I see we are jumping right into the complex questions :) But very welcome!
Most people don't realize there's a difference between hyphens and dashes... but can tell when something doesn't look right. Here are a few tips:
1. Hyphens:
- Use a hyphen between words that are descriptive and related to modify another word to avoid any ambiguity. e.g., "mid-rise building", "long-term plan". The exception is where words end in an "ly", like with "largely-irrelevant details".
- Use a hyphen to join two related descriptive words before a noun, like "The at-grade retail is thriving." BUT, when the description follows the noun, do not hyphenate. So the same statement would be written as "The retail store is at grade and thriving."
Lots of editors are moving away from hyphens. It's ok not to use one where an idea is clear enough without it (e.g., "semicolon" rather than "semi-colon")!
2. Dashes:
- Use a short dash (slightly longer than a hyphen) for a range of dates, times, or numbers. It replaces words like “to” or “through”. Do not add spaces on either side. This is called an "en" dash, the width of a lowercase letter "n". On a PC, press alt + 0150.
- Use a long dash (called an “em” dash) in place of a comma, semicolon, colon, or
parentheses. It introduces an explanation or a strong point, a pause, or secondary
information. On a PC, press alt + 0151. But, too many long dashes in place of parentheses gets distracting. Keep them to a minimum!
3. On semicolons: A lot of writers are avoiding them these days. I like them for the flow they create; they provide a simple pause while keeping two separate but related statements together. Typically, you should start the second statement with a small letter. Semicolons are also useful for separating long, complex phrases while enhancing the clarity of each. It also works neatly before the word "however".
Hope this is useful. Thanks for the questions, Dennis!
- Lisa
P.S. I should mention, for anyone who thinks their organization needs it, that I sell a complete guide to style (House Rules) on my website (scribetw.com).
Lisa, what are the rules for hyphens? Sorry to go off topic (off-topic); however, I also have difficulty with semi-colons.
I see we are jumping right into the complex questions :) But very welcome!
Most people don't realize there's a difference between hyphens and dashes... but can tell when something doesn't look right. Here are a few tips:
1. Hyphens:
- Use a hyphen between words that are descriptive and related to modify another word to avoid any ambiguity. e.g., "mid-rise building", "long-term plan". The exception is where words end in an "ly", like with "largely-irrelevant details".
- Use a hyphen to join two related descriptive words before a noun, like "The at-grade retail is thriving." BUT, when the description follows the noun, do not hyphenate. So the same statement would be written as "The retail store is at grade and thriving."
Lots of editors are moving away from hyphens. It's ok not to use one where an idea is clear enough without it (e.g., "semicolon" rather than "semi-colon")!
2. Dashes:
- Use a short dash (slightly longer than a hyphen) for a range of dates, times, or numbers. It replaces words like “to” or “through”. Do not add spaces on either side. This is called an "en" dash, the width of a lowercase letter "n". On a PC, press alt + 0150.
- Use a long dash (called an “em” dash) in place of a comma, semicolon, colon, or
parentheses. It introduces an explanation or a strong point, a pause, or secondary
information. On a PC, press alt + 0151. But, too many long dashes in place of parentheses gets distracting. Keep them to a minimum!
3. On semicolons: A lot of writers are avoiding them these days. I like them for the flow they create; they provide a simple pause while keeping two separate but related statements together. Typically, you should start the second statement with a small letter. Semicolons are also useful for separating long, complex phrases while enhancing the clarity of each. It also works neatly before the word "however".
Hope this is useful. Thanks for the questions, Dennis!
- Lisa
P.S. I should mention, for anyone who thinks their organization needs it, that I sell a complete guide to style (House Rules) on my website (scribetw.com).