Oxford style Guide disses the EM — dash and tells you to only use EN dashes – not dashes either, unless you need to connect words in a word-connecting way... then again between dates and numbers you must use EN not EM... and then there are those who use ; everywhere when we all know the main use of ; is in ;-)
So interesting, Terry - thank you! The punctuation tool you've linked to is absolutely brilliant. This is such a great way to view writing through different lenses - I had never thought of observing punctuation as a tool for analysis. Fascinating stuff!
I definitely over use the comma, so I've started editing and adding periods to break up longer sentences. On one of my posts, a reader ran my writing through a chat GPT bot to improve punctuation, and I thought the results were quite spectacular.
“Good fences make good neighbors”, Terry. I am well protected by the long em dash of a fence and consider the en to be a good neighboring option. We are all set to be friends!😉
What an odd stand to take, for the Education folks. (Who are almost always off, to my mind. Not all--there are gems. But too many otherwise. Says someone who's gone through an Ed program.)
Oxford style Guide disses the EM — dash and tells you to only use EN dashes – not dashes either, unless you need to connect words in a word-connecting way... then again between dates and numbers you must use EN not EM... and then there are those who use ; everywhere when we all know the main use of ; is in ;-)
Life's too short!
Time is the fire in which we burn. —Delmore Schwartz
What great quote. Thanks Alexander
👍
! , . ! ' - - , - - - . , . " ! "
I agree, Nathan. Unfortunately it's not possible afaik to reverse engineer it, so I have no idea what you said 😂
😅 I can't remember now either, though I'm sure it was extremely complimentary!
😂
So interesting, Terry - thank you! The punctuation tool you've linked to is absolutely brilliant. This is such a great way to view writing through different lenses - I had never thought of observing punctuation as a tool for analysis. Fascinating stuff!
Interesting, innit Rebecca. I guess it's like a punctuation version of a word cloud tool.
Yes - I hadn't realised, but it's absolutely along similar lines to the word cloud idea!
I have only just realised it myself!
Lol 😂!
I really enjoyed this post. And, for the record, I love a semicolon. The sexiest of all punctuation marks.
Thanks, Bryan. I'm partial to en dashes myself.
Oh, yes -
😂
I definitely over use the comma, so I've started editing and adding periods to break up longer sentences. On one of my posts, a reader ran my writing through a chat GPT bot to improve punctuation, and I thought the results were quite spectacular.
I dislike long comma-strewn sentences because I lose the thread, so I think that's definitely a good ida!
I think I overuse the em dash—I just love it:)
Lol. I prefer the en dash, but we can still be friends 😁
“Good fences make good neighbors”, Terry. I am well protected by the long em dash of a fence and consider the en to be a good neighboring option. We are all set to be friends!😉
Wonderfully expressed, Anu 😁
The em dash cannot—and I mean CANNOT—be overused.
😂
Ah-em! Aren’t we having some fun at the expense of-no less, an em!
Very droll 😄
Em-dash-lover here, too ;)
😂 I'm thinking of starting an em dash club
Nice to meet—you:)
😂
You’re talking about me, aren’t you, when you say I use semi-colons too much? Dammit, I knew it!
Lol 😂
As a teacher ( in California) the best part of this post was the footnote. You go, Terry!!!!!
Thanks, Sharron. That footnote explains why I've never been offered a knighthood
Worth it, in my opinion! Someone's got to tell the truth around here.
eggzactly
What an odd stand to take, for the Education folks. (Who are almost always off, to my mind. Not all--there are gems. But too many otherwise. Says someone who's gone through an Ed program.)
The people in the DfE are not necessarily education experts