Colon, Hyphen, and Dash

Colon
 Use at the end of a complete statement to introduce a long quotation (hint: quotation has to
be an independent clause) list or explanation.
Example: Thoreau explains in Walden: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,
to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not,
when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Exercises: include the colon where needed.

1. Foods that are high in cholesterol include the following eggs, butter, milk, cheese, and
shrimp.
2. The Italians love fine wine they have exquisite taste.
3. Dear Sir or Madam
4. 530 p.m. is a perfect time for a nap.
5. Before the dark came, the night wind blew across the land.
6. William Farrell states that before divorce became common, most women’s income came from
men, so discrimination in favor of a woman’s husband benefited her.

Dash
 A dash signals a degree of pause longer than a comma but not as complete as a period. Use
a dash to set off words for dramatic effect. Be careful not to overuse. Also, the dash is
formed by using the hyphen twice on the computer (--).
Example: I didn’t go out with him a second time—once was more than enough.

Exercises: insert a dash where needed.

1. The package finally arrived badly damaged.
2. Some of you I won’t mention any names cheated on the test.
3. “He was with her everywhere”-Toni Morrison
4. I’m advising you in fact, I’m telling you not to bother me again.

Hyphen
 Use a hyphen with two or more words that act as a single unit describing a noun. In other
words, they become an adjective.

Example: The fast-talking salesman was good.

Exercises:
1. That is a very well written essay.
2. I love old fashioned homes.
3. Murray had ninety two dollars and only spent twenty two dollars at the mall.

Written by Christina Stork

Edited for online use by Peter J. Wegner
©2003 Northern Arizona University Writing Program