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Question about the use of the dash in English subtitles
Thread poster: Olaf Reibedanz
Olaf Reibedanz Colombia Local time: 04:01 Member (2003) English to German + ...
Jan 15, 2019
Hi everybody,
I am currently checking the English subtitles of a Spanish video. How would you handle the dash in the following sentence:
"XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory—a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth."
For your information, the text before the dash has to appear on one frame, and the text after the dash has to appear on the following frame. I need to know - if I should use the m dash or the n das... See more
Hi everybody,
I am currently checking the English subtitles of a Spanish video. How would you handle the dash in the following sentence:
"XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory—a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth."
For your information, the text before the dash has to appear on one frame, and the text after the dash has to appear on the following frame. I need to know - if I should use the m dash or the n dash - if I should leave a blank before and/or after the dash - if I should repeat the dash on the second frame
So here are the different options I have come up with:
a) XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory— a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth.
b) XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory — a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth.
c) XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory– a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth.
d) XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory – a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth.
e) XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory – – a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth.
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Sandro Tomasi Local time: 05:01 English to Spanish + ...
M Dash
Jan 15, 2019
You should use the m dash. The n dash is reserved for numbers.
You have the option to leave a blank before and after the dash, or not. Your a) and b) examples are both correct. Considerations given to this are space and esthetics. Whichever you choose, stay consistent for the remainder of the document.
I don't do subtitling, so I don't know if there is a specific rule for this, but I would not repeat the dash on the second frame. In my opinion, the reader would understa... See more
You should use the m dash. The n dash is reserved for numbers.
You have the option to leave a blank before and after the dash, or not. Your a) and b) examples are both correct. Considerations given to this are space and esthetics. Whichever you choose, stay consistent for the remainder of the document.
I don't do subtitling, so I don't know if there is a specific rule for this, but I would not repeat the dash on the second frame. In my opinion, the reader would understand your a) example in that with the m dash there is something that immediately follows, and then the reader continues to read the second line that begins with a lowercase letter, knowing that it belongs to the previous phrase. ▲ Collapse
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Rachel Fell United Kingdom Local time: 10:01 French to English + ...
For the UK
Jan 16, 2019
I'd say you could just put: "XXX has done a great job by investing in this territory, a very diverse ancestral territory with substantial wealth."
Jan Truper
Thayenga
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Woodstock (X) Germany Local time: 11:01 German to English + ...
The dash in English
Jan 16, 2019
Since there seem to be differing opinions, it might be a good idea to check online grammar sites using Google. I came up with loads of links using the keywords "English dash use". Here are just three of them:
Since there seem to be differing opinions, it might be a good idea to check online grammar sites using Google. I came up with loads of links using the keywords "English dash use". Here are just three of them:
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MollyRose United States Local time: 04:01 English to Spanish + ...
Option A
Jan 16, 2019
M dash with no space. That is what I was taught in school, with no space before or after it. And when the text carries from one line to another, the dash is not repeated.
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