-I will not! Use of line

[hhtt21]

I do not know its correct name, I just called it, line.

"I will not mary him, Papa-I will not"

Would you please explain the part coming after Papa. Is it a speaking line?

Source: The Unexpected Bride by Barbara Cartland.

Thank you.

 

[Rover_KE]

This punctuation mark is called a dash. It should be longer than a hyphen (which you have typed), but it's not easy to create one on a standard keyboard.*

Dash

[FONT=noto_serif_devanagari]There are two main occasions on which a dash can be used, usually in informal writing:[/FONT]

• to mark off information that is not essential to an understanding of the rest of the sentence

[FONT=noto_serif_devanagari]Many birds—do you like birds?—can be seen outside the window.[/FONT]

• to show other kinds of break in a sentence where a comma, semicolon, or colon would be traditionally used

[FONT=noto_serif_devanagari]Tommy can't wait for Christmas—he's very excited.[/FONT]
[FONT=noto_serif_devanagari]Read more about dashes.[/FONT]

(Dictionary.com)

* This has been a source of annoyance to me all my life - especially as there are other symbols and non-standard punctuation marks on my keyboard which I'm never going to use.

 

[emsr2d2]

As you can see from Rover's thread above, about the only way to create a "dash" is to use the hyphen symbol but put a space either side of it.

 

[Skrej]

And to further confuse - nay, compound - the issue, there are actually two dashes - namely the em dash and the en dash - yielding - count them - one - two - three - truncated punctuation lines of varying length - for which we have but one keyboard symbol - at least one easily placed with but a single keystroke.

-Skrej

Edit: Note to learners - you'd never actually use as many as I just did. The sentence above was written in jest.

 

[kilroy65]

"I will not mary him, Papa-I will not"

Please note the correct spelling of "marry".

 

[Raymott]

Would you please explain the part coming after Papa. Is it a speaking line?

Yes, it's used for emphasis. It's basically a repetition.

 

[GoesStation]

Would you please explain the part coming after Papa Is it a speaking line?

If you mean "punctuation indicating that the following text is spoken dialog" (as a dash can do in French and perhaps other languages), then no, it isn't. English doesn't use dashes that way.

 

[andrewg927]

And to further confuse - nay, compound - the issue, there are actually two dashes - namely the em dash and the en dash - yielding - count them - one - two - three - truncated punctuation lines of varying length - for which we have but one keyboard symbol - at least one easily placed with but a single keystroke.

-Skrej

Edit: Note to learners - you'd never actually use as many as I just did. The sentence above was written in jest.

Did you intend to use different kinds of dash in your text or just one because I can't differentiate them from what you wrote.

 

[andrewg927]

This punctuation mark is called a dash. It should be longer than a hyphen (which you have typed), but it's not easy to create one on a standard keyboard.*

(Dictionary.com)

* This has been a source of annoyance to me all my life - especially as there are other symbols and non-standard punctuation marks on my keyboard which I'm never going to use.

I can do this in Microsoft Word by adding a spacebar after the hyphen but the editing tools for this forum don't allow that.

 

[Tdol]

The em and en dashes are a publisher thing IMO. We can live without the distinction. I certainly do.

 

[GoesStation]

I much prefer using a long dash when I don't mean a hyphen. I've never distinguished between em- and en-dashes, but I always used two hyphens where a dash was required. (It's how I was taught to type in the days when the dash wasn't an option.) Word helpfully converts two hyphens into a dash. Since it makes the same conversion for a hyphen surrounded by spaces, I'm starting to lose the habit.

 

[hhtt21]

I much prefer using a long dash when I don't mean a hyphen. I've never distinguished between em- and en-dashes, but I always used two hyphens where a dash was required. (It's how I was taught to type in the days when the dash wasn't an option.) Word helpfully converts two hyphens into a dash. Since it makes the same conversion for a hyphen surrounded by spaces, I'm starting to lose the habit.

I cannot distinguish between the present perfect and past simple very well. This is an good example of use of them. Would you please explain in the sentence I've never distinguished between em- and en-dashes, but I always used two hyphens where a dash was required in the second part you preferred the simple past vice the present perfect?

Thank you.

 

[GoesStation]

I cannot distinguish between the present perfect and past simple very well. This is an good example of use of them. Would you please explain in the sentence I've never distinguished between em- and en-dashes, but I always used two hyphens where a dash was required in the second part you preferred the simple past vice the present perfect?

I would have written I never distinguished if I were placing the action entirely in the past. For example, When I used a typewriter, I never distinguished between em- and en-dashes. In the sentence you quoted, I was placing the action in an indeterminate time which encompasses the past and the present. It's like writing ​I never distinguished them in the past and I still don't.

 

[hhtt21]

I would have written I never distinguished if I were placing the action entirely in the past. For example, When I used a typewriter, I never distinguished between em- and en-dashes. In the sentence you quoted, I was placing the action in an indeterminate time which encompasses the past and the present. It's like writing ​I never distinguished them in the past and I still don't.

I never distinguished between em- and en-dashes is also indeterminate, isn't it?

Thank you.

 

[Tdol]

I can do this in Microsoft Word by adding a spacebar after the hyphen but the editing tools for this forum don't allow that.

Internet text editors tend to skip this, while word processors do it.

 

[GoesStation]

I never distinguished between em- and en-dashes is also indeterminate, isn't it?

Not in my sentence. I used a typewriter for a definite (but unstated) period which ended before the present. The present perfect covers a period encompassing the past and the present.

 

[hhtt21]

In the sentence you quoted, I was placing the action in an indeterminate time which encompasses the past and the present. It's like writing ​I never distinguished them in the past and I still don't.

It means the action started in the past and still in progress or not ended. But again some confussions has risen to me for this case. If the action started in a determined time such as July 4 1997, or last month, or last year and was still in progress i.e not ended, can you still explain this situation with present perfect?

Thank you.

 

[hhtt21]

If you mean is still in progress, then the present perfect is the appropriate tense/aspect.

But is the present perfect can be used with last week, last month or July 4 1997?

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

But [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] can the present perfect [STRIKE]can[/STRIKE] be used with last week, last month or July 4 1997?

Thank you.

As long as you're going to use "since" with it, yes.

I have been here since July 4th, 1997.
He has worked here since last week.
We haven't eaten sushi since last month.

 

[hhtt21]

I much prefer using a long dash when I don't mean a hyphen. I've never distinguished between em- and en-dashes, but I always used two hyphens where a dash was required.

Does the underlined part implies that you always used two hyphens where a dash was required but you gave up doing so in an unstated time?

Thank you.