How to use hyphens and dashes correctly?
HYPHENS AND DASHES – In English grammar, you have most probably encountered these punctuation marks already, and here’s how to use them correctly.
Punctuation is important in writing. It provides clarity, rhythm, and meaning to sentences. However, among the lesser-discussed but equally important punctuation marks are hyphens and dashes. People are sometimes confused as to how and when to use them correctly, as they look alike. Despite the similarity, they serve very different functions in English grammar and writing.
The Hyphen (-)
This punctuation mark is used to join words or parts of words and is not interchangeable with other types of dashes. When to use hyphens? Some compound words are hyphenated, and numbers between twenty-one and ninety-nine are also hyphenated. This is also used with a compound modifier before a noun.
Here are some examples:
- well-known
- high-quality
- full-time
- open-minded
- short-term
- long-lasting
- up-to-date
- user-friendly
- middle-aged
- old-fashioned
- mother-in-law
- editor-in-chief
- sister-in-law
- brother-in-law
- runner-up
- check-in
- passer-by
- brother-in-law
- self-esteem
- father-in-law
- one-third
- three-fourths
- two-thirds
- ex-president
- anti-virus
- pre-existing
- re-elect
- self-aware
- co-worker
The En Dash (–)
This is a bit longer than dashes, which are often mistaken for hyphens. Its function is like a super hyphen and is often used to show a range of numbers, dates, or times, and join two-word adjective phrases to a single noun.
Examples:
- 2010–2020 (years)
- pages 45–67 (page range)
- Monday–Friday (days of the week)
- 9:00 PM–5:00 PM (time range)
- the Philippines–Japan agreement
- the teacher–student bond
- the north–south divide
- the love–hate relationship
- the Mindanao–Luzon trade route
- the freedom–responsibility balance
- the profit–loss margin
- the cause–effect principle
The Em Dash (—)
This is the longest of the three that is used in informal and creative writing. This is used to get the reader’s attention and make words, phrases, or clauses particularly dramatic or emotional. This is used to introduce and emphasize more detail at the end or middle of a sentence, emphasize a list already separated by commas, and mark a sudden change in a sentence’s tone.
Examples:
- She gave him her final answer—no.
- The result was clear—victory.
- My brother—the one who lives in Canada—is visiting us next month.
- The movie—although quite long—was very entertaining.
- I was about to tell him the truth—but I stopped.
- He opened the envelope—and gasped.