Search results for 'tag:Hyphens tag:Underline' matching tags 'Hyphens' and 'Underline'

Re: dashes---causing problems or solving them?

Clonc — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 09:04:00 GMT

Forgive me, but what do you mean by a âdash.â All the examples here show two hyphens. These are not dashes.

There are three types of dashes, namely Hyphens, Em Dashes and En Dashes

The hyphen is the shortest of the three and is used most commonly to combine words (compounds such as "well-being" and "advanced-level," for example) On typewriter and computer keyboards, the hyphen appears on the bottom half of the key located on the top row between the "0" and the equals mark (=).

The em dash

The em dash is the mark of punctuation most of us think of when we hear the term "dash" in regard to a sentence. It is significantly longer than the hyphen. We use the em dash to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence. Dashes can be used in pairs like parenthesesâthat is, to enclose a word, or a phrase, or a clauseâor they can be used alone to detach one end of a sentence from the main body. Dashes are particularly useful in a sentence that is long and complex or in one that has a number of commas within it.

When we confuse the em dash with the hyphen, we make a sentence virtually impossible to read. Notice the sentence containing dashes in the preceding paragraph. If a hyphen is used in place of each dash, it would seem as though we had hyphenated two pairs of words in the sentence: "parentheses-that" and "clause-or," neither pair of which makes any sense.

The en dash

The en dash is slightly longer than the hyphen but not as long as the em dash. (It is, in fact, the width of a typesetter's letter "N," whereas the em dash is the width of the letter "M"âthus their names.) The en dash means, quite simply, "through." We use it most commonly to indicate inclusive dates and numbers: July 9âAugust 17; pp. 37â59.

Many people were not even aware of the distinction between the en dash and the em dash until the advent of word processors, when software programs enabled us to use marks of punctuation that once had been available only to professional printers.

Typing the En Dash and Em Dash

Our typewriter and computer keyboards lack individual keys that display either of the dashes. (The symbol above the hyphen is an underline, not a dash.) Before word processing, we had to type an em dash by typing two hyphens. Now, many word processing software programs will automatically turn those two hyphens into an em dash (if we correctly leave NO space before or after them).

We can also choose en and em dashes from a menu of symbols that do not appear on the keyboard. In Microsoft Word, for example, we can pull down the "Insert" window, click on "Symbol," and go to the "normal text" window. The en and em dashes appear on the bottom row.

In any software program that handles text, the em dash can be typed on an enhanced keyboard as Alt + 0151âthat is, hold down the "alternate" key and type, using the numerical pad on the right side of the keyboard, the numbers 0151. The en dash can be typed as Alt + 0150.

TEST YOURSELF

Can you spot any errors in the use of the hyphen, the en dash, or the em dash in the following sentences?

1. The instructions were written on pages 33-47.

2. The conference will be held June 30 - July 2 in New York.

3. Juan had tried begging, bribing, and even demanding cooperation from his staff-all of whom were swamped with other work-before he gave up and wrote the report himself.

4. No one - not even the president of the company - realized the company would have to declare itself bankrupt so quickly.

ANSWERS

1. The instructions were written on pages 33â47. (Use an en dash, not a hyphen, to indicate inclusive page numbers.)

2. The conference will be held June 30âJuly 2 in New York. (Use an en dash, not a hyphen, to indicate inclusive dates. Do not space before or after dashes.)

3. Juan tried begging, bribing, and even demanding cooperation from his staffâall of whom were swamped with other workâbefore he gave up and wrote the report himself. (Use em dashes, not hyphens, to indicate a break in thought.)

4. No oneânot even the president of the companyârealized the company would have to declare itself bankrupt so quickly. (Use em dashes, not hyphens, to show a break in thought. Do not space before or after dashes.)

Re: Check my homework

Need2Know — Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:01:56 GMT

2. What needs to be done to correct the following sentence?

Have you read the article entitled, "Increase Your Vocabulary?"

a) The sentence is correctly punctuated.

b) Remove the comma after entitled and place the question mark outside the end quotation marks.

c) Remove the comma after entitled.

d) Underline the title of the article.

(My answer has changed to C remove the comma after entitled)

3. What needs to be done to the following sentence?

The case against the Dallas based company was handled in Seattle.

a) The sentence is correctly punctuated.

b) Add a hyphen after Dallas and after based.

c) Add a hyphen after Dallas and a comma after company.

d) Add a hyphen after Dallas.

(My answer is D because Dallas bases needs a hyphen)

I hope my changed reflect in a positive manner.

Help Me get out of this web.

Need2Know — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 17:47:03 GMT

Can you check my homework before I turn it in.
1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

a) The cost, and size of the computers are decreasing, almost as rapidly as processing power is increasing.

b) Database management systems were originally large, unwieldy, and difficult to use.

c) A factory closing means the community loses jobs tax revenues and retails sales.

d) An operating system is the set of instructions, that directs the overall operations of the computer.

(My answer is B)

2. What needs to be done to the following sentence?

Have you read the article entitle, "Increase Your Vocabulay?"

a) The sentence is correctly punctuated.

b) Remove the comma after entitled and place the question mark outside the end quotation marks.

c) Remove the comma after entitled.

d) Underline the title of the article.

(My answer is B because titles are to be underlined)

3. What needs to be done to the following sentence?

The case against the Dallas based company was handled in Seattle.

a) The sentence is correctly punctuated.

b) Add a hyphen after Dallas and after based.

c) Add a hyphen after Dallas and a comma after company.

d) Add a hyphen after Dallas.

(My answer is C because Dallas bases needs a hyphen and a comma behind company.)

Thanks for all of your help.

Can you check my homework before I turn it in.

Guest — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 17:34:25 GMT

1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

a) The cost, and size of the computers are decreasing, almost as rapidly as processing power is increasing.

b) Database management systems were originally large, unwieldy, and difficult to use.

c) A factory closing means the community loses jobs tax revenues and retails sales.

d) An operating system is the set of instructions, that directs the overall operations of the computer.

(My answer is B)

2. What needs to be done to the following sentence?

Have you read the article entitle, "Increase Your Vocabulay?"

a) The sentence is correctly punctuated.

b) Remove the comma after entitled and place the question mark outside the end quotation marks.

c) Remove the comma after entitled.

d) Underline the title of the article.

(My answer is B because titles are to be underlined)

3. What needs to be done to the following sentence?

The case against the Dallas based company was handled in Seattle.

a) The sentence is correctly punctuated.

b) Add a hyphen after Dallas and after based.

c) Add a hyphen after Dallas and a comma after company.

d) Add a hyphen after Dallas.

(My answer is C because Dallas bases needs a hyphen and a comma behind company.)

Thanks for all of your help.