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Why the em-dash should be your best friend
Can take the place of a pair of commas,
brackets, colons, and semicolons
Spans, ranges, direction, conflict
In chapters 8–12From 2008–2014
Mumbai–Delhi railway BJP–Congress debate
Joins separate words into a single
word
lunch is free for allfree-for-all lunch
lunch is a free-for-all
Sentences with 1 em-dash
There are many things I love about SocialCops: the blogs, the email newsletters and the grammar TOTs.
Replacing a colon
There are many things I love about SocialCops — the blogs, the email newsletters and the grammar TOTs.
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Replacing a colon
I have three favorite foods — eggs, eggs and eggs.
a complete sentence a list
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Replacing a colon
There’s one thing I hate about work — the quiet.
a complete sentence single-item list
Sentences with 1 em-dash
SocialCops really knows how to party; we call it Friday Demos.
Replacing a semicolon (joins two sentences of equal significance)
(joins two sentences to show a connection between them)
SocialCops really knows how to party — we call it Friday Demos.
Sentences with 1 em-dash
We love data — it’s our passion and best friend.
a complete sentence
Replacing a semicolon (joins two sentences of equal significance)
(joins two sentences to show a connection between them)
a complete sentence
Sentences with 1 em-dash
[A complete sentence goes here] — [this can be a single-item list, multi-item list or another complete
sentence].
The general rule
Sentences with 1 em-dash
This is what brought me to SocialCops — the demos, the awesome tech and captains ball.
The demos, the awesome tech and captains ball — this is what brought me to SocialCops.
Pro tip
Invert your list with an em-dash for emphasis. (You can’t do this with a colon!)
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Examples
I think Viz might make it easier for you to do what you do every day — and tell great data stories.
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Examples
I think Viz might make it easier for you to do what you do every day — and tell great data stories.
I think Viz might make it easier for you to do what you do every day — tell great data stories.
↓
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Examples
I think Viz is the most powerful tool on the market because of its sophisticated features — maps at every
level, beautiful templates, simple customization and easy embeds.
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Examples
I think Viz is the most powerful tool on the market because of its sophisticated features — maps at every
level, beautiful templates, simple customization and easy embeds.
No problems!
↑
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Examples
After 1800 cups of coffee, 80 all-nighters and 50,000 lines of code, we are ready for the launch of Viz 2.0 —
with a lot of cool and powerful features.
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Examples
After 1800 cups of coffee, 80 all-nighters and 50,000 lines of code, we are ready for the launch of Viz 2.0 —
with a lot of cool and powerful features.
Doesn’t work. The author likely added this because they wanted to put a comma, but they thought there were too
many commas already.
↑
Spans, ranges, direction, conflict
In chapters 8–12From 2008–2014
Mumbai–Delhi railway BJP–Congress debate
Joins separate words into a single
word
lunch is free for allfree-for-all lunch
lunch is a free-for-all
Can take the place of a pair of
commas, brackets, colons, and semicolons
An em-dash is not a comma
Sentences with 1 em-dash
Break up the sentence or simplify it:
1800 cups of coffee, 80 all-nighters and 50,000 lines of code later, we are ready to launch Viz 2.0 with lots of
cool and powerful features.
or
In the last four months, we drank 1800 cups of coffee, pulled 80 all-nighters and wrote 50,000 lines of code.
Now we are ready for the launch of Viz 2.0, with a lot of cool and powerful features.
Sentences with 2 em-dashes
Replacing brackets or commas
Collect, a mobile data collection tool, is used by 140 partners around the world.
Collect (a mobile data collection tool) is used by 140 partners around the world.
Collect — a mobile data collection tool — is used by 140 partners around the world.
Sentences with 2 em-dashes
Replacing brackets or commas
Collect — a mobile data collection tool — is used by 140 partners around the world.
Collect is used by 140 partners around the world.
What’s outside the em-dashes must make sense on its own.
Sentences with 2 em-dashes
Replacing brackets or commas
Collect is a mobile data collection tool — used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj — most of
whom joined last year.
Sentences with 2 em-dashes
Replacing brackets or commas
Collect is a mobile data collection tool — used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj — most of
whom joined last year.
Collect is a mobile data collection tool most of whom joined last year.
Not correct!
↑
Sentences with 2 em-dashes
Replacing brackets or commas
Collect is a mobile data collection tool — used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj — most of
whom joined last year.
Collect is a mobile data collection tool used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj, most of
whom joined last year.
↓
Sentences with 2 em-dashes
Example
I know you’re super busy — not sure if you’ve had a chance to check out Viz — the easiest way to build
maps.
Sentences with 2 em-dashes
Example
I know you’re super busy — not sure if you’ve had a chance to check out Viz — the easiest way to build
maps.
I know you’re super busy. I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to check out Viz, the easiest way to build
maps.
↓
Last notes
Em-dashes are powerful, but only when you use them purposefully.
