On the Correct Usage of Em Dashes

The hottest punctuation mark today is the em dash. From that of steadfast devotees, for whom it is a mark of erudition, to that of the less inclined, for whom it is only incidental to their copy-pastes from ChatGPT, the em dash, recently on the verge of archaism, now proliferates in the writing of our day. The em dash is the mark “—”, for those unaware. As a first-year copy editor at The Wesleyan Argus, having now proofread scores of articles from writers of all class years, I have become acutely aware of this trend. As much as there is to be said on the punctuation mark as a twofold indicator of intellectual vice and virtue, as I have indicated above, I have not come here with the mind of a sociologist or a contrarian. Rather, I am compelled by my duty as a copy editor to note and correct a more technically concerned error which has increasingly caused me distress: No one knows how to use an em dash!

I should qualify the comments I am about to make with the remark that, in most cases in which an em dash is employed, it is technically correct. Most grammar and punctuation guides regard it as synonymous with commas, parentheses, and colons. Yes, alas, everything I am about to say is undermined by this qualification! It is an unfortunate fact that I am forced to confront every production night at The Argus. Yet, while its usage is usually technically correct, I find that it is less often spiritually correct. This bodacious little mark has an essence unlike its friends. It is visually striking. It does not merely separate and distinguish: It intrudes. The presence of an em dash catches the eye, arrests the readers momentarily, and disrupts the flow of a sentence. It is thus most effectively employed to offset and emphasize items. That effect is destroyed if its use is too frequent! Readers are becoming too habituated to its presence, so much so that this intrinsic, valuable quality of the em dash is being undermined and forgotten. It has become too commonplace. It is used when commas, parentheses, or colons would do just as well, if not better. No longer can it be so. Hear you me: The em dash is not merely an esoteric, cooler-looking equivalent to the comma or the colon. It is a unique piece of punctuation, and it deserves to be treated as such.

There is a line from “The Sufferings of Young Werther,” a favorite book of mine, that showcases my point exceptionally well. For context, Werther is an extremely emotional and scatterbrained individual: a disposition to which the previously conveyed sense of the em dash is very well suited.

“You see, what vexes me is that Albert does not seem as happy as he—hoped—as I—thought I would be—if—I do not like introducing dashes, but in this instance I cannot express myself otherwise—and I do, I think, express myself clearly enough.”

Each dash there interrupts his train of thought. It forces a pause. He stammers; he changes direction. This is, of course, a literary example, so the writer has a bit more license with his grammar, but he still uses the em dash faithfully. The latter half of the quote does excellent service to my argument. These marks are conveyed as something to be used sparingly and only when expression requires it. He uses them because he cannot express himself otherwise. Other punctuation marks would not convey the same sense of excitability and disarray. Let me now also produce an example that may be more likely encountered in casual writing. Compare the following two statements:

“Anne—frustrated by the injustice done to em dashes—wrote this article.”

“Anne, frustrated by the injustice done to em dashes, wrote this article.”

The em dashes in the first example provide a certain oomph or gravity to the appositive. It breaks the flow between subject and predicate and steals the emphasis. The commas, however, allow the sentence to maintain a steady flow. The appositive there is not conveyed to be particularly special. It does not require emphasis. In the former, Anne’s frustration is given the greatest significance; in the latter, Anne’s frustration is merely contextual. These are two statements with subtly, but decidedly different meanings. I have found that much writing fails to make that distinction before proceeding with an em dash.

Consider that I have not used any em dashes in this article outside of quotes. What is the effect that has been created? There are no long pauses or sudden redirections of thought; everything flows smoothly. I lightly dance from one point to another. There is a certain melody that the introduction of an em dash would interrupt. The emphasis that I have heretofore placed on the essence of an em dash thus leads me to this unfortunate conclusion: On correct em dash usage, all I can say is that “I know it when I see it.” It really is all about the essence of a phrase. What are you trying to convey?

What prosody best conveys your message? I therefore recommend, when caught at an impasse, to speak your sentence aloud. What sort of punctuation does it demand? In most cases, I find that it is not an em dash. And therefore, when an em dash is demanded, it becomes ever more forceful because of that restraint. A menagerie of punctuation marks is immensely satisfying to me as a copy editor, but only if each mark is made judiciously—otherwise, it’s only tacky.

Anne Cain is a member of the class of 2029 and can be reached at acain@wesleyan.edu.