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"gut-level" - Let's say this is the stylistic equivalent of a fart joke. I think it worked well enough Rather firm limits on the density of em dashes are fair
by chalst 15y ago
"gut-level" - Let's say this is the stylistic equivalent of a fart joke. I think it worked well enough
Rather firm limits on the density of em dashes are fair, because there's a typographical issue of avoiding "horizontal rivers": the distracting effect of dashes varies nonlinearly with their number. An upper limit of two, per Chicago, or three, is a good usage stricture; there is practically never a strong reason to violate it.
"en dash" - Fair enough, but she's following AP style, which uses em dashes.
- pasbesoin 15y agoI didn't actually use the en dash in an appropriate context, such as "1 – 7". I don't use em dashes profusely. However, I'm reminded of bumping into arbitrary rules that mandated rewriting something into a more awkward form in order to comply with the rules. There is a certain subset of instructors who confuse students with rules more than they aid them in learning to communicate clearly. As for the style guides. Well, I don't know how things are these days, but there was also a not insignificant portion of pedagogy devoted to blind adherence to one or another. All the more confusing when a young student is not really working in a context that allows the student to see where, how, and why the rules make sense. Cart before the horse, I guess I might say.