Em dash becoming question mark. Em dashes are most often used in pairs to call a reader’s attention to the material they set off, making words, phrases, or clauses particularly dramatic or emotional. Em dash becoming question mark

 
 Em dashes are most often used in pairs to call a reader’s attention to the material they set off, making words, phrases, or clauses particularly dramatic or emotionalEm dash becoming question mark  The em-dash would indicate something like raising the eyebrows right at the end, or tilting the head down and looking up from under the eyebrows

Clark went to the Miami Heat – Boston Celtics game. g. As such, it should not be followed by a period or question mark. How might I swap the dash -and underscore _ keys so that underscore is shift-less?. The dash ( — ), also called the em dash, is the long horizontal bar, much longer than a hyphen. Here are some rules for how to use interrupters. For example, with mo—n for 'more than', the dash is likely to be written at x-height. Smart punctuation is an iOS feature that automatically. En-dash The medium-length dash (–) is called an en-dash (so called because it is approximately the width of a capital letter N in the typeface being used). An en dash is denoted as (–) Em dashes are longer than hyphens, but shorter than em dashes. An em dash is longer than the en. Em Dash (—) Indicate an interruption or an abrupt changeAnywhere formal typography appears, an en dash might pop up. To type an em dash in Microsoft Word, press the Option + Shift + hyphen keys (on Mac OS). immediately recalled the books. But if you use them, you’ll find they can show up near a lot of punctuation marks besides dashes. Most likely it's an en dash or em dash rather than a real hyphen or minus symbol. Imagine someone saying the line, rather than it being inner monologue. “November Cotton Flower” by Jean. Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. That said, let’s look at the two dashes and what makes them different. After three weeks of deliberation, the jury finally reached a verdict: guilty. When interrupters fall midsentence, always use a pair of punctuation marks to surround them. In informal writing, feet and inches are sometimes expressed as, for example, 5′ 10″ (read: five feet and ten inches). Original text in html page Click the Edit button to change a field's label, width and type-ahead options Replace text in html page Click the Edit button to change a. Most authorities, including The Chicago. A hyphen (-) is shorter still. It may be used in place of commas, a semicolon, a colon, or parentheses. [Emphasis mine. The em dash is used when an idea is being interrupted, when clarification is needed, when elaboration is needed, or when items are being listed in a sentence. eg What would be more gratifying than being able to help a child in the use of what Vygotsky considered one of man’s greatest tools? Language! I'm sure others will come to offer advice about the em-dash version, if you prefer that. , I need 1 thing – money. parentheses. There are specific rules for punctuating that, too: StutterThe Function of the Em Dash The em dash ( — ) is usually an alternative to another punctuation mark. These are the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). For windows, you can hold down the ‘Alt’ and ‘-‘ key and you will get an en dash. Actual output : 1993 1995 Expected output : 1993 – 1995 I have done the UTF-8 encoding in Java but still getting the same output in the excel. It has three primary functions: to connect two words and make them into a compound, to separate parts of a word at the end of a line, and to separate a prefix or suffix from a root word. Learn how to use em dashes in a sentence with these examples and best practices. 5. An em dash is often used to indicate a break in thought in a sentence. CORRECT: The score right now is 3–1. And be careful to not mix different punctuation marks. Most commonly, a dash connects an independent clause with another, with a related thought plus a conjunction like or, but, yet, as, for, and after the second dash. 89), would be to only use an em dash after a period if the period marked an abbreviation: An em dash derives its name from being the approximate width of a capital M. If the list follows the independent clause, it is best to use a colon instead. However, The Oxford Style Manual notes that “many British publishers use an en rule with. Just like in narrative, dashes can be used in dialogue to set off clauses within sentences. When a character hits a server or email. I know I could—and probably should—just remove the question mark, having only the em dash for separation, but then that gets rid of that question-like tone I want the reader to have. There is no difference in meaning between fiber and fibre. To show a break in narration or conversation in place of an ellipsis. Thanks very much for your reply, Jennifer. Em Dashes The em dash is the longest line among these marks of punctuation (—). There are two types of dash. Whether it's better to use a comma here or an em dash is another matter. The stores were filled with holiday shoppers—even more so than last year. In general, em dashes should be avoided in formal writing because they are often used in place of necessary punctuation, parentheses, or further explanation. However, I can't recall an em dash being used according to your first case in modern publishing. Example. An ellipsis suggests a slight pause, as if one thing happens and then the other. Consider the examples below:3. To create an em-dash on a Mac computer, hold down the shift and option/alt and type -. Writers have three choices of punctuation to set off sentence interrupters—commas, parentheses, and em dashes. ago • Edited 2 yr. Don’t use end quotes between paragraphs of speech. Always follow the punctuation rules in formal writing to make your work clearer and more readable. In formal writing, an em dash is the width of an m and longer than both a hyphen and an en dash. The dash works somewhat like parentheses or commas, but it is used where a stronger punctuation is needed. Proper use of punctuation marks can greatly enhance the readability and effectiveness of written communication. 1969–1981. The colon in Spanish is used for enumeration, explanation, or quotes, just like in English. Use the en dash ("short dash") to join inclusive numbers:. Here’s a trick to help you remember which is which. ago. . I solved by this link. ) You can achieve that. Of course, some may prefer the HTML markup method, where they can use it. Both spellings are many centuries old, and neither spelling was clearly prevalent on either side of the Atlantic until the second half of the 18th century. Write an em dash. The common editing choice, again supported by Chicago (6. There are two kinds of dashes, the en dash, and the em dash (long dash). The exclamation point and question mark denote strong emotion or a question, respectively. Commas allow for a smoother read than dashes, which interrupt the sentence to draw the reader’s attention. It can have a couple of uses, but it’s most commonly used in representing a range of numbers. left single quotation mark: 146 ’ right single quotation mark: 147 “ left double quotation mark: 148 ” right double quotation mark: 149 • bullet: 150 – en dash: 151 — em dash: 152 : ⃜ : small tilde: 153 ™ trade mark sign: 154 : š : Latin small letter s with caron: 155 › single right-pointing angle quotation mark: 156 : œ. However, in this case also why is there an em-dash anyways? If the exclamation or question is full and complete then why is there an "abrupt break in speech. 1973. However, they are meant to be used for different purposes: an en dash (–) is most often used to indicate ranges, while an em dash (—) is used to mark breaks within a sentence. There is one piece of good news related to this subject, though. Examples. -->if the information being set off is at the end of the sentence, use just one em dash. 87): English learners commonly make the mistake of using em dashes incorrectly. 88 Em dashes with “that is,” “namely,” “for example,” and similar expressions; 6. 'Break/Fold Mark'. Punctuation marks, like words and paragraph breaks, are tools. Em dash—hold down the Alt key and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. Use a dash instead of a comma when you want to strongly set off an idea. DASHES. Hyphens might look like dashes, but they aren’t dashes. In the "Text" tab you will find the list of substitutions. You would simply end the line of dialogue, have a sentence of narration, and then have a new line of dialogue, even if it's the same speaker continuing. An em dash is the width of the letter "m" in the font and type size being used, and should never be used in place of an en dash or hyphen. On a Windows-based system, you can form an em dash on a keyboard by holding down the Alt key and typing 0151. 92 Em dashes in lists, indexes, and tables;. a. A hyphen. QUESTION MARK U+003F: Po, other Common @ COMMERCIAL AT U+0040: Po, other Common REVERSE SOLIDUS U+005C: Po,. Em dashes can be used to. The em dash helps separate the parts of a sentence. You will only be tested on the rules of the em dash, which is what we’ll cover here. An em dash can be used for the same purpose. Note, however, that if the quoted material itself ends with a question mark or exclamation point, the. En Dash Examples. 2 - En dashes are shorter than em dashes. But other style guides might say something else—so, unfortunately, there is no. 6. In doing so, the em dash acts similarly to commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses. In AP style, the dash should be set off with spaces on both sides. And an example:There are two primary types of dashes: the em dash (—) and the en dash (–). 7 p. Question mark! Exclamation point, Comma; Semicolon: Colon-Hyphen – En dash — Em dash. W he n u sed i n pl a ce o f p a rentheses at t he end of a sentence, only a single dash is used. For example, don’t use a dash to begin the interrupter and a comma. punctuation. SQL*Plus inherits character set from. Use an em dash to mark sharp turns in thought. This is also true for the dot part of the question mark, and exclamation mark. The British practice (followed in most of the world) is to put the. If your style guide calls for spaces around a dash, you use a different character altogether, the "en-dash. True, I could work around this sentence construction entirely, although it would impact the pacing. The en dash will appear in the text field where your cursor is. Below is a list of punctuation marks written in English; translate each term into French. The patient reported taking 15 (?) milligrams of alprazolam. More Punctuation Rules Read all about the most common and rare punctuation marks, from question marks to em dashes and parentheses to interrobangs. This is largely the result of the many different ways the comma is used. , May–December or 1995–2020) or pages (e. Comillas españolas (Angle Quotes) and Comillas inglesas (Quotation Marks) Where to Practice Using Spanish Punctuation; Find and Correct the Mistakes in the Following. Examples:A Quick Guide to Punctuation. En dashes can be used to separate a date range or span of time. A colon is a more formal but weaker punctuation mark than an em dash. When interrupters fall midsentence, always use a pair of punctuation marks to surround them. Or you can create an em dash by typing Ctrl+alt+minus on your number pad. On Macs, the long dash symbol situation is much easier. . By and large, an em dash serves to insert a break in your thought without ending your thought entirely. Sometimes, a character might stutter or stammer over certain words. On a Mac. The other everyday use for em dashes—the one I use most—is to mark a break in thought within a sentence. Windows. En Dash vs. 3) The Repeating 'Em' Dash. Another way to create them is to press and hold Alt and type 0151 on a Windows device or select Option, Shift, and the hyphen key ( ‐) on a Mac. ” The slash is sometimes used to convey the same meaning. Em dash: —. (We won’t get into the serial comma issue here. But to show a true interruption, the kind that occurs when a speaker is cut off in the middle of sentence or a word, we’ll need something stronger than a comma—namely, an em dash (see also CMOS 6. Resume the dialogue with another opening quotation mark, complete the dialogue, and end with a period and a closing quotation mark. ” No spaces on either side of the em dash. Do not use the first one to mean a dash; it never does. Fiber is the preferred spelling in American English, and fibre is preferred in all the other main varieties of English. In the image below (1) is a hyphen, (2) is an en dash and (3) is the em dash. I now seem to be able to do this if I type a character - any character - after the dash, then type the curly end quote mark, and then backspace. Period, question mark, exclamation mark, comma. The em dash is the chameleon of punctuation marks. A single em dash character or a tilde may also be used. Share. And an example:There are 14 punctuation marks that are used in the English language. the question mark. For degrees, use a space between the en dash and the degree and the emphasis. Many people use these two dashes interchangeably. The word ellipsis comes from an ancient Greek word that means “to leave out. Once again, the em-dash adds more emphasis than the traditional punctuation mark. 6 Dash [UEB §7. When a colon and a comma. Intuition is important to survival: studies show that instinct can beat analytical thinking in a crisis. Actually, the rules are fairly set on spaces before or after an "em-dash" -- you don't use them. En dashes are shorter than em dashes, and they indicate a range or connection between numbers or words. Commas and parentheses vs. 1. Aether still appears as a poetic affectation, especially in reference to the word’s ancient Greek and Latin senses, but. A direct question is an interrogative sentence that asks an. Or simply type two hyphens one after the other, type the word that is supposed to appear after the em dash, and press Space—the hyphens magically turn into an em dash. Or. Alt codes only work on the. Interrupters—like this right here—are words, phrases, or clauses that break the flow of writing. We use ellipses to indicate omissions of words, phrases, or even whole sentences. Then, after you press the space bar after the word after the dash, most word processing programs will turn those two little hyphens‐‐into an em dash—like so. "Three—red, white, yellow—are my favorites. In informal writing, feet and inches are sometimes expressed as, for example, 5′ 10″ (read: five feet and ten inches). Like commas and parentheses, em dashes often set off descriptive or parenthetical information. British authors often prefer to use an en-dash ( – ) with spaces on either side rather than the em. NOTE: An em dash is not a hyphen. If the second clause starts with who then it will become dependent and therefore won't be preceded by a semicolon. (stenoscript) The dash may be written low, along the baseline, or high, at x-height, as convenient for whichever letters it links to. While closely related to other dashes—like the en dash (–) and hyphen (-)—the em dash serves a unique role in typography. ”Command for an Em dash on a mac : Shift-Option-Hyphen; Command for an Em dash on Microsoft Word : Alt + Ctrl + (minus) Em dash in HTML : — or — En Dash. Write an en dash. Should a question mark be used after an em dash that abruptly ends a sentence? Ask Question Asked 1 year, 2 months ago Modified 2 months ago Viewed 164 times 4 I looked through a number of the site's questions to find an answer to my problem. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. Hyphens are used to create compound words like: Load-bearing; Well-loved; Great-looking; Less-commonly used punctuation marks Interrobang. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. Example em dashes: Upon discovering the errors—all 124 of them—the publisher. It’s equal to the specific point size in any given typeface. The difference between a parenthetical comment using parentheses, and one using em dashes, is probably a matter of style. Examples: James opened the door and was surprised to see her. Em dashes can replace ellipses to show an abrupt break in a conversation. , accordingly, consequently, for example, nevertheless, so, thus). That may occasionally appear in old writing, where em dashes after commas and semicolons are more common. If you want to stop -- from being turned into — (emdash) you need to use the + button and add a new rule to replace -- with -- (replace with itself) Or, right click in a text field and go to "Substitutions" and disable "Smart. It is slightly shorter in length, visually resembling a hyphen, but with different usage. parentheses. Learn how to use each type in a sentence with these examples and best practices. [Emphasis mine. A dash is a punctuation mark that resembles a hyphen, but longer. 2)”Are you OK?” is a direct question. 1. The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. That's it! Now, your ugly text messages at least won't break code or URLs. Share. For the the complete list of the first 256 Windows ALT Codes, visit Windows ALT Codes for Special Characters & Symbols. ellipses —Ellipses are three periods that indicate an omission within a quoted sentence or fragment of a sentence. The Unicode standard introduced a separate character U+2015 ― HORIZONTAL BAR to be used as a quotation dash. However, despite its flexibility, it can only be used. If you’re looking for the answer — or just wondering what an em dash is — learn how (and when) to use an em dash correctly here. Em dash: 2015 ― Horizontal bar: 2017 ‗ Double low line: 2018 ‘ Left single quotation mark: 2019 ’ Right single quotation mark: 201A ‚ Single low-9 quotation mark: 201B ‘ Single high. An em dash is a punctuation mark that can be used to replace commas, parentheses, colons, and semicolons. An em dash or a pair of em dashes may indicate a sudden break in thought or sentence structure or an interruption in dialogue. An en-dash is also used as a minus sign as in –10°F. The different styles of dashes include the en dash “–”, the em dash “—”, and the horizontal bar “―”. ”. The – is called an en dash. (stenoscript) When used as punctuation, an en or em dash is doubled, like a long ⹀, to distinguish it from its phonetic use. Some consider its use informal. An em dash derives its name from being the approximate width of a capital M. An em-dash is used to show a break in thought—not in velocity—within a sentence (for not the greatest example). In addition, write the punctuation mark next to your translation. The en-dash is commonly used to show range as in dates (e. Note that although this answer cites only CMOS, I'm fairly confident (based on experience) that most major style. A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark used to connect two or more words (or parts of words) to show that they form one unit of sense—e. Most of the time you will see a space before and after this dash. En dashes are slightly shorter than an em dash and are used to connect numbers and words: 2000–2020, Paris–London, the score was 5–3. There are also some other rules regarding what to do if the title includes a question mark, ellipsis, or a colon already. the first word of a subtitle. • Dashes are often used to introduce an. In particular, do not use the colon-dash (:—) to introduce a quotation or a list. The 3 types of dashes—hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes—often get mixed up. At the end of a sentence. In terms of punctuation marks like this, the em dash is the most extended dash, which can replace parentheses, colons, and commas. Dashes. 4. A colon is quieter; a dash is more emphatic and dramatic. This eliminates option A. Hold down the Alt key, press 0 1 5 0 on the numeric pad, and then release the Alt key. Some word processing programs read the two hyphens automatically as the single mark of punctuation known as. Typically I replace these special characters in a microsoft product first with replace. And the final em dash before the question mark does nothing but to emphasize the distraction, in my opinion. d) Working 9-5 daily, and keeping up with homework is difficult. g. A dash (em dash) is emphatic. If your keyboard can't produce a dash, you will have to resort to a hyphen as a stand-in. Mabel tried, despite her dolefulness—for how could she be otherwise?—to bake her own bread but each loaf that emerged from her oven tasted vaguely of tears. em. Who doesn’t like dashes as emphasis techniques? Just consider the following guidelines: • Note that em-dashes are more emphatic than commas. Hence, 12/5/2010 means December 5, 2010, in American usage. And you wouldn't have to do any kind of terminal punctuation, no need for a period or a question mark or an exclamation point. On cell phones running Android’s Gboard or iOS operating systems, press and hold the hyphen on the onscreen keyboard. Hold down the left. The word “em” is actually a typographical unit of measurement. Em dashes can be used to replace pairs of commas and parentheses. There should be no space between the en dash and the adjacent material. I am thinking the product_code value may actually contain an -en-dash- or an -em-dash- or something other than 0x2D that is getting displayed correctly (somehow) with the combination of CubeCart, PHP, the web server and the web browser. 2. Fig. " I know you can replace em dashes with — and n-dashes with – (which should be done on the input side of your database); I don't know what the correct replacement for the smart quotes would be. C-----. 5. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—in each case to slightly different effect. Otherwise, confusion rather than clarity is likely. 2. (stenoscript) When used as punctuation, an en or em dash is doubled, like a long ⹀, to distinguish it from its phonetic use. Yeah, it could be seen as completed, but in that case the em-dash adds a bit of expression that wouldn't be there without it. And Words into Type, third edition (1974), without referring explicitly to dashes, also agrees: Direct questions. You can use a semi-colon to separate list items when an "item" is a list in itself. Most of the time, adverbs will end in the letters -ly but there are some exceptions to this rule such as the words “very” and “never”. However, if the punctuation mark is a dash (i. The good news is that the ACT isn’t going to test you on the differences between the two. g. Em dashes are the longest of the common dashes (I won’t be covering 2-em and 3-em dashes in this article) and are so named because they are the width of the letter “m. The en dash, which is slightly shorter, and the em dash, which is the one you can see in the previous paragraph. Select the Close button to close the Find and Replace dialog box (see figure 7). In British usage, we use only a single hyphen to. Type another word. That might be something worth fixing in case you have people with accents in their names, that are. But in that case the dash is supposed to be the length of the omitted word, not just a mere em-dash. It can be used to separate the elements of a date: 10 septembre 1973 = 10. Dashes are used to separate two words into statements. Dashes create urgency. En Dash: –. They are named en dashes but they are as wide as the letter N. Look at it. Use a dash instead of a comma when you want to strongly set off an idea. To illustrate, I’m going to reproduce the first sentence of this paragraph, but with a semicolon:Question Marks, Exclamation Points, and Em Dashes. " I know you can replace em dashes with — and n-dashes with – (which should be done on the input side of your database); I don't know what the correct replacement for the smart quotes would be. This is a common editing mark and has several uses, but its primary purpose is to separate clauses and huge parts of the sentence. m. It is the doppelgänger of the. Use an En dash as a replacement for the word ‘to’ or to denote a range of numbers. Picture the em dash the same width as the letter “M” and the en dash the same width as the letter “N. When print spacing or font types make it difficult to determine the length of the line, remember that hyphens join words and word parts together and dashes separate thoughts or ideas. Press the Spacebar. • Dashes are often used to introduce an abrupt change of thought, while parentheses add information. There are two common types of dashes: en dash and em dash which vary in length. In addition, write the punctuation mark next to your translation. When you type the hyphen, en dash, and em dash, no spaces should appear on either side of the punctuation mark. To insert an interjection in the middle of a sentence, place one em dash on both sides of the interjected phrase. Collingwood as Mr. Waggon was preferred in British English until a century ago, 1 and it still appears occasionally, but it is fast becoming archaic. What is the difference between en and em dashes? The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing. Use of it is more common in formal academic writing that must cite sources. The em dash performs a versatile function to help separate certain words from the rest of a sentence. In most situations, a colon is better than an em dash, but if the list is being tacked on to the end of a complete sentence, or feels like an aside (see above), then an em dash might make sense. The August–September issue of a magazine. In short: the em-dash cannot be used in Spanish like any of those English examples, except perhaps 2(a). In order to type an en dash on a Mac product, you can hold down the ‘Option’ and ‘-‘ keys simultaneously and an en dash ‘–’ should appear. g. ’ — Eleanor Roosevelt. A dash can usually be distinguished from a hyphen in print by its greater length. Improve this answer. This type of dash is usually used to omit a person's name or. So, they cannot be linked by comma (Commas are only used to link a dependent and an independent clause). . Consider the difference between the sentence above and the one. The sixth edition recommended an unspaced em dash for these purposes. Since code page 437 does not include the en dash character, any system using that code page will have to resort to a fallback mechanism to render the file names, such as a question mark. Few keyboards have a dash, but a word processor can usually produce one in one way or another. "-", the line in notepad will look like this for e. Dashes and hyphens. To format an em dash in Word, type two hyphens, with no spaces, between the words—the dash will automatically form as you continue typing. For further reasons, why you should use T1 encoding, have a look at this question: Why should I use usepackage[T1]{fontenc}? You should use a. The first is in pairs—doing this right here can help you to segment a side piece of information—or they can be used to break a sentence into a separate section nearer the end. Also, "overuse of the em dash weakens the flow of material" (APA, 2020, p. If the interruption occurs at the. When injecting a descriptive clause into a sentence, you are free to use em dashes, commas, or parentheses. Do not combine the dash with any mark of punctuation other than quotation marks, the question mark, the exclamation mark and occasionally the period. This is a good example of when to use such as dash in a sentence. The general rule is that a sentence ends with only one terminal punctuation mark. If the information in parentheses has a question mark or an exclamation mark, use the punctuation mark inside the parentheses only if the sentence ends with a different mark. Use to indicate duration or continuing or inclusive numbers such as dates, times or reference numbers, use an en-dash (a slightly. Use an em dash (a symbol that is longer than a hyphen) when the speaker stops speaking on their own or is interrupted. ) If I run the sql statements of the stored procedure until the final select statement only, the data look fine, dash character is still a dash character. There are many ways to use dashes in writing. The dash is a great way to indicate an abrupt change of thought or a parenthetical statement, and sometimes this may be useful after a question is complete. The word is usually spelled ether in all main varieties of modern English. The em dash can be used in place of commas, colons, semicolons, and parentheses to increase sentence variety and readability. As its name suggests, an em dash (—) is roughly the length of the letter M, while an en dash (–) more closely matches an N. The ellipsis suggests that Isaac cannot concentrate. If the parentheses include an exclamation or question mark: Our road trip to Florida — we love to drive to see all the sights on the way! — took three days to. It is longer than both the en dash and the hyphen, and its length is equal to the width of the letter “M” in the given font. Example: “I didn’t say—”. An em is simply a unit of measurement within the field of typography. Adashisthe punctuation name for a mark that used to separate words into statements. The verdict was unanimous — guilty. If you want to make your writing easier to read and generally look more professional, you should know what. Minus Sign: −. However I run into a bump with special characters like curly quotes en and em dashes etc. No commas following the em dashes. (2) Em dashes can replace semicolons. 86 Em dash between noun and pronoun; 6. . Option C is eliminated because there must be some punctuation for linking. It is wider than an en dash (–) or a hyphen (-). A Hebrew period in a traditional serif face usually looks like a tiny tilted square (a diamond; ). ” Stutters, Stammers, and Pauses. There should be no space on either side of the dash, including when it is followed by a quotation mark. 27, 2015. Modern Japanese uses the question mark in the same way English speakers do to denote a question, be it typed or handwritten. In this century, the shorter one is preferred in all main varieties of English. Examples. hphen – en dash – em dash — 2-em dash —— 3-em dash ———. That should explain it. The final, foolproof way to type an em dash in Word is to go to the. The question mark can be followed with a dash where necessary: He left—would you believe it?—immediately after the ball. 48 The En Dash, Numerals. The em dash suggests an instantaneous jump from one part to the other, as if the two parts are both happening at the same time. 89: "In modern usage, a question mark or an exclamation point—but never a comma, a colon, or a semicolon—may. —dijo María con calma. (Note that AP style does not use en-dashes. Use dashes and ellipses to cut sentences off. 2. The dashes are more prominent, and thus suggest a more prominent comment. Examples. For a fuller understanding of the em dash, I quote the CMOS Online in full:7. That being said, em dashes should not be used in place of hyphens or colons.