Dashes as the universal connector
A dash lets the writer skip choosing how two clauses relate, so a model reaches for it everywhere. Many editors and journalists also use dashes, so one dash is weak alone; a text full of them is not.
The rule the editor follows
The final rewrite must not contain em dashes (—) or en dashes (–) unless the writer's sample uses them; then match the sample's rate. Replace each dash with a period, comma, colon, or parentheses, or rewrite the sentence. This includes spaced dashes and double hyphens ( -- ) used as dashes. Leave dashes and hyphens inside code blocks, inline code, commands, paths, and URLs alone.
Before and after.
Before
The new policy — announced without warning — affects thousands of workers. The changes -- long overdue according to critics -- will take effect immediately.
After
The new policy, announced without warning, affects thousands of workers. The changes, long overdue according to critics, will take effect immediately.
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