The (Delicate) Dashes Page: --
The first thing you might notice is that the dash is typed by typing two hyphens.
Most word process programs will blend the two hyphens into a single mark, a dash. Meanwhile, know that the two hyphens equals one dash.
Henry--you know what a jerk he is--spent the day with his fly open.
How can you expect me--at this time in my life--to want bubble gum?
My teachers--Smith, Smythe, and Smithh--are real swell people.
She has a peaches and cream complexion--wet, yellow and fuzzy.
Cool effects, aren't they.
The dashes put a kind of spotlight on a particular idea you want to work into the sentence.
I repeat the following in the "dash," "parentheses " and "brackets discussions:
Since dashes, parentheses and brackets all have the function of setting off some part of an idea, I want to write an example using dashes, parentheses and brackets.
Notice how the dash and the parentheses each has its own feel.
You'll choose the punctuation to achieve the feel you want your writing to have.
Henry--you know what a jerk he is--spent the day with his fly open.
Henry (you know what a jerk he is) spent the day with his fly open.
Brackets, however, are used to keep complicated issues understandable.
For instance, in a quote, an idea that is not part of the quote may be inserted.
Sally Mae said, "Henry [you know what a jerk he is] spent the day with his fly open."
Another place to use brackets when you want to put an aside within an aside.
If you have a series in parentheses, and within the parentheses you want to further explain.
The three things he said (George smokes, Henry [you know what a jerk he is] spent the day with his fly open, and Fenster never cries) were printed in the newspaper.
Please fool around with these three punctuation marks.
Look over some writing you've done and find places where they could make a difference.
Or do what I just did, which was to have some fun playing with them.
Here's some room for you.
To return to Step Two, click Step Two.
