Dashes

1. Dashes

2. Dashes • Dashes (—) separate a word or group of words from the rest of the sentence. • Dashes are used either to indicate an abrupt break in thought or to introduce an explanation or afterthought.

3. Dashes • I tried to express my gratitude not that any words could be adequate but she just nodded and walked away. • The clause “not that any words could be adequate” must be isolated form the rest of the sentence. • I tried to express my gratitude — not that any words could be adequate - but she just nodded and walked away.

4. Dashes • When the group of words that needs isolating is in the middle of a sentence, dashes function as a pair of less formal parentheses. • When the phrase that needs isolating is at the end of the sentence instead, only one dash is required. • Just outside the door to the cabin we heard the howling of wolves — a sound that made our hair stand on end.

5. Dashes on the ACT • If the underlined portion or any of the answer choices contains a dash, compare the dash to the punctuation marks available in the other answer choices. • Check the non-underlined portion of the passage for dashes that might be linking up with this one to isolate a clause or phrase. • Ask yourself whether the sentence contains a sudden break in thought, an explanation, or an afterthought.

6. Works Cited • Martz, Geoff, Kim Magloire, and Theodore Silver. Cracking the ACT. 2007 ed. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.