EM Dash Used in Quotes (Spell/Grammar Bugaboo)

[Jules Vide]

I'm final-editing a very long document and before submitting it to a
desktop publisher need to know why WORD's Spell/Grammar checker "marks
wrong" any dialogue that ends with an em dash, a quotation mark, and
then two spacebar spaces before the next sentence begins.

For example: "Gee, Mr. Gates, I didn't know you're thinking of buying
a App--" He swallowed so hard both apples almost went down.

If you were to write the above in Microsoft WORD and Spell/Grammar
check the file, the checker will stop at each instance where an em dash
(represented above by necessity with two en dashes) is succeeded by
anything other than another letter. The checker clearly recognizes and
identifies sentence fragments, but it makes no distinction between
those situations where an em dash is used as legitimate end-mark
punctuation and those instances where stuttered or incompletely
articulated dialogue (though *intended* as fragments) *may* logically
be helped by an ensuing clause.

 

[Jay Freedman]

What version of Word are you using?

When I use Word 2003's grammar checker with its default settings, it
complains about the two spaces before "He" (even though the setting for
number of spaces between sentences is "Don't check"). It also complains
about your use of the article "a" before "App" and correctly suggests
replacing it with "an". It does not complain about the em dash at all!

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Jules Vide]

What version of Word are you using?

When I use Word 2003's grammar checker with its default settings, it
complains about the two spaces before "He" (even though the setting for
number of spaces between sentences is "Don't check"). It also complains
about your use of the article "a" before "App" and correctly suggests
replacing it with "an". It does not complain about the em dash at all!

First, thanks for responding. I wasn't aware settings could be
adjusted--at all. However, on my Word 2000 Tools/Options/Spelling and
Grammar window, "Don't Check" appeared to be the default in regard to
the number of spaces after periods/before new sentences.

I'm therefore wondering why a two-space "space" before ONLY sentences
that ended with em dashes + quotation marks would have caused the
checker to check the usage as "wrong."

Thanks again.

 

[Guest]

Hello Jules -

I see now that you posted in duplicate, so I wasn't aware of Jay's reply.
Had no idea you were using Word 2000, but am not sure that would really make
a difference. I think the issue you refer to here;

I'm therefore wondering why a two-space "space" before ONLY sentences
that ended with em dashes + quotation marks would have caused the
checker to check the usage as "wrong."

may be due to Word actually looking for what would be, perhaps, better
termed as End Punctuation. Apparently it doesn't consider the em dash to be
among those characters which qualify.

Regards |:>)

 

[Jules Vide]

Had no idea you were using Word 2000, but am not sure that would really make
a difference. I think the issue you refer to here;


may be due to Word actually looking for what would be, perhaps, better
termed as End Punctuation. Apparently it doesn't consider the em dash to be
among those characters which qualify.

Ah! Now *THAT* finally explains it. Thank you!

 

[Guest]

Glad I had something useful to offer!

Regards |:>)