Commas mark small pauses and separate parts of a sentence: “The village, quiet and still, lay under the snow.”
Dashes mark stronger breaks: a sudden change of direction (“It was a perfect day – until the storm arrived”) or a dramatic pause before a final word.
An ellipsis (…) shows a pause, hesitation, trailing off or words left out of a quotation. Use it sparingly: too many ellipses make writing seem vague. Choose the mark that matches the strength of the pause you want.
Worked example
Which mark best shows a sudden break? “I opened the box and found __ nothing.”
- The writer wants a surprise before the final word.
- A dash creates a sharp, dramatic break.
Answer:a dash: “I opened the box and found – nothing.”
Key words
- dash
- a mark showing a strong break
- ellipsis
- three dots showing a pause or omission
- parenthesis
- extra information inserted in a sentence
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: L.8.2a