Is there a space between word and em dash?

Every style guide I checked, except the AP Stylebook, stated there should be no spaces between an em-dash and the adjacent words. That means it is a style choice. If you’re writing for a newspaper, magazine, or website that uses Associated Press style, put in the spaces. Otherwise, leave them out.

How many spaces are used when using an em dash?

The em dash is typically used without spaces on either side, and that is the style used in this guide. Most newspapers, however, set the em dash off with a single space on each side. Most newspapers — and all that follow AP style — insert a space before and after the em dash.

How do I format an em dash?

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

Should there be spaces around an em dash MLA?

In the MLA Handbook, we show no space before and after dashes because that’s the standard format used by publishers in the United States. Typing spaces before and after dashes is a way to avoid this.

Are em dashes informal?

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: You are the friend—the only friend—who offered to help me.

Can I put an em dash after a question mark?

Use an em dash with an exclamation point or question mark, but not with a comma, a colon, or a semi-colon (and only rarely with a period).

Do you put spaces between slashes?

Many people wonder whether to use a space before and after slashes. When a slash signifies alternatives between only two words, don’t use spaces before or after. When using slashes to signify alternatives between phrases or multi-word terms or compounds, a space before and after the slash makes text easier to read.

Is em dash formal or 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.

How do you use an em dash and an en dash?

The en dash is approximately the length of the letter n, and the em dash the length of the letter m.

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

How do you format an em dash in MLA?

Dashes in Your Prose Em dashes—like the ones used in this sentence—separate one portion of the sentence from another. They work like parentheses. MLA style uses en dashes—so called because they are the length of the letter n—in prose after single compound adjectives that are also proper nouns.

Is there a space between and?

An ampersand (&) is used as a shortened form of and. The ampersand should be avoided within text but may be used for company names such as Wilson & Jones or P & O if that is the general style of the company name. Leave one space before and after an ampersand.

Do you put spaces around em dashes?

Remember, though, that when using the hyphen, the en dash, or the em dash, you should put no space either before or after them. The only exception is with a hanging hyphen (see, for example, the word “nineteenth” in the phrase “nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature”).

When to use an em dash?

In place of a comma A lot of writers have adapted the em dash to suit their own purposes.

In place of parentheses Em dashes are also used as interruptors in sentences,mostly in blogs and digital content.

In place of a colon A colon is used to introduce information at the end of a sentence,which is a job that an em dash can often do

What the Heck is an em dash?

An em dash, or dash in general, is longer . This is double the length of a minus sign (-) and indicates that there is a break in thought. You would not use a dash in a mathematical expression like this. The minus sign will do just fine. As mentioned above, an em dash can be used in place of a comma, parentheses, or colon (semicolon).

How to use an em dash?

Use an em dash to join independent clauses. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a related thought plus a

Mark non-essential information with an em dash. Much like a comma, you can use an em dash to clarify information, but is not essential to the

Use an em dash to offset lists placed in a sentence. An em dash can be used to mark a list placed in the middle of a sentence where commas are

Create emphasis in a sentence with an em dash. Dashes can also be used to emphasize a point in a sentence. Typically, these points come after the