Using Dashes

The main uses of dashes include interruptions, changes in thought, and incomplete/cut-off sentences. This article will cover the appropriate use of each of these.

Interruptions

An important part of our interviews verbatim policy is that all speech must be typed in the exact order it is spoken in order to capture an accurate record of how the conversation proceeded. This includes when a speaker is interrupted. If one speaker interrupts the other mid-sentence, do not wait until the first speaker finishes before you type the interruption.

Dashes are used to denote that a speaker was interrupted. Put a dash where the speaker was interrupted, and start their continuation with a dash as well.

Example:

In many interviews, the interviewer will continually make short insertions, like “yeah”, “mm hmm”, etc. as the interviewee is speaking. Do your best to insert these in the correct spot, using dashes to show any interruptions that occur.

If a speaker is interrupted but the next time they speak, they begin a different sentence (rather than continuing from where they were interrupted), do not use a dash at the beginning of the new sentence.

Example:

Speaker 1: He said his name was –

Speaker 2: His name was Jerry, right?

Speaker 1: Yes, that's what he told me.

Changes in Thought

Although commas are used when a speaker repeats or changes their wording, if the speaker has a complete change in thought, a dash is used to denote this as well.

An example of what would be considered a change in thought can be found in the picture below.

Incomplete or Cut-Off Sentences

In addition to the uses listed above, dashes are also used to show incomplete or cut-off sentences. If a speaker begins a sentence but trails off and doesn't complete it, use a dash rather than a period.

Example:

Speaker 1: Yeah, but then –

Speaker 2: What happened next?

Reminder: It is important to make sure you are using regular dashes, not hyphens (-) or extra-long dashes (––).

Although Word's auto correct will insert a dash automatically when two hyphens are typed, it can be tricky to insert dashes at the end or beginning of a line, so here are a few easy ways to do it:

Use ctrl + C to copy a dash and then use ctrl + V to paste it when needed.
Use ctrl + the hyphen key on the numerical keypad. This ONLY works with the hyphen on the numerical keypad. If you use the regular hyphen key that is located above the letter keys, it will insert a conditional hyphen (see warning below). It is imperative that you do not use conditional hyphens in place of dashes, so use this tip carefully.
Create an auto correct entry to automatically insert a dash when a certain combination of characters are typed. This allows you to select any combination of keys that you can easily remember and use when inserting a dash. Consult Word Help for how to add auto correct entries in your version of Word.