Difference between revisions of "Language/English/Grammar/More-Uses-of-the-Dash"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
* Lesson 1: [[Language/English/Grammar/The-Hyphen-and-The-Dash|The Hyphen & the Dash]] | * Lesson 1: [[Language/English/Grammar/The-Hyphen-and-The-Dash|The Hyphen & the Dash]] | ||
* Lesson 2: [[Language/English/Grammar/More-Uses-of-the-Dash|More Uses of the Dash]] | * Lesson 2: [[Language/English/Grammar/More-Uses-of-the-Dash|More Uses of the Dash]] | ||
__TOC__ | |||
This is a continuation of the lesson on the hyphen and the dash. The uses of the dash will be treated in this lesson. | This is a continuation of the lesson on the hyphen and the dash. The uses of the dash will be treated in this lesson. | ||
==Interruption or other sentence== | |||
*Sometimes in written English, there is a necessity for a whole sentence to interrupt or enter into another sentence in order to pass across the complete message without ambiguity. An example: | *Sometimes in written English, there is a necessity for a whole sentence to interrupt or enter into another sentence in order to pass across the complete message without ambiguity. An example: | ||
**The rivers – I cannot remember all their names – have been dredged. | **The rivers – I cannot remember all their names – have been dredged. | ||
==Break in a complete sentence== | |||
*The dash is used to show a break in a complete sentence. | *The dash is used to show a break in a complete sentence. | ||
**If he entered through the door, he must still be in there – so let’s keep our fingers crossed. | **If he entered through the door, he must still be in there – so let’s keep our fingers crossed. | ||
==Emphasize the repeated word== | |||
* At times, a single placed between a repeated word is used to emphasize the repeated word. An example: | * At times, a single placed between a repeated word is used to emphasize the repeated word. An example: | ||
**The boy made new friends – friends that are more harm than good. | **The boy made new friends – friends that are more harm than good. | ||
==Set aside a summary or compile a list of items== | |||
*A single dash can be used to set aside a summary or compile a list of items. For example: | *A single dash can be used to set aside a summary or compile a list of items. For example: | ||
**Vanilla, flour, eggs, nutmeg – these are necessary in baking a cake. | **Vanilla, flour, eggs, nutmeg – these are necessary in baking a cake. | ||
**She bought three items – a cake tin, a spatula and an egg whisk. | **She bought three items – a cake tin, a spatula and an egg whisk. | ||
==2 dashes: explanatory part of a sentence or afterthought== | |||
*Dashes can also appear in pairs in a sentence. In order to indicate an explanatory part of a sentence or an afterthought, two dashes can be used like parentheses. An example: | *Dashes can also appear in pairs in a sentence. In order to indicate an explanatory part of a sentence or an afterthought, two dashes can be used like parentheses. An example: | ||
**Everybody – including children – couldn’t eat the cake because it was filled with sugar. | **Everybody – including children – couldn’t eat the cake because it was filled with sugar. | ||
Revision as of 12:00, 19 November 2022
Further Uses of the dash (–) in English
- Lesson 1: The Hyphen & the Dash
- Lesson 2: More Uses of the Dash
This is a continuation of the lesson on the hyphen and the dash. The uses of the dash will be treated in this lesson.
Interruption or other sentence
- Sometimes in written English, there is a necessity for a whole sentence to interrupt or enter into another sentence in order to pass across the complete message without ambiguity. An example:
- The rivers – I cannot remember all their names – have been dredged.
Break in a complete sentence
- The dash is used to show a break in a complete sentence.
- If he entered through the door, he must still be in there – so let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Emphasize the repeated word
- At times, a single placed between a repeated word is used to emphasize the repeated word. An example:
- The boy made new friends – friends that are more harm than good.
Set aside a summary or compile a list of items
- A single dash can be used to set aside a summary or compile a list of items. For example:
- Vanilla, flour, eggs, nutmeg – these are necessary in baking a cake.
- She bought three items – a cake tin, a spatula and an egg whisk.
2 dashes: explanatory part of a sentence or afterthought
- Dashes can also appear in pairs in a sentence. In order to indicate an explanatory part of a sentence or an afterthought, two dashes can be used like parentheses. An example:
- Everybody – including children – couldn’t eat the cake because it was filled with sugar.