I've finished my novel with single hypens, only to learn that when submitting a novel I am supposed to make em and en dashes. So, I'm going to go through and replace everything. Only question now is when to use an em and en dash. All the stuff I've found online is kind of confusing. Is it best to just select all the "-"s and replace them with "--" in microsoft word?
em and en dashes
- Thread starter mesh138
- Start date
- Status
this is a straightforward explanation. what you are seeking are obviously em dashes.
best way in ms word is to hold down the alt key and type 0151.
http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/091502.htm
best way in ms word is to hold down the alt key and type 0151.
http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/091502.htm
dashes
Word should be set to turn a double hyphen into an en em dash automatically. It comes defaulted this way.
If you type two hyphens between words with a space on either side, Word automatically turns this into a en dash. If you type two hyphens between words without a space on either side, Word automatically turns it into an em dash.
Word should be set to turn a double hyphen into an en em dash automatically. It comes defaulted this way.
If you type two hyphens between words with a space on either side, Word automatically turns this into a en dash. If you type two hyphens between words without a space on either side, Word automatically turns it into an em dash.
how about....
how about when a hypen is used to rbeak up text, for example
"And that one time- well, we didn't make it."
em dash? or single hypen?
how about when a hypen is used to rbeak up text, for example
"And that one time- well, we didn't make it."
em dash? or single hypen?
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 43,746
- Reaction score
- 8,652
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Website
- www.amazon.com
mesh138 said:
If you do that, you'll get a lot of double dashes you don't want, and you'll still have to go through the ms and delete some of them, because some should be single. Still, deleting will probably be less work than adding.
space or no space?
Definitely em dash, but not spaced like that.
With AP style, you put a space on both sides of the dash. I would guess it's because, in newspapers, you don't want words breaking up strangely, for example:
But I'm not aware of a style that would have a space only on one side, as in your example. Anybody else seen that?
mesh138 said:
Definitely em dash, but not spaced like that.
With AP style, you put a space on both sides of the dash. I would guess it's because, in newspapers, you don't want words breaking up strangely, for example:
As for that one time—inter-
estingly, we didn't make it.
I use AP style in my work, but I'm aware that other stylebooks run them all together (probably because a prof'l typesetter will make sure the above doesn't happen).estingly, we didn't make it.
But I'm not aware of a style that would have a space only on one side, as in your example. Anybody else seen that?
I hope not. The only exception is the em dash that introduces a list whose elements end the sentence.punstress said:
Good reasons to go to bed early include–
• Escaping dishwashing duty.
• Getting a head start on the night's dreams.
• The joy of watching the six o'clock news in your pajamas.
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for this thread. One more bit of punctuation figured out, more or less. And well-timed, too! (I spent the day proofing an anthology manuscript.)
- Status