Hyphens are generally used in compound words and names and for word division and to separate characters. You see them in Social Security numbers (like 123-45-6789) and phone numbers (512-555-8679). You also use them when spelling something out, as in "Isn't palindromes spelled p-a-l-i-n-d-r-o-m-e-s?"
One use of note is hyphens in phrasal adjectives1. It's kind of the same deal as with commas with coordinate adjectives in that the hyphen can make the phrase mean something different. Consider the difference between "thick-dick guy" and "thick dick guy." OK, that's not really a good example. How about "small animal hospital" and "small-animal hospital"? Basically, what you need to remember is if, in the case of a three-word phrase, if the first and second words work as a unit to modify the third word (noun).
There are many uses for hyphens, and I'm sure they'll come up again in later posts.
En dashes have some very specific uses. The most common would probably be using an en dash instead of "to." But you can't use an en dash if "from" or "between" precedes the first element (e.g., "The erection lasted from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m."; "For further examples, see pages 8–21."). So, you know, basically use one when there's a range of numbers, like "20–25 percent," "a 113–25 vote," etc.
Another major use for the en dash is with open compounds2. Basically, you use an en dash instead of a hyphen when a word is modifying an open compound, as in "your post–high school years." You would also use an en dash to link a city name to a university name, like the University of Texas–San Antonio or St. John's College–Santa Fe.
Oh, the em dash. It's been in my experience that em dashes tend to be overused. The main use of em dashes is to amplify or explain something within a sentence—setting it off from the rest—which can also be done with commas, parentheses, or a colon.
There are other uses for the em dash, but I'm tired, so I'm sure I'll revisit this topic in the future.
That's all for this week. Enjoy, kiddies, and remember: no one expects a properly used en dash. Ta.
1See Secs. Secs. 5.92–5.93, Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed.
2See Sec. 7.83, Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed.
(Source: Secs. 6.81–6.91, Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed.)
2 comments:
i always had problems with typing em dashes for print for some reason.
also, mark and i had a 2am conversation on Capitol versus capital last night. you would be proud.
I loooooove me some en dashes. Naaaarrrrrrr.
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