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Category_MWW Blog>The Dash
Another Off-Beat Dash Rule
When a person finishes a sentence and then decides to add "clarification" in the form of an appositive that renames the subject, the only correct punctuation is a dash.
...We didn't have the exper...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma
A Not-Very-Well-Known Dash Rule
Most reporters use the dash simply for that ever-present interruption. There are, however, grammar rules associated with the dash.
Here's one:
When an indefinite pronoun follows ONE word and rena...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma
"i.e." and Its Friends, Part 4
These eight expressions are often used when something is being renamed or reiterated:
i.e., that is, e.g., for example, to wit, namely, for instance, in other words
The punctuation depends upon w...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma
"i.e." and Its Friends, Part 3
These eight expressions are often used when something is being renamed or reiterated:
i.e., that is, e.g., for example, to wit, namely, for instance, in other words
The punctuation depends upon w...
capitalization
Capitalization after a Dash and a Colon
Capitalize the first word after a colon only when it begins a complete sentence.
...This is what I want to know: What day did he arrive?
...This is what I want to know: the day he arrived.
...He ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Dash
The Dash 3
One of the places where there is a lot of push-back against using the dash is this:
...Q The car on the left -- what color was it?
...Q The restaurant where you were eating -- is that one ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Dash
More on the Dash -- Rule 2
The second rule for using a dash is for a complete sentence that is dropped into the middle of another complete sentence.
...I am looking at the article that -- it is the first one on the page -- ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Dash
The Dash
Bill and I are in Falmouth, MA, this morning on Cape Cod, enjoying a little down time. The Massachusetts reporting group had a great convention this weekend, and I was privileged to be a part of it...
Category_MWW Blog>The Dash
The Dash
Just the basic rules for the dash. It is the third one that many people don't always remember.
There are three basic reasons to use a dash:1. broken sentence structure (This is where the interrupt...