the em dash can be used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon to enhance readability or emphasize the conclusion of a sentence. Option C is eliminated because there must be some punctuation for linking. Who doesn’t like dashes as emphasis techniques? Just consider the following guidelines: • Note that em-dashes are more emphatic than commas. This makes them a useful punctuation mark when we want to convey an argument or rapid back-and-forth dialogue between characters. Here’s how to master the em-dash, exclamation point and question mark. While the ellipsis and the dash both represent breaks in text, the dash—or more precisely, the em dash —represents an abrupt interruption. Proofreading marks and symbols Although a significant amount of editing and proofreading is now done using tools such as Microsoft’s track changes feature and Adobe’s commenting tool, you may find yourself faced with traditional proofreading marks and symbols on a printed document someday. )6. The conventions for dialogue allow a narrator to “interrupt” the speakers at any time and for any reason. Dashes are used in the following five ways: To show in ranges for numbers or dates (e. Other Types of Dash. That being said, em dashes should not be used in place of hyphens or colons. If you’re operating on a Mac, the basic instructions for MS Word and Google Docs above should still apply — though you’ll have different keyboard shortcuts. It was originally a humorous and slightly sanitized version of the curse word, but it has become the standard form. The other function is to punctuate compound modifiers that include an open compound or two or more hyphenated compounds. It is wider than an en dash (–) or a hyphen (-). The Dash. ex. I believe you can also type a space before typing the quote, then delete the space. Examples. hphen – en dash – em dash — 2-em dash —— 3-em dash ———. The raya is used to clarify something, in a similar way to parentheses. (I usually just replace all curly single quotes with ' and all curly. 5. Hence, 12/5/2010 means December 5, 2010, in American usage. I am thinking the product_code value may actually contain an -en-dash- or an -em-dash- or something other than 0x2D that is getting displayed correctly (somehow) with the combination of CubeCart, PHP, the web server and the web browser. )This would usually be at the end of a phrase or sentence, which means it will be next to a piece of punctuation. In fact, em dashes can find an even greater role in dialog: they can replace quotation marks, though this is less common in English than in other languages. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. In French, the period is not used after abbreviations of measurement: 25 m (mètres), 12 min (minutes), etc. Examples: 2009–2019. They are: the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, brackets, braces, parentheses, apostrophe, quotation mark, and ellipsis. One other exception is dialogue, where authors will. Em dashes can replace ellipses to show an abrupt break in a conversation. So, if a symbol is to be used, Chicago (at least implicitly) says it should be an em dash without a space. Mac. Overuse of any tool will make your writing inelegant, but using the proper tool at the right time will help you generate pages that are well crafted and precisely assembled. Key stroke shortcuts: em-dash = alt + 0151; en-dash = alt + 0150. In Word, you’ll hold down Shift+ Option+minus rather than the Ctrl+Alt+minus mentioned above. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Hyphens are used to create compound words like: Load-bearing; Well-loved; Great-looking; Less-commonly used punctuation marks Interrobang. To create an em-dash on a Mac computer, hold down the shift and option/alt and type -. He worked in his office-cum-dining room. — Lo siento, no lo sabía. Select the Replace, Replace All, or Find Next button (see figure 6). This method can get messy if you have more than two speakers in a conversation, so use it with care. A dash is a punctuation mark that resembles a hyphen, but longer. This suggests that a question mark is "stronger" than a period and is the mark that is retained. In HTML, XHTML, or XML, you can use a character escape to represent any Unicode character using only ASCII letters. The em-dash would indicate something like raising the eyebrows right at the end, or tilting the head down and looking up from under the. Follow. Trademark ™ : ALT 0153;There are three types of dashes in writing used to convey different ideas in an engaging way. Punctuation Marks Wheel : This 2-page print-out makes a punctuation marks wheel; it consists of a base page together with a wheel that spins around. It. Em dash character is not a part of ASCII character set. This is giving me writer's block and the paper is due tomorrow. Semicolons separate two independent clauses. 3. The closest thing I could find was this: Is it acceptable to place a dash after a question mark? An em dash—or dash for short—is a straight, horizontal line positioned about halfway between the bottom and top of a lower-case letter. nouns followed by numerals or letters. A hyphen is no substitute for the versatile em dash, a sentence punctuation mark some may simply call "dashes. The term “em dash” comes from the field of typography—an “em” is a width equivalent to the height of a given font. However, since interjections are not “proper” sentences, some writers prefer to attach them to a complete sentence using a comma or, if more emphasis is desired, an em dash. Em dashes. The Manual of Style explains the differences between the hyphen and four types of dashes. On our way to school, we walk past the Turner Farm—the oldest dairy farm in town—and watch the cows being fed. Examples. The en dash is less well known than. ) The question mark can be used to indicate editorial uncertainty, either in parentheses or in brackets. The em is the longest in the dash suite. This usage explains the dialog part of your question. newspaper publishing was to represent an em dash with two. For instance, you would render a character named Mr. I also tried powertoys keyboard manager Remap Shortcut, but it. Use an en dash for ranges and an em dash to separate non-essential information. Em dashes are rarely found in formal texts. Dashes and hyphens. g. ” Originally, typewriters had monospaced fonts (skinny letters and fat letters. Dashes create urgency. And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. At the word level, hyphens differentiate parts of words to help in readability. It is the doppelgänger of the. This measurement is. It depends on one thing: trust. The em dash (—) is a versatile punctuation mark used to enhance the readability and clarity of written text. 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). —dijo María con calma. En dashes have a space on either side of the dash – like this. In the image below (1) is a hyphen, (2) is an en dash and (3) is the em dash. Among the 16 most commonly used punctuation marks are the period, question mark, exclamation point, and comma. What ‽ When your sentence calls for a question mark and an exclamation mark, the interrobang is the punctuation mark you need. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a. Easily find character codes for the HTML # sign, HTML @ symbol (at symbol), HTML percent sign, HTML ampersand (& HTML code), HTML copyright symbol and HTML caret insertion point, along with regular punctuation like the question mark, exclamation point, non-breaking hyphen, non-breaking space and more. Accordingly, the em dash, under the right circumstances, serves as an alternative to any of the other marks—the comma, colon, semicolon, and parentheses—as long as it is used sparingly. Em dash character is not a part of ASCII character set. The em dash is a more emphatic substitute for the comma, colon, or parentheses and can be used to indicate omitted words. Don’t overthink it—let intuition guide you. The em dash performs a versatile function to help separate certain words from the rest of a sentence. In addition, write the punctuation mark next to your translation. It thus performs many of the same functions as commas, parentheses, and colons, but with a bit more drama—a “wait for it” tension that tends to lend emphasis to whatever it introduces. In fiction, the em dash almost always appears with no spaces around it. Em dashes join onto the words before and after—like this. Mingo Evil Flamingo, Feb 21, 2010 #3. Ellipsis (…) [edit | edit source] A sequence of three dots is known as an ellipsis, which is commonly used to indicate omitted text. Write an em dash.