Re: Using M-dash and N-dash
Well said.
Actually not.
He said I should ask people whether they *use* em dashes in their writing and whether they care what's written in the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS).
He writes those challenges as if they somehow disprove my point, but neither of them has anything to do with what I wrote.
I didn't say that most people *use* em dashes, nor did I imply that they should start doing so just because the CMoS shows lots of examples of how they should be used. (By the way, it's unequivocal about the fact that em dashes should be used in the circumstances I listed.)
What I wrote was that, without conscious effort, most people correctly interpret the intended meaning of text that includes appropriately used em dashes.
The point is that a professional communicator needs to understand and employ the tools and rules of effective communication.
--David
=========================================================================
A V A I L A B L E N O W ! http://www.html-indexer.com
HTML Indexer is still the easiest way to create and maintain real indexes
for web sites, intranets, HTML Help, JavaHelp, and other HTML documents.
Follow-Ups:
- Using M-dash and N-dash?, Geoff Hart
References:
RE: Re: Using M-dash and N-dash: From: John Posada
Previous by Author:
Re: Using M-dash and N-dash
Next by Author:
Re: Using M-dash and N-dash
Previous by Thread:
RE: Re: Using M-dash and N-dash
Next by Thread:
Using M-dash and N-dash?
Search our Technical Writing Archives & Magazine
Visit TechWhirl's Other Sites
Sponsored Ads