The slash is also known as the diagonal and slant. Although, it appears frequently in informal writings, it has limited use in formal writing.
Use the slash as a stand-in for a word or words.
1. For the word to
price/ earnings ratio
2. For the word per
150 miles/hour
3. For the word or
and/or his/her
4. For the word and
the March/April issue
5. To shorten a popular expression
24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
Sometimes, the slash indicates that the writer didn't take the time to think clearly and just jumbled together a couple of words for the reader to find out the actual meaning. If a slash represents confused writing, rewrite.
Poor: The actor contacted me to promote his movie and to dispel/ explain his tumultuous offscreen image.
Better: The actor contacted me to promote his movie and to dispel some of the myths behind his offscreen image.
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