Using Dashes and Abrupt Breaks

Hyphens are used to show where two words...

• ... are synonyms.

• ... dance the tango together.

• ... mean the opposite.

• ... have one meaning.

What is the purpose of an 'en' dash?

• It shows a range between two numbers.

• It separates a subordinate clause.

• It marks where a sentence ends.

• It illustrates a subtraction problem.

Which of the following is not a correct use of an 'em' dash?

• To show an introduction or a conclusion to a sentence.

• It combines two words together to create a compound adjective.

• It separates a clause for added emphasis.

• To show an abrupt break in thought or speech.

Which of the following demonstrates a correct use of a hyphen?

• quick-run away

• quickly-before you get-caught

• quick-thinking

• quack- quack-

Which of these sentences uses a pair of 'em' dashes correctly?

• Stella came over-to bother me she wanted to play-but I pushed her away.

• Stella-came over to bother me-she wanted to play but I pushed her away.

• Stella came over to bother me she wanted to play-but I pushed her-away.

• Stella came over to bother me-she wanted to play-but I pushed her away.

Which of the following words needs a hyphen?

• preorder

• recover

• bicycle

• triangle

In which sentence is an 'em' dash used correctly to end the sentence?

• Please may I have some cake-

• I was sure the edge of the cliff was around here some-

• Yay! Pokemon-

• Join us next time-

Some well-intentioned people like to use loads of hyphens in their writing.

• But not me. I prefer just a dash.

• But I like my writing to be non-hyphenated.

• Like the guy who invented Morse code with all those dots and dashes.

• I did some writing once but a hyphen ate it.