Meet the Em Dash: —!

[by Kelsey Miller]
While the name might sound reminiscent of a track event (or possibly a nickname for a hyperactive girl named Emily), the em dash is a punctuation mark and is that long-looking hyphen included in the title. Oooo! Ahhhh! The em dash resembles the hyphen(-), but is longer both in actual length(—) and the length of pause it adds to a sentence; therefore, the em dash is way cooler. The name originates from type spacing, as this dash is the width of the typed letter m. Also of interest, recluse Emily Dickinson’s poetry suggests that the em dash might be her favorite punctuation mark. Take a moment to ponder the link between the name “Emily” and “em dash.” Hmm…

For correct usage of the em dash, first consider the hierarchy of punctuation breaks. The first and least restrictive to the flow of the sentence is the comma. Next is the em dash, allowing for more of a stop than the comma. Third is the parenthesis, which pulls away from the sentence more than the first two. The em dash also implies less subordination than the parenthesis, allowing that parenthetical phrase to be more included in the sentence. Maybe the parenthesis needs to learn how to play nice. Last in the hierarchy come the brackets, which allow for a parenthetical within a parenthetical.

Keep in mind that the em dash should be used sparingly in formal writing. Usage in a blog like this, emails, and casual writing (personal essays, or writing assignments casual enough not to need works cited, etc). Em dashes could be used in correctly punctuated text messages too, but good luck finding a cell phone that recognizes two hyphens as an em dash. The first use of the em dash is denoting a parenthetical phrase, but an em dash (or parenthesis) is necessary when the parenthetical phrase already includes a comma. For example:
The students will arrive—by bus, not plane—Saturday night.
Otherwise, use an em dash to add emphasis, an interruption, or signal an abrupt change. Compare the two sentences:
I pay the bills; she has all the fun.
I pay the bills—she has all the fun.
While both are grammatically correct, the second adds more contrast and emphasis between the two subjects. Plus, the tone of the sentence signals that it would likely be in a fairly informal writing, which is an appropriate habitat for the em dash. Additionally, the em dash is used in tables where the data is unknown to represent the absent figure.

If the em dash bumps up against another punctuation mark, no need for territory fights: the dash will still fall inside the punctuation just as if the em dash (or dashes) and the words they enclose are not there:
He picked up the rumpled gift—the one wrapped in the comic section—; he had been saving this for last.
“Did you see what just happened? Holy—” she broke off, censoring her shock.

While the em dash is extremely fun and useful for varying sentence structure, be careful to avoid overuse. Too often, less-careful writers will overuse the em dash, resulting in its emphatical powers declining. For those comma-splicers out there, be warned that an em dash is not the way to fix a comma splice and stick two independent clauses together!
I was hot and hungry, I had ice cream for a snack
INCORRECT: comma splice.
I was hot and hungry—I had ice cream for a snack.
STILL INCORRECT: two unrelated independent clauses put together. The em dash is not the cure for everything (if looking for a cure-all, try duct tape).
I was hot and hungry—it must be time for ice cream.
IMPROVED: clauses are more related
For clarity’s sake, never use more than two em dashes in a sentence.
I ran out of Diet Coke—my drug of choice—to drink, but I borrowed some from my roommate—Elise.
INCORRECT: em dash overload! Remember, the key is to use them sparingly!
I ran out of Diet Coke—my drug of choice—to drink, but I borrowed some from my roommate, Elise.
IMPROVED: replaces the third em dash with a comma. Here, emphasis is not needed for the appositive that names the roommate. Commas would actually suffice in both places (in the original, incorrect sentence), particularly in more formal writing.

Now that you know how to use an em dash, how do you write one?!?! Well, handwriting an em dash is simple—just make it longer than your handwritten hyphen. Typing the em dash is also simple. Type the preceding words, type in two hyphens with no spaces in between them, and then promptly continue with your parenthetical or emphasis-needing word. Word processors will automatically connect the two hyphens into the super-powered em dash; you do not need to type any spaces around it. If your word processor is rather wonky and refuses to obey, this trick works on most PCs: type your sentence as usual:
When you need your em dash, hold down the ALT
key while typing 0151 on the numeric keypad on the right of your keyboard. Et voila! The em dash will appear.
For some reason, this trick does not work on Macs or even PCs without the separate numeric keypad. I tried this out on my laptop using the numbers above the letters, and sure enough, nada. However, I had success using my wireless keyboard that does have the separate numbers. (And yes, this is on a PC. To the Mac users: sorry. I love you anyway.)

So. Enjoy the em dash and your ever-increasingly nerdy knowledge of grammar—just remember, if you really love the em dash, save it until you find that special sentence.

Wanna see for yourself? Check out my sources:

• "Dashes."
• "Overview of Punctuation."
• "Em-dash Use and Placement--Punctuation For Fiction Writers."
• "Writing Tips: Dashes."