Learn English – Proper punctuation for “and what’s more”

phrases

I have seen this phrasing as

And what's more –

And what's more,

And what's more!

Which one is most proper?

Best Answer

Normally, you have something to follow:

  • And, what's more, he also did that!

With the following text, it is clear that an exclamation mark after the phrase is inappropriate. The dash is not appropriate either - it is used to mark a break of some sort, but the text that follows "what is more" or its contraction "what's more" is a continuation of the previous thinking, not a contrasting thought.

A comma is fine; what's more, it is the punctuation I'd use automatically.

Whether the comma is necessary, or allowable, after the "and" is perhaps a little debatable. As you can see, I'd use it; and, what's more, it feels right because there is a small parenthetical break around the "what's more" part of the phrase.

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