Use dashes
Key notes
A dash often represents a pause in a sentence. The dash can show a clear break or set off extra content from the rest of the sentence, such as an aside, an explanation, or additional details.
According to legend, King Midas ultimately died of starvation—all because of his wish that everything he touched should turn to gold.
The dash shows a clear break.
William strives to control every aspect of his life, but life—surprise, surprise—doesn’t always accommodate his wishes.
The dashes set off an aside from the rest of the sentence.
Certain quirks—repeatedly washing one’s hands, checking that doors are locked, or counting things—may actually be symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The dashes set off additional details from the rest of the sentence.
In dialogue or quoted text, a dash can indicate an interruption or mid-sentence correction.
Lauren protested, “But—no, you’re mistaken!”
The dash shows an interruption.
Learn with an example
Insert one dash where needed.
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Submit your best essay for a chance to be featured in our monthly magazine and win the grand prize a trip for two to Vienna.
Insert a dash before a trip for two to Vienna to set off the explanation from the rest of the sentence.
Submit your best essay for a chance to be featured in our monthly magazine and win the grand prize—a trip for two to Vienna.
Insert two dashes where needed.
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Johannesburg South Africa’s largest city and the seat of its Constitutional Court has served as the home for such luminaries as Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.
Insert dashes before and after to set off the additional details from the rest of the sentence.
Johannesburg—South Africa’s largest city and the seat of its Constitutional Court—has served as the home for such luminaries as Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela.
Insert two dashes where needed.
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World Fish Migration Day an annual event spearheaded by the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and others aims to raise awareness of migratory fishes around the world.
Insert dashes before and after an annual event spearheaded by the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and others to set off the explanation from the rest of the sentence.
World Fish Migration Day—an annual event spearheaded by the Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and others—aims to raise awareness of migratory fishes around the world.
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