Dashes! Help Plz!

College Essays
1

<p>How do I make a dash on my essays? When I use 2 hyphens together it just looks like 2 hyphens and doesn't make a dash. Should I just use 1 hyphen instead?</p>

<p>HELP!!!</p>

2

<p>Or just don't use dashes. It sounds as if you don't use them regularly. Don't use them to make it "better". Chances are, your essay sounds fake.</p>

3

<p>If you use word, go to "insert" and then "special characters".</p>

4

<p>Two hyphens is a perfectly acceptable substitute for an em dash. Alternately, if you’re using an em dash correctly, substitute a semicolon.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

5

<p>Oh that's great. I'll use 2 hyphens.</p>

<p>BUT, now I have a new question.</p>

<p>Do your dashes need spaces on either side of them? (like -- this)
or not? (like--this)</p>

<p>This is really bugging me.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

6

<p>No spaces. (I believe)</p>

<p>The flood behaves as a ritualistic cleansing--it is part of the cycle of life that we observe...</p>

<p>Dashes and itallics are good for adding voice to the essay, but they should be used sparingly. A comma indicates the smallest pause, the semicolon indicates a longer pause. A period indicates the longest pause. A dash is inbetween a period and a semicolon</p>

7

<p>What about this sentence about chess:</p>

<p>He taught me the basics--how the bishop moves diagonally and how you must protect the king--and I caught on fast.</p>

<p>Are dashes good there?</p>

<p>So no spaces for sure everyone else?</p>

8

<p>I don't know if there are any punctuation problems there, but I would rework it: </p>

<p>He taught me the basics: how the bishop moves diagonally and how you must protect the king--I caught on fast.</p>

<p>I got rid of the and just before I caught, because with the and, a simple comma would also work.. and you shouldn't use a dash where a comma will work, just like you could not use a period if a comma would work.</p>

<p>I read some short stories by the most famous and successful Filipino writer, Nick Joaquin, and he actually has 500 and 700 word sentences. He uses dashes and semi colons, and he's so skilled at it, you get 700 words into the story and realize you're still on the first sentence. His stories are good too.</p>