What do you call the long dash in a sentence?

The hyphen (-), the shortest of the three marks, is familiar (sometimes wretchedly so) to most writers. So is the em dash (—), more often called the long dash, or sometimes just the dash.

How do I make a long dash in Word? Inserting an Em Dash using Autocorrect

1. Open Word.
2. Place your cursor where you would like to insert the em dash.
3. Type two — hyphens in a row.
4. Press Spacebar.
5. This will automatically change your two hyphens into an em dash.

Likewise What is en dash and em dash?

There are two types of dash. … The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing.” The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.

What is the difference between long and short dash? Long dashes — what grammarians call em dashes — are dramatic. Those long straight lines draw your eye and hold your attention. … Short dashes show a range or connect words when the word to or and is implied.

How do I insert an em dash?

Fortunately, there are three easy methods:

1. Press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+-. …
2. Hold down the [Alt] key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad.
3. Choose Symbol from the Insert menu, click the Special Characters tab, highlight the em dash, and click Insert.

Where is the long dash on the keyboard? Press Option + Shift + Minus (that’s -, the key right next to 0 at the top of your keyboard). The em dash will appear immediately.

What is an em dash in Word?

You can insert an em dash or en dash in a Microsoft Word document using the Insert Symbol command or by using keyboard shortcuts. An em dash is a long dash which is the width of the letter m. An en dash is the width of the letter n. The dashes appear as follows: Em dash (—)

Do you capitalize after em dash? No, you don’t capitalize after a dash. You capitalize at the beginning of a sentence, not in the middle. Regardless of the type of dash you use, you typically would not capitalize the first letter of the first word after the dash. The exception is in case of a proper noun.

Is an em dash formal?

Use an em dash sparingly in formal writing. In informal writing, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought. Examples: … Again, a colon would work here in formal writing.

How do you make a long dash on Windows? To make an em dash, press and hold Alt, then type 0151.

What kind of dash goes between dates?

An en dash is a mid-sized dash (longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash) that is mostly used to show ranges in numbers and dates.

How do I make a long dash in Google Docs? While in a Google Doc on Chrome, on any laptop or desktop computer, go to Insert | Special Characters and type Em Dash in the search box. The first search result shown in the grid of characters will be the em dash; select it to insert it. You can also search, select, and insert an em dash (Figure A).

What is the difference between en and em dashes?

The en dash is approximately the length of the letter n, and the em dash the length of the letter m. The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing.” The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.

How do you type an em dash on a Chromebook? In the menu at the top, click Insert then Special Characters. In the next window, set options on left to Punctuation and on right to Dash/Connector. Select em dash and close the window. The em dash is inserted.

How do you make a long dash in Word on a Mac?

Inserting an em-dash in Word. For Mac: press “option+shift+hyphen key”. Word will automatically convert it to an em-dash.

How do you type a long dash on a Mac? How to use the em dash keyboard shortcut on a Mac. Mac operating systems all have the same shortcut for the em dash, which makes the process quick and simple. Press Option + Shift + Minus (that’s -, the key right next to 0 at the top of your keyboard). The em dash will appear immediately.

Do you use caps after a colon?

When a colon introduces a list of things, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. When a colon introduces a phrase or an incomplete sentence that is meant to add information to the sentence before it, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun.

How do you use em dash in dialogue? To show an interruption of the spoken words, include an em dash inside the quotation marks, at the point where the dialogue is interrupted. “I knew you’d drop it.”

Is an emdash informal?

Yes, the em dash is used in formal writing. This is more of a life lesson rather than a question of if an em dash is formal or informal.

Are dashes informal? Did you know that dashes are informal punctuation? … Dashes are one example; exclamation marks are another. You can avoid informal punctuation by replacing with a more formal punctuation alternative. Dashes can be replaced by several other punctuations including commas, colons and brackets.

How do you use a colon in a sentence?

Colons are punctuation marks used to signal when what comes next is directly related to the previous sentence. They are used after complete sentences. It is especially important to remember that a colon is not used after a sentence fragment.

How do you make a long dash in Outlook? If you want your Outlook email to automatically insert a long dash, also known as an “em dash,” when you type two hyphens together, go into Word’s “Tools” menu and choose “AutoCorrect Options.” Under “Replace as You Type,” check the “Hyphens with Dash” option.

How do I type an N dash?

To insert an en dash, click where you want to insert the en dash and then press Ctrl + – (minus sign on the numeric keypad). If this doesn’t work, press NumLock on the numeric keypad.