Punctuation.
I can visualize readers cringing as they read that word.
“I don’t understand all those rules and I don’t want to.”
“Let editors worry about the correct punctuation.”
“I just want to write, not worry about where to put a comma.”
Do you see yourself in the above sentences? If you don’t, you are probably in the minority.
The comma, period, colon, em dash, and all those other punctuation marks have their function. I think the only one that doesn’t confuse writers is the period.
Lately, I’ve noticed people incorrectly using the em dash, so I thought I would address it today.
This dash is so named because it is the same width as the letter m. You create it by typing two dashes together without any space between them. Most word processing programs will then autoformat it once you hit the next key.
In MS Word and Scrivener (for Windows), the keyboard shortcut is Alt + 0151 (I love keyboard shortcuts).
The Em Dash
Do not use an em dash as you would a comma.
The em dash indicates a dramatic shift in tone or thought within a sentence.
Example: His marriage proposal—would she say no?—got caught in his throat as he began.
When used in pairs, the portion set off by the em dash gets the most emphasis. In other words, it stands out as the most important part of the sentence.
The em dash can also be used as a single dash. His marriage proposal got caught in his throat before he began—would she say no?
Use it in dialog when you want to indicate an interruption.
“Of course she’ll—”
“Say yes,” John finished Mickey’s sentence.
Writer’s Digest Grammar Desk Reference states the em dash “is the most dramatic punctuation mark you can deploy within the interior of a sentence. Use it sparingly.”
I totally agree. Like the exclamation mark, overuse negates its power.
Do you have a question about punctuation? Put it in the comments and I’ll be sure to answer.
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