Why the em-dash should be your best friend

Can take the place of a pair of commas,

brackets, colons, and semicolons

Spans, ranges, direction, conflict

In chapters 8–12From 2008–2014

Mumbai–Delhi railway BJP–Congress debate

Joins separate words into a single

word

lunch is free for allfree-for-all lunch

lunch is a free-for-all

Sentences with 1 em-dash

There are many things I love about SocialCops: the blogs, the email newsletters and the grammar TOTs.

Replacing a colon

There are many things I love about SocialCops — the blogs, the email newsletters and the grammar TOTs.

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Replacing a colon

I have three favorite foods — eggs, eggs and eggs.

a complete sentence a list

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Replacing a colon

There’s one thing I hate about work — the quiet.

a complete sentence single-item list

Sentences with 1 em-dash

SocialCops really knows how to party; we call it Friday Demos.

Replacing a semicolon (joins two sentences of equal significance)

(joins two sentences to show a connection between them)

SocialCops really knows how to party — we call it Friday Demos.

Sentences with 1 em-dash

We love data — it’s our passion and best friend.

a complete sentence

Replacing a semicolon (joins two sentences of equal significance)

(joins two sentences to show a connection between them)

a complete sentence

Sentences with 1 em-dash

[A complete sentence goes here] — [this can be a single-item list, multi-item list or another complete

sentence].

The general rule

Sentences with 1 em-dash

This is what brought me to SocialCops — the demos, the awesome tech and captains ball.

The demos, the awesome tech and captains ball — this is what brought me to SocialCops.

Pro tip

Invert your list with an em-dash for emphasis. (You can’t do this with a colon!)

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Examples

I think Viz might make it easier for you to do what you do every day — and tell great data stories.

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Examples

I think Viz might make it easier for you to do what you do every day — and tell great data stories.

I think Viz might make it easier for you to do what you do every day — tell great data stories.

↓

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Examples

I think Viz is the most powerful tool on the market because of its sophisticated features — maps at every

level, beautiful templates, simple customization and easy embeds.

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Examples

I think Viz is the most powerful tool on the market because of its sophisticated features — maps at every

level, beautiful templates, simple customization and easy embeds.

No problems!

↑

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Examples

After 1800 cups of coffee, 80 all-nighters and 50,000 lines of code, we are ready for the launch of Viz 2.0 —

with a lot of cool and powerful features.

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Examples

After 1800 cups of coffee, 80 all-nighters and 50,000 lines of code, we are ready for the launch of Viz 2.0 —

with a lot of cool and powerful features.

Doesn’t work. The author likely added this because they wanted to put a comma, but they thought there were too

many commas already.

↑

Spans, ranges, direction, conflict

In chapters 8–12From 2008–2014

Mumbai–Delhi railway BJP–Congress debate

Joins separate words into a single

word

lunch is free for allfree-for-all lunch

lunch is a free-for-all

Can take the place of a pair of

commas, brackets, colons, and semicolons

An em-dash is not a comma

Sentences with 1 em-dash

Break up the sentence or simplify it:

1800 cups of coffee, 80 all-nighters and 50,000 lines of code later, we are ready to launch Viz 2.0 with lots of

cool and powerful features.

or

In the last four months, we drank 1800 cups of coffee, pulled 80 all-nighters and wrote 50,000 lines of code.

Now we are ready for the launch of Viz 2.0, with a lot of cool and powerful features.

Sentences with 2 em-dashes

Replacing brackets or commas

Collect, a mobile data collection tool, is used by 140 partners around the world.

Collect (a mobile data collection tool) is used by 140 partners around the world.

Collect — a mobile data collection tool — is used by 140 partners around the world.

Sentences with 2 em-dashes

Replacing brackets or commas

Collect — a mobile data collection tool — is used by 140 partners around the world.

Collect is used by 140 partners around the world.

What’s outside the em-dashes must make sense on its own.

Sentences with 2 em-dashes

Replacing brackets or commas

Collect is a mobile data collection tool — used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj — most of

whom joined last year.

Sentences with 2 em-dashes

Replacing brackets or commas

Collect is a mobile data collection tool — used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj — most of

whom joined last year.

Collect is a mobile data collection tool most of whom joined last year.

Not correct!

↑

Sentences with 2 em-dashes

Replacing brackets or commas

Collect is a mobile data collection tool — used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj — most of

whom joined last year.

Collect is a mobile data collection tool used by BMGF, Tata Trusts, Unilever and Goonj, most of

whom joined last year.

↓

Sentences with 2 em-dashes

Example

I know you’re super busy — not sure if you’ve had a chance to check out Viz — the easiest way to build

maps.

Sentences with 2 em-dashes

Example

I know you’re super busy — not sure if you’ve had a chance to check out Viz — the easiest way to build

maps.

I know you’re super busy. I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to check out Viz, the easiest way to build

maps.

↓

Last notes

Em-dashes are powerful, but only when you use them purposefully.