DASHES

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.

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.

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.

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.

WORKS CITED Martz, Geoff, Kim Magloire, and

Theodore Silver. Cracking the ACT. 2007 ed. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.