Dashes fall into three categories:
Hyphens (-) | are used for all hyphenated words and for word breaks due to layout requirements (e.g. column widths). No spaces are placed before or after the hyphen. |
e.g. This cross-over point moves as the joint opens and closes. | |
Multiple use of hyphens may be necessary for adjectival constructions, | |
e.g. I have been given a two-day-old chick. | |
En dashes (–) | are used to replace the words ‘to’ or ‘through’ or ‘onwards’ when mentioning dates or numbers that are consecutive. No spaces are placed before or after the en dash. |
e.g. The years 1930–1945; pp. 56–67; pp. 2–. | |
But when giving a date range between BC and AD a space is placed on each end of the en dash, e.g. 52 BC – AD 108. | |
En dashes are also used for names of joint authors of a work, to distinguish the names from a single hyphenated name. | |
e.g. The Greenslade–Booker English Grammar Dictionary The Robertson–Lowry edition |
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Very occasionally, an en dash and hyphen(s) may appear together, the context dictating their use: | |
e.g. A 1–2-year-old child. |
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Em dashes (—) | can be used as an alternative to commas to identify a parenthetical statement. No space is used before or after the em dash. |
e.g. ‘The local editor—when asked why brackets and em dashes should not be interchangeable—answered, “Brackets may be used, if you wish, but em dashes are less disruptive.”’ | |
Em dashes can be used as an alternative to a colon to indicate a pause, including where that starts a list within a sentence (e.g. ‘There are many animals in the jungle—rhinos, elephants, lions, ...’). | |
Slashes (/) | Generally no space either side except in the rare case where ambiguity could occur, e.g. ‘ancient rocks/fossils’ could mean both rocks and fossils are ancient, whereas ‘ancient rocks / fossils’ could mean rocks are ancient but not necessarily the fossils. |
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