Next on my list of grammar rules to conquer is the proper use of a dash. I'm never sure if they are appropriate to use at all, let alone know where to properly place them if I do use them.
A dash simply indicates an interruption that you want to draw attention to.
As it turns out many of the rules are similar to the rules for comma or parentheses use.
A dash, or pair of dashes can be used to emphasize a definition, a dramatic statement, a personal comment, or an explanation. The woman--though very slender--wore a dress that fit like a tent. Dashes can also be used to emphasize a list. Many children's movies--Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White, to name a few--are adaptations of Grimm's Fairy Tales.
When in doubt, to be sure if you've used a dash, or pair of dashes correctly, try removing the word group that set it off. If the sentence does not make sense, one or both of the dashes have been misused or misplaced.
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I didn't know you used dashes like that. I just throw in extra commas in place of them. Oh, if not going to Disneyland makes you sad, this will make you cry. I lived 20 minutes away for the first 10 years of my life. The first time I went to Disneyland was a year after I had moved to Utah. I think I was 12.
ReplyDeleteI'm so very grateful for dashes, NOT. Dashes are so very confusing. However, It's very useful to know that a dash follows the same guidlines as a comma. I'll have to start working on my dashes right away.
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