Is an ellipsis after an em dash unusual?
Asked by: Brandon Starr
Kira answers: This is a pretty common error I see. Authors like to use em dashes (—) in all three cases: changes of thought while speaking, stammering, or brief and long pauses. The em dash is not always correct, though. To answer your last question, Amanda, ellipses (…) can be correct.
Is a dash ellipsis?
A dash is used to indicate an interruption in dialogue, to introduce a list of items, or to signal an explanation the writer wants to emphasize. Ellipses and dashes are not interchangeable, but the misuse of either and both is common. A dash is a highlighter. An ellipsis takes the place of missing words.
Can an em dash replace an ellipsis?
In contrast, the em-dash is used to emphasize a phrase or to indicate an interruption in speech.
When to use the ellipsis or the dash in writing.
| Dialogue: ellipsis vs. em-dash | |
|---|---|
| Trailing off: ellipsis use | “Jonathan, please, what I meant was…” |
| Being cut off: em-dash use | “I don’t want to hear your excuses. It’s too late.” |
Can you put a comma after an em dash?
Swan’s PEU describes this. The em-dash does not take comma after it. That’s because, as you said it correctly, it replaces a comma so you don’t need to put it again. An em-dash may replace commas, semicolons, colons, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought.
Do I need a space after an em dash?
Spacing around an em dash varies. Most newspapers insert a space before and after the dash, and many popular magazines do the same, but most books and journals omit spacing, closing whatever comes before and after the em dash right up next to it.
What is an en dash and em dash?
The shorter en dash (–) is used to mark ranges and with the meaning “to” in phrases like “Dover–Calais crossing.” The longer em dash (—) is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.
Do you put a space before and after an em dash?
Spaces with the em dash
The em dash is typically used without spaces on either side, and that is the style used in this guide. Most newspapers, however, set the em dash off with a single space on each side. Most newspapers — and all that follow AP style — insert a space before and after the em dash.
What kind of dash goes between dates?
En Dash
An en dash is a midsize dash (longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash) that is mostly used to show ranges in numbers and dates.
How do you use an em dash example?
Use em dashes in place of commas or parentheses to create a break in a sentence. Examples: Please call my lawyer—Richard Smith—on Tuesday. This sentence could also be written with commas or parentheses.
Can you use ellipses in dialogue?
Use Ellipses to Indicate a Disruption at the End of a Line of Dialogue. General Rule: Ellipses at the end of a line of dialogue indicate that the speaker faltered before completing his or her statement.
Do you capitalize after an ellipsis?
Note that since the first dot is a period, there should be no space between the last word of the first sentence and the first dot. Some prefer to capitalize the first letter after an ellipsis if what follows is an independent clause.
Can I use em dash for dialogue?
To show an interruption of the spoken words, include an em dash inside the quotation marks, at the point where the dialogue is interrupted. “I knew you’d drop it.”
Can you put an ellipsis after a question mark?
When the omission is at the end of a sentence, however, you must first insert the appropriate punctuation to end the sentence (a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark) and then add the ellipsis.
Can you have an ellipsis before a question mark?
When the phrase preceding an ellipsis calls for a question mark, exclamation point, comma or colon, the correct order is: phrase, punctuation mark, space, ellipsis, space, next phrase.
What are some examples of ellipsis?
John saw two hawks in the sky, and Bill saw three. This is an example of a noun phrase ellipsis because “hawks” is omitted from the noun phrase “three hawks.” Notice that when a noun phrase ellipsis is used, the word or words that are omitted from one clause appear in the other clause.
How do you identify an ellipsis?
And then end with finding ways to identify an elliptical equation when we see one an ellipse is for lack of a better term an oval or an elongated circle each ellipse has two axes an axis is the line
Is an ellipsis the end of a sentence?
If words are left off at the end of a sentence, and that is all that is omitted, indicate the omission with ellipsis marks (preceded and followed by a space) and then indicate the end of the sentence with a period … .
What is ellipsis in semantics?
In linguistics, ellipsis (from Greek: ἔλλειψις, élleipsis ‘omission’) or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements.
What is an example of Epanalepsis?
Epanalepsis (eh-puh-nuh-LEAP-siss): Figure of emphasis in which the same word or words both begin(s) and end(s) a phrase, clause, or sentence; beginning and ending a phrase or clause with the same word or words. Example: “Nothing is worse than doing nothing.”
What is ellipsis in discourse analysis?
According to McCarthy (1991:43), ellipsis is the omission of elements normally required by the grammar which is the speaker/writer assumes are obvious from the context and therefore need not be raised.
How is ellipsis useful in a discourse or a text?
In a quotation, an ellipsis signifies omitted words and sentences. Be careful not to change or skew the meaning of the original speech or text. In a dialogue or narrative, an ellipsis shows faltering speech or a pause.