There are certain forms of punctuation some people just can't stand—the dash for example. A best-selling author has now called on writers to stop using it. The writer in question, Lionel Shriver, and Erica Wagner, literary editor of The Times, discuss whether the dash is a useful tool—or if it is just used by writers who don't quite understand the semi-colon.
You can read the very witty article by Lionel Shriver which inspired this Radio 4 interview at Standpoint Online.
COMMENT
Personally, I find the dash very useful—it's ALT+151 on your computer keyboard, by the way. And don't confuse the hyphen (-) with the dash (—). If, like me, you're not sure when to use a semi-colon, watch this video:
Personally, I find the dash very useful—it's ALT+151 on your computer keyboard, by the way. And don't confuse the hyphen (-) with the dash (—). If, like me, you're not sure when to use a semi-colon, watch this video:
