Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
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Rules / punctuation

PUN-014 Creative option layer: sentence

Dash marks deliberate interruption or emphasis

IF the intended relation is an abrupt break, strong insertion, or emphatic turn, THEN an em dash is available ELSE prefer ordinary syntax and punctuation.

Why the rule exists

The em dash carries more visual and rhetorical force than a comma or parentheses.

Condition

The rule fires when this evaluates true. Paths marked below must be present in the fact base; the engine reports the rest rather than guessing them.

  • sentence.intended_effect in [abrupt_break, strong_insertion, emphatic_turn]

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
sentence.intended_effect You supply it

Then

  1. select — target sentence.punctuation, value "em_dash"

Else

  1. retain — target current_text, No triggering condition is present.

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • Dreyer's English — Benjamin Dreyer
    Practical modern editorial advice and stylistic judgment.
  • Eats, Shoots & Leaves — Lynne Truss
    Punctuation and the effect of marks on meaning.
  • Steering the Craft — Ursula K. Le Guin
    Sound, rhythm, syntax, point of view, and exercises.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 08-punctuation-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/PUN-014.

{
  "id": "PUN-014",
  "name": "Dash marks deliberate interruption or emphasis",
  "domain": "punctuation",
  "layer": "sentence",
  "strength": "creative_option",
  "human_logic": "IF the intended relation is an abrupt break, strong insertion, or emphatic turn, THEN an em dash is available ELSE prefer ordinary syntax and punctuation.",
  "when": {
    "path": "sentence.intended_effect",
    "operator": "in",
    "value": [
      "abrupt_break",
      "strong_insertion",
      "emphatic_turn"
    ]
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "select",
      "target": "sentence.punctuation",
      "value": "em_dash",
      "limit": "avoid_repetitive_use"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "The em dash carries more visual and rhetorical force than a comma or parentheses.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "BK-005",
    "BK-009",
    "BK-019"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other punctuation rules

  1. PUN-001 Terminate complete sentences IF a prose sentence is complete, THEN end it with a mark matching statement, direct question, or strong exclamation ELSE keep it joined to its governing structure. Hard constraint
  2. PUN-002 No comma splice IF two independent clauses are joined only by a comma, THEN add a coordinator, use a semicolon, or make two sentences ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  3. PUN-003 Comma before coordinating conjunction IF a coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses, THEN place a comma before it unless the clauses are very short and unambiguous ELSE retain. Context default
  4. PUN-004 Comma after introductory material IF introductory material is long, clausal, or potentially misread, THEN add a comma before the main clause ELSE use the lightest mark that preserves clarity. Context default
  5. PUN-005 Set off nonrestrictive material IF a modifier adds nonessential information rather than identifying the referent, THEN set it off with paired punctuation ELSE do not set it off. Hard constraint
  6. PUN-006 Do not isolate restrictive material IF a modifier identifies which person or thing is meant, THEN remove punctuation that falsely marks it as optional ELSE evaluate as nonrestrictive. Hard constraint
  7. PUN-007 Serial comma follows declared style IF a series contains three or more coordinated items, THEN apply the selected serial-comma policy consistently AND add a comma when omission causes ambiguity ELSE retain. Context default
  8. PUN-008 Semicolon joins related independent clauses IF two independent clauses are closely related AND no coordinator is used, THEN a semicolon is available ELSE choose another boundary. Context default