An em dash is a versatile punctuation mark that looks like an extended dash. It is used to break up a longer sentence, usually to insert a phrase into the middle or end of a sentence, to add modification phrases to a list, and sometimes to show a break in narration or conversation. Let’s look at when to use an em dash, and learn the keyboard shortcuts to make them!
Imagine writing a story set in Dickens’ 19th century, Victorian England, and your Scrooge spin-off answers his cell phone, “Wassup?” Or your knight in 13th century France uses phrases like, “spilling the tea.” Those are anachronisms, and they would likely startle contemporary audiences out of the story.
Let’s look at the definition of anachronism, types of anachronism, and anachronisms in your story.Â
Children’s books often use animals as main characters, giving them human-like characteristics to connect with readers in real life. Did you know there’s a name for that? Let’s look at anthropomorphism’s literary definition and some examples.
We all have our pet peeves when it comes to writing. Maybe you hate the Oxford comma. Maybe you loathe the misuse of the ellipsis. As an editor, I’m supposed to have a lot of writing pet peeves, but one of my biggest is the interchanging of e.g. and i.e. I’m here to tell you once and for all that the two are not the same.
I love music. I’ve been teaching myself to play guitar, and I can stumble my way through four or five songs without wanting to poke holes in my eardrums, but my main appreciation for music is when other people play it. I’m an avid Spotify user, and I take a lot of pride in my ability to make kickass playlists. One of my girlfriends has even given me the green light to create her hypothetical wedding reception playlist.
Not everyone writes out the titles of their favorite songs or music albums regularly, so it’s no surprise I sometimes hear people ask, “Are song titles italicized?”
The answer is no.
Here’s how it works.
If you’ve ever typed out a word only to hit delete and try it another way, you’ve likely been worried about making a spelling mistake. Take engrained vs. ingrained, what’s the difference? Is only one correct? Let’s take a look.
