when writing, you can most effectively use a dash?

Question

A. in place of an exclamation point
B. to add a formal touch to a sentence
C. to get the reader's attention
D. in place of a semicolon

Answer 1

When you really have to go!

But seriosley - a dash is usually user for get the readers attention. The em dash (—), also known as the em rule, indicates a sudden break in thought—a parenthetical statement like this one—or an open range (such as "John Doe, 1987—"). Its name derives from its defined width of one em, which is the length, expressed in points, by which font sizes are typically specified. Thus in 9-point type, an em is 9 points wide, while the em of 24-point type is 24 points wide, and so on. (By comparison, the en dash, with its 1-en width, is 1/2 em wide in any font.)

The em dash is used in much the way a colon or set of parentheses is used: it can show an abrupt change in thought or be used where a full stop (or "period") is too strong and a comma too weak. Em dashes are sometimes used in lists or definitions, but that is a style guide issue; a colon should be used instead.

Answer 2

C. To get the reader's attention.

If I want to draw the reader's attention to a phrase -- to throw it in their face, as it were -- I set it off with an em dash. Generally on a computer, you make it by typing two minus signs (-) next to each other. Some word processing programs (Word, for example) will automatically change the two minus signs into one long em dash.

If it's a phrase I don't have any strong feelings about emphasizing or de-emphasizing, perhaps because I just want the sentence to flow along, I set it off with commas.

If I want to de-emphasize a phrase (to make it seem almost like an afterthought) I enclose it in parentheses.

Answer 3

You could use a dash in place of a semicolon, and they are also used to get the reader's attention. If you are confused (as I can't tell from your quesiton), I suggest you refer to Lynne Truss' book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves."

Answer 4

Simple C people works best