poems with dashes and exclamation points

#Poems with dashes and exclamation points how to
#Poems with dashes and exclamation points series

(This is an example of a sentence where the period falls within the parentheses.) We’ll learn more about this in Text: Parentheses.Ī question mark comes at the end of a question.

Sometimes the period comes after the closing parenthesis (as you can see in the first bullet), but sometimes it appears inside the parentheses. Periods and parentheses can also appear right next to each other.However, you can place a comma immediately after a period, as you can see above with etc.Mary bought the whole store: chips, soda, candy, cereal, etc. If an abbreviation, like etc., ends a sentence, you should only use one period.Carlos leaned forward and asked, “Did you get the answer to number six?”.When quoting a question, you would end with a question mark, not a question mark and a period: You should never use more than one ending punctuation mark in a row (period, question mark exclamation point).Source: ‘A Guide to Em Dashes, En Dashes, and Hyphens’ on merriam-webster. Both em and en are perfectly good words in Scrabble, but if either of those is your primary word, you’re having a tough turn. They all took advantage of internships with Twin Cities–based 3M.She rose to power in the post–Cold War era.The Bookstore’s hours of operation are 8 a.m.–6 p.m.Įn dashes are also used in lieu of a hyphen in compound adjectives when one of the elements is a two-word compound.The patio will be open May 1–September 30.They can be used between numbers and dates to signify the meaning “up to and including.” Here are two great uses for en dashes that offer more clarity and make for easier reading: Most people use simple hyphens in their place.

#Poems with dashes and exclamation points how to

“When spring arrived-finally!-frustrated Minnesota gardeners were able to get their fingers into the ground.”Įn dashes, named because they’re the width of a capital N-go figure!-are seldom used, presumably because most people don’t know how to create them (Option key + hyphen on a Mac keyboard Alt + 0150 on a PC), and I scarcely recall seeing them in University publications or on websites in recent years.

“I would say 10-12 years ago we recognized that this broader lens of wellbeing was what people are really yearning for in their life.”Īnd when em dashes are setting off material that requires a punctuation mark like a question mark or exclamation point, that comes inside of the final dash:.

Village Wok, the Big 10, the iconic two-story McDonald’s-the list of food joints squeezed out for more high-rise housing units kept growing.Īn em dash can precede the source in a pull quote:.

#Poems with dashes and exclamation points series

It was her daughter sharing the news she had hoped to hear-Rachel had been accepted to the University of Minnesota.Īn em dash can introduce a summary statement following a series of terms or phrases.

Stella would never forget the call she received that snowy evening in December.

They can be used to expand upon the previous clause in a dramatic way.

Most experts outside of the program felt this would be a rebuilding year for the Gophers, but Coach Clippard-she knew otherwise.

The em dash can be used to indicate a sudden change in direction within a sentence.

After excelling in an assortment of challenging courses-physics, organic chemistry, and physiology-Lee decided to pursue a career in medicine.

They’re often used to highlight lists of things when commas would be unwieldy. Here are just a few examples of how em dashes can be used:Įm dashes are often used-like commas and parentheses, and this helpful aside-to set off parenthetical information within a sentence. University Relations’ style calls for no spaces between em dashes and the text that precedes and follows them, but many newspapers and magazines add a space. And like a colon, it can introduce a word or a clause that describes or expands upon what precedes it.Īs for spacing around em dashes, it varies widely. Like commas and parentheses, em dashes often set off descriptive or parenthetical information. It can function like a comma, parenthesis, or colon. (In particular, I’m a big fan of the em dash-the longest mark in the “family” of punctuation that comprises em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens.)Īn em dash derives its name from being the approximate width of a capital M.

You have to be pretty geeky to talk enthusiastically about em dashes and en dashes, but they can be put to good use-if used properly-in your communications. Based on that headline, if you’re still reading this you either have little else to do right now or are really a grammar geek.