51 Dashes

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the uses of dashes.
  • Correctly use dashes in sentences.

A dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off information in a sentence for emphasis. You can enclose text between two dashes, or use just one dash. To create a dash in Microsoft Word, type two hyphens together. Do not put a space between dashes and text.

Arrive to the interview early—but not too early.

Any of the suits—except for the purple one—should be fine to wear.

Exercise 1

On your own sheet of paper, clarify the following sentences by adding dashes. If the sentence is clear as it is, write OK.

Which hairstyle do you prefer short or long?

I don’t know I hadn’t even thought about that.

Guess what I got the job!

I will be happy to work over the weekend if I can have Monday off.

You have all the qualities that we are looking for in a candidate intelligence, dedication, and a strong work ethic.

Key Takeaways

  • Dashes indicate a pause in text.
  • Dashes set off information in a sentence to show emphasis.

License

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College ESL Writers: Mohawk College Edition Copyright © 2018 by Barbara Hall and Elizabeth Wallace is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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