The dash is created by typing two consecutive hyphens (hitting the minus key twice). There are a few uses for the dash.
Use a dash to indicate an abrupt stop or a change in tone or thought.
- I have two dollars in my—Oh No! I think I left my purse at the mall!
Use a dash to insert a second thought, update, or a correction.
- I would ask—or insist—that he bring his children to the party.
Use a dash to emphasize a pause.
- His face turned bright red when he walked through the wrong door—and interrupted the meeting.
You can also use a dash in place of parenthesis.
- I took Ninja Kitty—my favorite cat—to perform in the cat parade.
And you can sometimes use a dash to replace a colon:
- My fishbowl contains three things—water, rocks, and Mr. Wiggles.
See a definition for dash.
