Dashes
English Language: KS3, topic 2.1.9
Using Dashes for Parenthesis
We use parenthesis to add extra information to a sentence. Let's look at how we use dashes add information to sentences...
Fire-breathing dragon
- A scary dragon - which breathed fire - guarded the castle.
Tired dog
- The dog - which was very tired - slept all day.
Year 3 girl
- The girl - who was in Year 3 - loved painting.
Working doctor
- The doctor - who was on call - missed her dinner.
Messy classroom
- The classroom - which was very messy - needed cleaning.
Using Dashes to Separate Clauses
We don’t always need to use a full stop to separate main clauses. Sometimes we can use a dash (-). Let's look at some examples...
The man was curious - he never stopped reading!
Johanna is funny - I wish she told me a joke.
Patricia likes cats - we will get her one for her birthday.
Molly is sad - she had a fight with her best friend.
Will adores animals - he is a vegetarian
Test yourself on Dashes
What do we use parenthesis for?
What punctuation could you add to this sentence to make it clearer?
The boy who ate very slowly was often late.What do we call the phrase between the dashes?
The boy - who liked to sing - was always at the concerts.Which of these could replace the full stop between these clauses?
Hamzah is so smart. He is going to study at Yale University.What do we call the form of punctuation separating the clauses?
Benjamin loves to play basketball - it is a shame his team never wins!