Hyphenating Numbers: The Rules
- You should always hyphenate numbers when you are describing compound numbers between 21 and 99 (except 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90). A compound number is any number that consists of two words; for example, eighty-eight, twenty-two, forty-nine.
- Numbers higher than 99 do not need a hyphen.
What are dashes used for example?
Em dashes save the day when other punctuation would be awkward. For instance, em dashes can replace parentheses at the end of a sentence or when multiple commas appear in a parenthetical phrase. After a split second of hesitation, the second baseman leaped for the ball (or, rather, limped for it).
What is a dash punctuation examples?
Dashes replace otherwise mandatory punctuation, such as the commas after Iowa and 2020 in the following examples: Without dash: The man from Ames, Iowa, arrived. With dash: The man—he was from Ames, Iowa—arrived. Without dash: The May 1, 2020, edition of the Ames Sentinel arrived in June.
How do you write dashes?
Hold down Ctrl and press – on the numeric pad. Your en dash will appear. Write an em dash. Hold down Ctrl + Alt and press – on the numeric pad.
How do you use a dash in a sentence?
A dash can be used to replace a colon that offers more information about something previously mentioned in the sentence. For example: She demanded just one thing from her students: effort. She demanded just one thing from her students — effort.
What is the effect of a dash in a sentence?
The Dash. An em dash—inserted by typing Control+Alt+Minus between the words it separates—signals an abrupt break in thought. It can be seen as “surprising” the reader with information. If used judiciously it can mark a longer, more dramatic pause and provide more emphasis than a comma can.
How do you use a dash in the middle of a sentence?
Use a dash to show a pause or break in meaning in the middle of a sentence:
- My brothers—Richard and John—are visiting Hanoi. (Could use commas.)
- In the 15th century—when of course nobody had electricity—water was often pumped by hand. (Could use brackets.)
How do you use a dash instead of a comma?
Use Dashes in Place of a Comma Em dashes can be used in pairs to replace commas when writing a parenthetical or interruptive phrase. The dashes have a slightly more emphatic feel, making the reader focus on this information that is set inside the special marks.
How do I type an en dash?
If you have a numeric keyboard, hold down the Alt key and type 0151 for an em dash or 0150 for an en dash.
How do I create an em dash in Word?
3. 1. Inserting an em-dash in Word
- For Mac: press “option+shift+hyphen key”.
- For desktop PC: press “alt+ctrl+minus” on the numeric keypad (the number section on the far right of your keyboard).
Why is my computer automatically filling in with dashes?
My computer is a HP Pavilion A6600F, Windows 7 64 bit, and recently when I turn on the computer it automatically fills in the sign in areas. I have had to hit enter twice before I can sign in. Some times when I want to do a search for something it will fill that area with dashes and won’t allow me to stop it.
When do you use en dashes in writing?
In some writing stylebooks, such as The Chicago Manual of Style and The MLA Style Manual for academic writing, en-dashes are used to show ranges in numbers and dates. For example: The AP Stylebook, used by most American newspapers as well as businesses and other institutions, does not recommend en-dashes.
When do you put a hyphen after a dash?
Note: When typing em-dashes, always put a space before and after the dash. When should you use a hyphen? Hyphens are not the same as dashes. They are used to make a connection between two words working as a unit, or when two words have a combined meaning. These are known as compound words. Examples include “Mother-in-law” or “pick-me-up.”
Is the em dash the same length as the en dash?
The em dash is the same length as the character “M” (uppercase), and the en dash is same length as the letter “n” (lowercase). As dashes do not feature on a standard keyboard, lots of people use hyphens instead of dashes.
