3 ms·
No it isn't--double-hypens are a great alternative to an em dash and are interpreted as such by many people and some software. GP's argument is for the grammati
by c22 4y ago
No it isn't--double-hypens are a great alternative to an em dash and are interpreted as such by many people and some software. GP's argument is for the grammatical functionality of differentiating dashes, not the specific symbols used.
That said, I don't use en dashes, if I want my numbers to line up I use a fixed-width font.
- dragonwriter 4y agoThat’s a reason not to use figure dashes, which aren’t the same thing as en-dashes.
- akho 4y agoI find it unlikely that the comment was typed on a typewriter, or sent over a teletype. Computers and phones make it easy to type em-dashes if you want to do that. No sub-par alternatives are needed.
- ilyt 4y ago> No it isn't; double-hypens are a great alternative to an em dash and are interpreted as such by many people and some software. GP's argument is for the grammatical functionality of differentiating dashes, not the specific symbols used. Use ; Works just fine
- dragonwriter 4y ago> Use ; Comma, not semicolon, is the usual alternative to em-dashes for setting off asides, semicolons set off independent clauses.
- ghaff 4y agoSemicolons are often better just replaced by periods. I sometimes use them but I've had at least one editor who refused to use them for news-oriented copy.
- quietbritishjim 4y agoNot sure if a deliberate joke but those are two independent clauses so should've used a semicolon :-) (between "asides" and "semicolons")