Surrounding sentences with hyphens..

[toodlesoodles]

First of all I did try and google this question, but I was not able to word it in such a way that got me any results in finding an answer.

When is it appropriate to surrounded a sentence with hyphens, within a sentence, if at all?

As I am not sure how or when to do it, the following sentences may not be correct but hopefully it will give you an idea of what I mean and then from there you can explain when it is okay to use them and how to do so properly.

Here is a couple of examples..

I don't like spiders - everyone knows about the terrifying experience I had with them - therefore I won't look after your pet tarantula.

She isn't going to do it - she told me herself - so we might have to make other arrangements.

Okay so I know both sentences can be constructed in many different ways to avoid using hyphens altogether, but I'm just trying to give an example of the kind of thing I mean.

Any help? Thanks.

 

[TheParser]

First of all I did try and google this question, but I was not able to word it in such a way that got me any results in finding an answer.

When is it appropriate to surrounded a sentence with hyphens, within a sentence, if at all?

As I am not sure how or when to do it, the following sentences may not be correct but hopefully it will give you an idea of what I mean and then from there you can explain when it is okay to use them and how to do so properly.

Here is a couple of examples..

I don't like spiders - everyone knows about the terrifying experience I had with them - therefore I won't look after your pet tarantula.

She isn't going to do it - she told me herself - so we might have to make other arrangements.

Okay so I know both sentences can be constructed in many different ways to avoid using hyphens altogether, but I'm just trying to give an example of the kind of thing I mean.

Any help? Thanks.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Toodlesoodles,


(1) I think that most Americans would say that it might be

helpful to use the word "dash."

(2) A hyphen is like:

Her twenty-year-old daughter has been accepted as an exchange student.

(3) A dash is like:

I told you to come here -- now!!!

(In other words, two hyphens = a dash.)

(4) I think that dashes are often used because they are more

"dramatic" than parentheses:

I like ice cream (doesn't everyone?) even though it's very fattening.

I like ice cream -- doesn't everyone? -- even though it's very fattening.

(5) In my opinion only, I would write:

I don't like spiders -- everyone knows about the terrifying experience

I had with them; therefore, I won't look after your pet tarantula.

Your sentence is basically:

I don't like spiders; therefore, I won't look after your pet tarantula.

"Everyone knows ... with them" is just some extra information "forced"

into the sentence. Thus, we use dashes or parentheses.

She isn't going to do it -- she told me herself; so we might have to

make other arrangements.

OR

She isn't going to do it (she told me herself), so we might have to

make other arrangements.

OR (a few super strict teachers might insist on this)

She isn' t going to do it -- she told me herself. So we might have to

make other arrangements.

Thank you & have a nice day