CGTC FAQs: Academic Support

Hyphens are the most commonly used dash in academic writing and when in doubt about a dash, use hyphens. They link compounds words and do the function of En dashes between numbers and dates, providing the meaning "(up) to and including." (All examples pulled from Merriam-Webster) How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-) | Merriam-Webster

a bread-like scone

jack-o'-lantern sugar cookies

pages 128-34

the years 2007-2019

En dashes are not commonly found in academic writing, and when in doubt, use a hyphen instead. The only major use of En dashes is to the meaning "(up) to and including" for ranges of numbers or dates, but as seen above, hyphens do this in most types of writing you are likely to be assigned. En dashes can be created in Word by typing a word, then hitting space, then typing a hyphen, then hitting space again and typing the next word. When you hit space after the next word, the hyphen will become an En dash.

The bakery will be closed August 1–August 31.

The bakery is open 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

The exceedingly complex recipe spans pages 128–34.

Mabel and Harry lived elsewhere 2007–2019.

The Em dash is the most diverse in its functions. It can work as like a comma, a colon, or parenthesis, however, when in doubt, it is still best to use one of the previously mentioned forms of punctuation. Like commas and parentheses, Em dashes set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts. Like a colon, an Em dash introduces a clause that explains or expands upon something that precedes it. Em dashes can also indicate an abrupt change or break in the structure of a sentence (Merriam-Webster).

The bakery's significantly broad hours of operation—6 a.m. to 6 p.m.—certainly showed concern for customers’ manifold circumstances.

A regular selection of three kinds of croissants—plain, almond, and chocolate—was heartening, both Mabel and Harry agreed.

Harry would never forget the Tuesday that Mabel called him from the bakery, her voice brimming with excitement—the bakery had added cheese Danishes to its selection.

The bakery was truly phenomenal. Although they did miss the mark somewhat with the pineapple upside-down cake Mabel ordered—that is, the cake had clearly been baked right-side up.

Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, both macarons and macaroons—the panoply of cookie varieties was impressive as well.

“One cannot overestimate the effect that a good bakery can have on a person’s well-being.” —Mabel the Cat, quoted in The Websterburg Reporter

Mabel the Cat was delighted with the assortment of pastries the new bakery featured, but Harry the Dog—he felt otherwise, for the bakery did not offer cheese Danishes at all.

“Of course you have a point,” Mabel murmured. “That is—I suppose it is concerning.”

Some notes on Em dashes and punctuation: If an em dash appears at a point where a comma could also appear, the comma is omitted. When a pair of em dashes sets off material ending with an exclamation point or a question mark, the mark is placed inside the dashes. Dashes are used inside parentheses, and vice versa, to indicate parenthetical material within parenthetical material. The second dash is omitted if it would immediately precede the closing parenthesis; a closing parenthesis is never omitted. (Merriam-Webster).

Within its first year, Mabel and Harry had sampled all of the bakery’s offerings—all 62 items—and had also decided that the exercise was worth repeating.

When the bakery closed for the month of August Mabel tried, despite her dolefulness—for how could she be otherwise?—to bake her own bread but each loaf that emerged from her oven tasted vaguely of tears.

The bakery’s reputation for scrumptious goods (ambrosial, even—each item was surely fit for gods) spread far and wide.

Finally, what's the visual difference between an En dash and an Em dash? The En dash” is the length of a capital N, while the Em dash is the length of a capital M.