3.7 Dashes
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.
This is adapted from the book Successful Writing (v. 1.0).