What is the best way and what are the differences to introduce a “pause explanatory” phrase inside another one? [closed]

Question

In this example:

bla bla bla phrase such as even if something like this doesn’t exist bla bla bla.

What can I use to inject my phrase in the middle of the sentence?

• ,phrase, (commas)
• ;phrase; (semicolons)
• —phrase— (dashes)

Answer 1

A parenthesis is an interruption. It is a remark which you insert into the middle of a sentence as if you are interrupting yourself.

In writing, the parenthesis is separated from the interrupted sentence using punctuation. You have a choice of several punctuation marks. One of them, the parenthesis, is named for this use.

Here are the marks which are commonly used for this purpose in American English. I also give common American English name(s) for the marks.

• comma-space:

  Bla bla bla, even if this doesn’t exist, bla bla bla.

• em-dash or space-en-dash-space (or hyphens, when en-dash and em-dash are not available):

  Bla bla bla—even if this doesn’t exist—bla bla bla. (em-dash)
  Bla bla bla---even if this doesn’t exist---bla bla bla. (em-dash using hyphen)
  Bla bla bla – even if this doesn’t exist – bla bla bla. (en-dash)
  Bla bla bla -- even if this doesn’t exist -- bla bla bla. (en-dash using hyphen)

• space-bracket, bracket-space, using any of the various brackets invented for this purpose:

  Bla bla bla (even if this doesn’t exist) bla bla bla. (parenthesis or round bracket)
  Bla bla bla [even if this doesn’t exist] bla bla bla. (bracket or square bracket)

Semicolon (;) is not used for parenthesis. It is used more like a period (.), to separate complete sentences.

Style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style will generally suggest the use of a particular mark for a particular kind of interruption. The square bracket, for instance, is often recommended when interrupting a quotation with an editorial remark:

The witness said: “He [the policeman] hit me.” (Example from EnglishClub.)

Answer 2

The most common recipe for unicorn burgers—even if they do not exist—calls for phoenix eggs and mermaid tears.

Assuming you mean what I think you mean, I think dashes are correct here. Brackets would probably work as well in less formal writing.