Ordinally, I should not have bothered joining this raging, rather exhausting discourse of em-dash being an immediate give away that someone has used ChatGPT for their writing.
But since even renowned writers that I cherish and aim to emulate their mastering of words and envy their written expression are divided on whether writers should use em-dash or not, I feel to point out something that seems not to be obvious to many yet.
This debate about the em-dash seems to have become a proxy for a much larger conversation about authenticity in writing, particularly in the age of AI. But before we get into that, let’s take a step back and talk about dashes in general. It seems many people — and I’m including some very smart writers in this — don’t fully grasp the distinction.
In literature and formal writing, there are three primary types of dashes, each with its own purpose:
Hyphen (-): This is the shortest dash and is used to connect two or more words to form a compound modifier (e.g., state-of-the-art technology), to write out numbers (e.g., twenty-one), or for line breaks when a word is split.
En-dash (–): Slightly longer than a hyphen, the en-dash is used to denote a range, such as a time period or a set of numbers (e.g., 1990–1995).
Em-dash (—): The longest of the three, the em-dash is the most versatile and, in my opinion, the most expressive punctuation mark. It can stand in for commas, semicolons, colons, or parentheses, and it’s a brilliant tool for creating rhythm and emphasis.
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The current disdain for the em-dash is something I just don’t understand. I’ve seen some of the greatest writers and publications use the em-dash beautifully. The New York Times, for example, has always masterfully employed the em-dash to enhance the flow and comprehension of its articles.
It’s a stylistic choice that speaks to a deeper connection with language. I’ve been using em-dashes for years, long before the idea of ChatGPT came along and made its use so ubiquitous—and, unfortunately, often misused—in AI-generated or enhanced content. For me, I use the em-dash when I want to add emphasis, to give additional meaning, or to provide context to a sentence.
I remember reading Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama, published in 1995, several years ago. The book is a masterclass in narrative and reflection, and I saw the em-dash used widely throughout its pages. As someone who enjoys using multiple adjectives and phrases to give context to a sentence, I found myself instinctively drawn to the em-dash’s ability to create an elegant and nuanced flow.
For writers, the em-dash should be a tool in your arsenal, not a sign to avoid. Use it when you want to insert a thought, create a dramatic pause, or introduce a surprising shift in a sentence.
But be warned: the em-dash is not a free-for-all substitute for other punctuation.