Copy editor Bill Walsh explains which punctuation marks can be used to create a dramatic pause -- and how to use them correctly.

There is a lot of debate around hyphen usage in the grammar-nerd world (see: here), but I don’t think it seems nearly as egregious as calling one form of punctuation by another’s name. K.B.: ...

Go ahead and split that infinitive! Here are some of the grammar rules that have changed with the times. Are you keeping up as grammar rules change? Attention, grammar police! As a longtime copy ...

Hyphens are a pain. People use them so differently that it’s impossible for anyone to use them with complete confidence. As they say, no two editors hyphenate exactly alike, which is why I have ...

In all my years of chatting with others about grammar, punctuation, usage and writing, no one has ever recalled to me a time in school when they learned about hyphens.

“Ex-” always takes a hyphen, while your “ex-wife’s” “great-grandfather” or her “half sister” may or may not be hyphenated. But hyphens can be overused, too. Do you really need one in “day care center” ...

Grammar and punctuation can be tricky when you’re writing. If you’re not sure what all those dashes are or how to use them, this video clearly explains the differences between the hyphen ...

When to use a hyphen A hyphen is what appears when you just press the button next to the zero key. In short, a hyphen links words together. It’s what you use to create a compound word, like ...

So Winston-Salem Dash works on multiple levels. Except for one glorious day, when the grammar nerds will finally be sated. On May 6, the Winston-Salem Dash will be the Winston-Salem Hyphens.

Viral posts and clips on social media suggest the em dash is the product of AI chatbots, with some calling the punctuation mark a 'ChatGPT hyphen.' ...

Hyphens are only used to combine certain words together. They are not strong enough to set off phrases or words from a sentence. Use hyphens in the following situations: Use in compound numbers and ...

Grammar rules say a hyphen is necessary in compound numbers (aka numbers made up of two words). Yet in Article I, Section 2, “twenty five” is written without a hyphen.