What Is a Forward Slash?
A forward slash is a mark mainly used to indicate line breaks, fractions, ratios, paired terms, and dates. (Note that the use of a forward slash in fractions, ratios, paired terms, and dates is better suited to informal, rather than professional, writing.)
When discussing fewer than three lines of poetry in a paper, writers use a slash to show where one line ends and another begins. (Longer poetry excerpts are formatted in indented block text.)
To indicate line breaks in a poem, be sure to insert a space both before and after the slash. However, when using a forward slash in fractions, ratios, paired terms, or dates, do not insert any spaces before or after the slash mark.
Forward Slash Examples:
Poetry Forward Slash Examples
Fractions Forward Slash Examples
Ratios Forward Slash Examples
Paired Terms Forward Slash Examples
Dates Forward Slash Examples
Check out this worksheet on Using the Forward Slash in Writing and The Forward Slash as Punctuation.