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Stops, or How to Punctuate

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<h2><SPAN name="THE_DASH" id="THE_DASH"></SPAN>THE DASH</h2> <p><SPAN name="XL" id="XL"></SPAN><b>XL. The chief purpose of the dash is to indicate that something is left unfinished. Accordingly, it marks a sudden, or abrupt, change in the grammatical structure of a sentence.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>When I remember how we have worked together, and together borne misfortune; when I remember—but what avails it to remember?</p> <p>And all this long story was about—what do you think?</p> <p>"We cannot hope to succeed, unless——" "But we must succeed."</p> </div> <p>Note that it is the long dash that is used at the end of a sentence.</p> <p>The full stop is not added where the dash marks an unfinished sentence. But it is common to add the point of interrogation or the mark of exclamation.<span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_62" id="Page_62"></SPAN></span></p> <p><b>XLI. The dash is used to mark a faltering or hesitating speech.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>Well—I don't know—that is—no, I cannot accept it.</p> </div> <p><b>XLII. An unexpected turn of the thought may be marked by the dash.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>He entereth smiling and—embarrassed. He holdeth out his hand to you to shake, and—draweth it back again. He casually looketh in about dinner-time—when the table is full. He offereth to go away, seeing you have company—but is induced to stay.</p> <p>French history tends naturally to memoirs and anecdotes, in which there is no improvement to desire but that they were—true.</p> </div> <p><b>XLIII. When the subject of a sentence is of such length, or of such complexity, that its connexion with the verb might easily be lost sight of, it is sometimes left hanging in the sentence, and its place supplied by some short expression that sums it up. A dash follows the subject when thus abandoned.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>Physical Science, including Chemistry, Geology, Geography, Astronomy; Metaphysics, Philology, Theology; Economics, including Taxation and<span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_63" id="Page_63"></SPAN></span> Finance; Politics and General Literature—all occupied by turn, and almost simultaneously, his incessantly active mind.</p> </div> <p>The colon is sometimes used in such cases; but the dash seems preferable, as it is the point that marks a change in the structure of a sentence.</p> <p><b>XLIV. The dash is sometimes used instead of brackets before and after a parenthesis.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>This was amongst the strongest pledges for thy truth, that never once—no, not for a moment of weakness—didst thou revel in the vision of coronets and honour from man.</p> </div> <p><b>XLV. The dash is sometimes used instead of the colon, where the word "namely" is implied, but is not expressed.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>The most extreme example of such theories is perhaps to be found in the attempt to distribute all law under the two great commandments—love to God, and love to one's neighbour.</p> </div> <p>In this sentence, however, the colon is preferable. (See <SPAN href="#XXVI">Rule XXVI.</SPAN>). The dash should be used for this purpose only when it is necessary to use the colon in the same sentence for other purposes.<span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_64" id="Page_64"></SPAN></span></p> <p><b>XLVI. The dash is used in rhetorical repetition; for instance, where one part of the sentence, such as the subject, is repeated at intervals throughout the sentence, and the rest of the sentence is kept suspended.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>Cannot you, in England—cannot you, at this time of day—cannot you, a House of Commons, trust to the principle which has raised so mighty a revenue?</p> </div> <p><b>XLVII. A dash following a full stop occurs between the side-heading of a paragraph and the paragraph itself.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p><i>Extent and Boundaries.</i>—England (including Wales) is bounded on the north by Scotland; on the west by the Irish Sea, St George's Channel, and the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by the English Channel; and on the east by the German Ocean.</p> </div> <p><b>XLVIII. When we place after a quotation the name of the author from whom it is taken, the full stop and the dash are used in the same way.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>"One touch of nature makes the whole word kin."—<i>Shakespeare.</i></p> </div> <p><b>XLIX. The dash is sometimes used in<span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_65" id="Page_65"></SPAN></span> place of, or in addition to, other points, in order to indicate a pause greater than usual.</b></p> <div class="blockquot"><p>Now where is the revenue which is to do all these mighty things? Five-sixths repealed—abandoned-sunk—gone—lost for ever.</p> <p>The highest rank;—a splendid fortune;—and a name, glorious till it was yours,—were sufficient to have supported you with meaner abilities than I think you possess.</p> </div> <p>There is seldom any reason for the use of double points. In the last example they cannot be said to be of any real service. But the dash may sometimes be rightly employed in addition to the full stop, in order to mark a division of discourse midway between the sentence and the paragraph. Even Cobbett, who abhors the dash, permits it to be used for this purpose. The report of a conversation is often printed in this way.</p> <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <p><span class='pagenum'><SPAN name="Page_66" id="Page_66"></SPAN></span></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />

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