When I think of slash, I think of a metal-rock guitarist with a black hat and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth (how did it never fall out?). And as someone who loves punctuation and grammar, it says something that my first thought about a slash is Guns N’ Roses. It’s not that often in formal writing that you will bump into a slash, the punctuation mark that is. In fact, slashes should be rare unless you are reading a scientific report or a cook book. Friends, if you thought that the en dash was dead and gone, wait until you read what the style guides have to say about the slash!
As a teacher, when I used to log into my school computer, I had to use a backwards slash. At first, I had no clue where to find that punctuation mark on the keyboard. But after years of using it, I feel like I knew where the \ key was more than / key. But since I’ve moved on from full time teaching, I find that I can go days, weeks, and even months without using a slash. Well, unless I’m writing fractions (which is also very unlikely if you know my math skills). So besides coding and logging into computers, what is a slash used for?
Fun fact: Slashes are best kept to informal writing.
Either/or. And/or. He/she. We often use slashes when we’re not sure how to word awkward sentence constructions. Would he/she like a seat? (Keep reading to see my thoughts on this one). When we write informally, it often saves time to use a slash instead of writing out the full phrase. Often times, slashes replace conjunctions (like and, or, nor). Here are some examples:
- Your decision is an either/or situation.
- You have a guest! Does she/he want to join us for dinner?
- Will you have candy and/or chips at your party?
I once saw a post on social media that asked, “What do the people who type u do with all of their saved time?” (Or something like that.) I think I can say the same for folks who decide to use a slash. I don’t usually give explicit advice, but I’d advise anyone who asks me to avoid using a slash. In cases of slashes, use words instead of punctuation. Especially in formal writing.
But what happens if you need to use a slash?
MLA: The MLA only thinks about slashes in terms of quoting poetry. (Why would anyone use as slash for something else?!) When quoting lines of poetry (usually three lines or less), use a slash to show a line break. For example, “Sorrow like a ceaseless rain / Beats upon my heart” (“Sorrow” by Edna St. Vincent Millay). If there is a stanza break: ( / / ). Notice the MLA spacing: include a space before and after the slash. Again, this usage is for including a small amount of poetry into your own writing.
Pro Tip: Save slashes for quoting poetry.
APA: The APA doesn’t mess around. Their advice for the slash: avoid it. Of course if you need to use a slash, they provide examples when it is appropriate (fractions, unknown date of a text, etc.). So when it comes to using APA style, just don’t with with slashes.
Chicago: The Chicago Manual of Style isn’t too friendly to the slash, but does offer help for how to include spaces with the slash. If the slash divides two words (she/he), don’t use any spaces. If the slash divides two phrases or sentences, then include a space both before and after the slash.
When in doubt, write it out.
So the style guides have spoken. Avoid it, use it with poetry, and if you do use it, space it properly. Ok, so you want to use a slash. Slashes are more than just a replacement for and and or. Slashes can be used to show a connection (or conflict) between words or phrases. For example, My boyfriend works in the guest bedroom/home office. Also, the pro-pineapple on pizza/con-pineapple on pizza people keep the fight alive.
What do you do if you have a she/he situation? Don’t be afraid to use gender neutral language to avoid the awkward slash situation. For example, Would she/he like to come back to camp next year? Use they instead: Would they like to come back to camp next year? Have you ever seen the dreaded s/he?! Again, avoid the awkwardness by using they. Simple. Effective. Clear.
When in doubt, write it out. Keep slashes for fractions and website URLs.
Photo by Vlad Hilitanu on Unsplash