Reader-Friendly Reports: A No-nonsense Guide to Effective Writing for MBAs, Consultants, and Other Professionals

DASHES AND HYPHENS

Dashes and hyphens have the misfortune to look a little bit alike—a misfortune (that was a dash) because they have absolutely no connection with each other, being entirely different-feathered (that was a hyphen) birds.

The Dash

A dash indicates a complete stop in a sentence—see? It can take the place of a semicolon, a colon, or even—in fact—commas or parentheses. The way it differs from those other marks is by being more abrupt and therefore dramatic—a sudden breaking off, for effect.

Some writers—especially young ones—romantic flair and all that—tend to use the dash often—very, very often. It does create a catchy rhythm that keeps the reader hopping, and it can be very effective in some kinds of writing. But in business writing, ...