Writers who deploy this mark comfortably and adeptly (rather than haphazardly) are conscious of the rhythm and dynamics of a sentence. A well-placed dash adds energy and voice. The period is sometimes referred to as a “full stop,” and I think of the dash as fully a three-quarters stop. It proposes a long pause — slightly longer than a parenthesis, significantly longer than a comma — that in a subtle way calls attention to itself; as the linguist Geoffrey Nunberg has remarked, dashes are primarily found in “genres that permit reference to be made to the act of composition, whether the break indicated by the dash is genuine or artful invention…” (In other words, be wary of using them in an international treaty or a scientific paper.)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
ALOTT5MA FRIDAY GRAMMAR RODEO THURSDAY UPDATE: Ben Yagoda writes for the NYT on the joys of the em dash:
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When I write for any reason that isn't the most formal of business ones, I am very much an abuser of the em dash. And commas. And semi-colons. And parenthetical phrases. In general, I should not be trusted with punctuation.
ReplyDeleteI know I shouldn't criticize, but -- you forgot to include the full stop.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of using both the en and em dashes. – (alt+0150 on the numeric keypad) and — (alt+0151). Sometimes I choose the length based on how long I wish the reader to pause. I just recently learned that there are official reasons to use the shorter en dash (in dates and between open compounds.)
ReplyDeleteI am an unabashed user of the em dash. I love how it makes a sentence read. For those who know me in person, I speak in em dashes and parentheticals anyway, so why shouldn't I sue the written forms as G-d and grammar nerds intended?
ReplyDeleteWatts, be not ashamed and be not afraid. Arise, oh user of the em dash and go forth with grand sweeps of proud punctuation!
Ah, the em dash. My favorite form of punctuation.
ReplyDeleteI find I especially like the em dash if I'm writing longhand.
ReplyDeleteThat was, of course, "use" the written forms.
ReplyDeleteI use the em dash so frequently that I often wonder if I should use it less. But now I'm going to say to myself, "If Ben Yagodo loves the em dash, I can love the em dash" and use it with no reservations.
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