Ellipses and Dashes

A(n) _____ is used to signal an interruption in dialogue AND used to emphasize breaks in thought & shifts in tone.

• comma

• dash

• ellipsis

A(n) ____ is used to emphasize the separation of ideas or lists OR to explain, summarize, or illustrate a thought.

• comma

• ellipsis

• dash

Which sentence uses DASHES correctly to explain a thought?

• If you need something, call my assistant Catherine — not Margaret and she’ll help you.

• If you need something, call my assistant—Catherine, not Margaret—and she’ll help you.

Which sentence uses DASHES correctly to separate commas?

• All four of them—Bob — Jeffrey— Jason — Brett—did well in college.

• All four — of them Bob, Jeffrey, Jason, and Brett—did well in college.

• All four of them—Bob, Jeffrey, Jason, and Brett—did well in college.

A reviewer wrote that the musical was "dazzling, colorful, beautifully performed, and had many outstanding special effects."

Which of the following shows how the author could correctly use an ELLIPSIS to shorten the quote?

• A critic wrote that the musical was "dazzling, colorful, and beautifully performed. . . ."

• A critic wrote that the musical was "dazzling, colorful, . . . and beautifully performed."

Which of these is an en dash?

• -

• –

• —

Which of these is an em dash?

• -

• –

• —

Ellipsis is shown by which symbol?

• ""

• ()

• .

• ...

Which sentence(s) used an ellipsis the correct way?
If only she had . . . Oh, it doesn’t matter now.
I wasn’t really . . . well, what I mean . . . see, the thing is . . . I didn’t mean it.
She opened the door . . . and saw . . . a cake!

• and C

• just B

• none of them

• all of them

Which quotation used ellipses in a correct way?

• I should not have said that.

  ..I’m sorry.

• I should not have said that ...I'm sorry.