Our Thoughts

6 Responses to “Using em dashes”

1. Gary said:
   

   See also Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, on the em dash.

   28 Jul 2006 @ 12:54 | Permalink

2. Wade said:
   

   Yes, but some formats or interfaces don’t create the em-dash. And therefore, the two dash is the only alternative.

   So, when one uses two dashes, should there be no space between words? I think not.

   28 Jul 2006 @ 15:00 | Permalink

3. Kim Siever said:
   

   True, Wade, but I have seen it far too often used in instances where technical restriction was not an issue.

   28 Jul 2006 @ 15:02 | Permalink

4. Wade said:
   

   I agree Kim. I am currently working on the managing board of the Thomas Jefferson Law Review (the journal at my school) and it’s amazing to see what professors submit to us for publication.

   I am well acquainted with misusage of the em-dash, misuse of other punctuation, and the english language altogether in some instances.

   28 Jul 2006 @ 17:51 | Permalink

5. Kim Siever said:
   

   If there’s anything I have learned working at a university and reading countless items for posting on our website, it’s that you don’t need education in grammar to get a PhD.

   28 Jul 2006 @ 21:47 | Permalink

6. roger581 said:
   

   “—” an underused, but significant character. In many applications, it’s as simple as an alt 0151.

   29 Jul 2006 @ 05:21 | Permalink

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