comma after dash: between these two phrases―A and B―, but most

[8769]

The passage below is part of what I transcribed, listening to a radio program. The blank below is where I got stuck.

Which, #1, #2, or #3 below, do you think is appropriate, when written down, for the blank?
1. between these two phrases―"in behalf of" and "on behalf of"―, but
2. between these two phrases―"in behalf of" and "on behalf of," but
3. between these two phrases, "in behalf of" and "on behalf of," but

"On his behalf" often means as the agent of. A similar phrase, "in behalf of," often means “for the benefit of.” Very careful writers will make a difference ( ) most people mix them up quite a bit. Both of them are understandable by the context.
​

I chose #1 or #3, but I’m not sure if it is correct. What do you think?

 

[Prairiefire]

The first option is incorrect; you do not place an 'em dash' right before a comma, as you did at the end of the inserted material.

The second option is incorrect; when you use an em dash to set off material as you did, you must either use the dashes at the both beginning and end of the material or use the dash at the beginning and end the sentence immediately after.

The third option is correct.

However, I wonder about either your speaker or the content of your transcription.

This AE speaker has never heard or used "in behalf of." I just looked it up, and found out that it means 'instead of,' 'in place of,' or 'as a substitute for.' Those phrases are quite familiar to my ear.

The dictionary I looked in did not include 'for the benefit of' among the definitions it gave for 'in behalf of.'

 

[Loob]

This AE speaker has never heard or used "in behalf of." I just looked it up, and found out that it means 'instead of,' 'in place of,' or 'as a substitute for.' Those phrases are quite familiar to my ear.

The dictionary I looked in did not include 'for the benefit of' among the definitions it gave for 'in behalf of.'

As far as she can recall, this BrE speaker has also never heard "in behalf of". And yet the WRF dictionary has it - with the meaning for the benefit of

Loob
EDIT: Here's an earlier thread, which seems to say it all

 

[8769]

Thank you, Prairiefire.

The first option is incorrect; you do not place an 'em dash' right before a comma, as you did at the end of the inserted material.

The second option is incorrect; when you use an em dash to set off material as you did, you must either use the dashes at the both beginning and end of the material or use the dash at the beginning and end the sentence immediately after.

How about this, using the dash?
4. between these two phrases―"in behalf of" and "on behalf of." But

 

[Matching Mole]

Agreed―"in behalf of"? What is that? However, that is not the topic, I don't think. This is transcribed speech, and I think it's really necessary to hear the speech to make a correct judgment. Does the speaker break the flow more significantly than would be conveyed by a comma? I would expect that was the case here―the speaker is interrupting him- or herself―which suggests that dashes would be appropriate, but you have the problem that a dash will not allow a comma to follow it, but the "but" requires one before it. Have you thought of brackets?

"between these two phrases ("in behalf of" and "on behalf of"), but"

By the way, it really helps to give a whole sentence in your queries, what precedes and follows a fragment of a sentence may be crucial to providing an accurate answer.

 

[Matching Mole]

Thank you, Prairiefire.


How about this, using the dash?
4. between these two phrases―"in behalf of" and "on behalf of." But

You are really going to have to give the whole sentence here. But it not looking good. It's almost certainly going to be wrong to start a new sentence with the "but" here, as the phase strikes me as being wholly dependent.

 

[8769]

By the way, it really helps to give a whole sentence in your queries, what precedes and follows a fragment of a sentence may be crucial to providing an accurate answer.

The following is the whole paragraph:

Alvarez talks about helping Shuzo in this section. He says what you can do "on his behalf." "On his behalf" often means as the agent of. A similar phrase, "in behalf of," often means "for the benefit of." Very careful writers will make a difference ( ) most people mix them up quite a bit. Both of them are understandable by the context.​

 

[Matching Mole]

Thanks. You can't start a new sentence with "but", it's a dependent clause. Why not open with a dash and close with a comma?

Very careful writers will make a difference between these two phrases―"in behalf of" and "on behalf of", but most people mix them up quite a bit.

 

[Prairiefire]

Matching Mole, my red pen would be out if 8769 wrote the sentence that you suggested (opening with a dash and ending with a comma), but your first suggestion (that he enclosed the additional information in parentheses) is one I like.

 

[Matching Mole]

A dash can represent a change of thought, or interruption (and many other things) in representing speech (or speech-like writing), which is what this is, after all. After this punctuation follows normally.