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Use a dash to indicate sudden shifts in tone, new or unfinished thoughts, and hesitation in dialogue.

• Shifts in tone

          He told us--does he really mean it?--that he will speak the truth from now on.

• Unfinished thought

           If she found out--he did not want to think what she would do.

• Hesitation in dialogue

          As the officer approached his car, the driver stammered, "What--what have I done?"

Use a dash to emphasize introductory series and concluding series and explanations.

• Introductory series

          Extended TV hours, better meals, and more physical exercise--these were the inmates' three major demands for prison reform.

• Concluding series

           The patient undergoes a battery of tests--CAT scan, bronchoscopy, and biopsy.

• Explanation

          In walking, the average adult person employs a motor mechanism that weighs about eighty pounds--sixty pounds of muscle and twenty pounds of bone.

NOTE:  Dashes, commas, and parenthesis may all signal a break in a sentence.

• Dashes            Give information the greatest emphasis

          Many students--including some employed by the college--disapprove of the new work rules.

• Commas          Give less emphasis

           Many students, including some employed by the college, disapprove of the new work rules.

• Parentheses    Give the least emphasis

           Many students (including some employed by the college) disapprove of the new work rules.

REMEMBER > > > Overusing dashes can result in a jerky, disconnected effect which can be confusing to the reader.  Only use dashes when you want to call special attention to information.

For more information Click on Dashes and Parenthesis