PUNCTUATIONDashAndHyphen

The Dash and The Hyphen

•The look almost the same, but do completely different things

•Dash — (a little longer)•Hyphen - (a little shorter)

The Dash —

•Rule 1•A detour or interrupter•Can be used in place of a colon•Remember, you need an independent

clause before the dash

•It was my worst nightmare — cold pizza.

The Dash —

•Rule 2•Used instead of parentheses to enclose an

aside. •Aside = A diversion

•His new car was amazing — it was a 2010 Lamborghini — but he could never drive it outside.

The Dash —

•If your keyboard does not have the Dash symbol, use TWO HYPHENS - -

•Use no more than 2 per sentence

The Hyphen -

•Rule 1•Separates individual words or parts of

words.•Mother-in-law• two-thirds•Self-confident•Ex-president•Three-quarters

Hyphen -

•Which words get hyphens are which do not

•If the word pair comes before a noun, use a hyphen to combine the words

•He is a strong-willed father. •Those are water-resistant ducks. •I have a red-haired cousin.

Hyphen -

•Always use a hyphen when one of the words is self, quasi, ex, like, and fractions

•*Quasi = resembling

•He is self-confident.•She is our quasi-official leader. •He is the ex-president. •His helmet is shell-like. •He ate two-thirds of the pie.