How to Use Dashes in an Essay?

For most teenagers and even grown-ups, the words “dash” and “hyphen” don’t make a big difference. They use them interchangeably and quite sporadically. Nevertheless, in writing academic texts, students at high schools and colleges get assessed by their knowledge of different linguistic devices, where a dash certainly plays a big role.

This article will serve everyone as a great reference material on how to use various types of dashes and a hyphen correctly when writing an essay.

While mastering the use of dashes and hyphens in academic writing is essential, students often feel overwhelmed by the intricacies of such grammatical details, leading them to think, ‘Maybe I should just have someone do my paper.’ This thought is particularly common when faced with the pressure of producing well-structured, grammatically accurate essays. However, it’s important to recognize that grappling with these challenges is a part of the learning process. Seeking assistance in understanding and applying these rules is more beneficial in the long run than simply outsourcing the entire writing task. The ability to use dashes and hyphens effectively not only improves your writing skills but also enhances your ability to convey complex ideas clearly, a skill that is invaluable in academic and professional communication.

What is a dash symbol?

A dash symbol is most likely familiar to everyone. It is written as a “–“ and it is virtually impossible to confuse it with any other linguistic symbol. It is a punctuation mark used to emphasize a meaning or to break and set off a part of a sentence, especially a long one.

The exact origins and the history of the dash symbol remain unknown. One fact that is known for sure is that it evolved and developed over many centuries along with the art of writing and in particular, with the invention of the printing press.

Today, there are three major variations of dashes each characterized by a unique length and carrying a distinct meaning:

1. Hyphen (-). Hyphen is used to connect composite words and break ordinary words across text lines.
2. En type of Dash (–). The shortest variant of the dash is used to indicate ranges (length, value, etc.).
3. Em type of Dash (—). This is the type of dash in its classic meaning, used to separate words and parts of a sentence.

Let’s talk about each of these variations and their practical application at length.

When to use a dash in a sentence

Using dashes in a text can vastly enhance it and magnify the writer’s chances of achieving their writing goals, whatever those may be. However, just like with any powerful tool, it can be abused and overused, and the result achieved could be quite the opposite. It only takes a moment, though, to memorize a few simple rules on when to use dashes in a sentence.

• Highlight a point. Skilled writers use dashes to emphasize their thoughts and ideas. When used moderately, this technique greatly improves the readability of information.

Example: “The devastating result of unregulated emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere – rapid increase in the Arctic ice melt-down, and consequent warming of the global ocean.”  

• Easy inclusion of parenthetical information. Many people don’t know that using dashes is a much better – easier to read way – of including additional information into a sentence, as opposed to the common parentheses.

Example: “The central cafeteria on our campus – the one located at the main library building – has opened a new dining room this summer.”

• Provide examples. Instead of writing “for example”, or the hard-to-read “e.g.,”, you can also use a dash.

Example: “Certain planets of the Solar System that have evolved without satellites – Mercury and Venus – are particularly important to study.”

• Emphasize contrasts. Consider using a dash to contrast two or more parts of a sentence.

Example: “Quantum computers are expected to solve many of humanity’s problems – yet, many prominent scientists believe that their power could lead to unpredicted consequences.”

• An abrupt change in thought. If you want to enhance the meaning and value of a sentence by introducing a sudden shift in a thought (or if you need to increase the word count in your essay), using a dash is a good solution.

Example: “Her way of expressing an opinion and describing things was astonishingly exquisite – impressing everyone in the class whenever she’s got to speak publicly.”

How to use a dash in an essay

High school and junior college students get plenty of opportunities to practice using dashes while writing their essay assignments. Typical essays at high schools are simple, and the teachers are flexible in assessing such writing works. What’s more important – one gets to write a lot of essays, often two or more at a time from different classes.

In knowing how to use dashes correctly in an essay during graduate college studies, there are no secrets, either. The golden rule of thumb is to use them whenever they are really needed.

Don’t force yourself to use a certain number of dashes. Instead, insert them naturally, to dilute complex sentences, enhance certain points you make, and substitute ordinary parentheses. Yes, it is highly advisable to use dashes instead of parentheses – they improve readability, especially when used in the introduction and conclusion.

When using a dash in a sentence in an essay, make sure you use the correct dash type, i.e., the longer EM type of dash (—) to highlight a point or include additional information, the shorter EN type of dash (–) to indicate ranges, and the shortest type, the hyphen (-), for complex and composite words (such as in “well-known”, “up-to-date”, “high-pressure”, “non-profit”).

More dash punctuation examples

To satisfy our readers’ hunger for how to use dashes in sentences, we have prepared more examples. Now it’s also a perfect time to introduce two additional types of dashes – the ones used less commonly in essay writing, but more so in scientific publications:

• Figure Dash (‒). It is shorter than both the EM type of dash and the EN type of dash, but still longer than the hyphen (though, some use it as an alternative to a hyphen). The sole purpose of this dash is to indicate numerical ranges.

For example:

• Swung Dash (⁓). This figure type of dash is commonly used to indicate approximation and uncertainty in values or estimates.

For example:

• En Dash (–). More examples of this popular dash type:
• Em Dash (—). Finally, a few extra examples of the “main” dash type:

The Bottom Line

Dashes are ubiquitous in writing. This is so for a good reason – they have the power to greatly enhance the meaning and value of written content. Why would dashes be used in a sentence of a college essay so often? For the same reason – they are the kings of academic punctuation. It’s fair to say that a dash or hyphen are some of the most important punctuation marks artistically and communicatively.