We shouldn’t use em dashes at the start of a list to replace a colon, nor in lists to replace semicolons. We should also be careful not to overuse the em dash in our writing because the other forms of punctuation listed are the standard accepted forms and should be used, mostly. If you need the reader…

As you can see from the guide so far, when using an em dash we rarely put a space before or after the punctuation unless we are using multiple em dashes together to represent an omitted word such as in the section above. Some establishments require you to write to a certain style guide which…

Whether you are intentionally omitting the word to protect somebody’s identity (such as in legal documents, for example) or you are deliberately withholding the word for another reason (such as cursing or something similar) then we use either two or three em dashes to represent that something has been omitted. You should pick one that…

We can also use em dashes’ to signal that an interruption has taken place. It might be within the scene, or within a conversation, or even within a character’s own thoughts. Whatever the case, we can use an em dash to signal interruption. Here are some examples from within a scene, a conversation, and thoughts:…

Using an Em Dash in Place of Other Punctuation Below we’ll show you just one example of each punctuation mark being replaced with an em dash so you can see how it would work. Remember though, that as with anything in writing you should always use it sparingly. The other punctuation on the list is the more…

An em dash can be used to replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons, or to show an interruption in a sentence. Remember, that em dashes in place of other punctuation should be used sparingly, but for interruptions it is the primary form of punctuation that is used.

What Is an Em Dash? An em dash (—) is a punctuation mark that we can use in a variety of different situations. It is longer than both the en dash (–) and the hyphen (-) and we use em dashes in sentences in unique ways to the other two. An em dash or long dash (—) is what…

Dates and Time As we’ve already covered the reasons behind using an en dash here, we’ll jump straight in with some examples of how to use them below. We used one of them incorrectly. See if you can spot which one: 1) I work 9–5.       (Correct) 2) Sally’s working hours are from 8–4. …

There should be very few cases in which an individual might confuse the en dash, colon, and semicolon because en dashes are just not used similarly. Em dashes would be more commonly mistakenly used, because they serve similar purposes in a sentence. Colons can create emphasis in a sentence, just like an em dash can. Semicolons are primarily used…

The most common mistake when using en dashes has already been covered, but it is such a common problem. Although we have already warned you about using ‘from’ and ‘between’ and en dashes, we are going to repeat ourselves because it is an issue that many people do without thinking, but it is grammatically incorrect. ‘From’…