Using the dash
Adashis used for emphasis. What is said between dashes – or
after the dash if there is only one – is more emphatic than if
there were no dash. If you break your sentence in the middle
to make an added point, use a dash before and after it.
Janice, Elaine, Maureen, Elsie – in fact all the girls – can
go on the trip to London.If the added section is at the end of the sentence, only one
dash is needed:
This is the second time you have not done your English
homework – or any of your homework.REMEMBERING THE QUESTION MARK AND
EXCLAMATION MARK
Using the question mark
The question mark is obviously placed at the end of a
question.Doremember to put it there. Students frequently
miss it out through carelessness.
Is it raining?
You won’t go out in the rain, will you?If you are using direct speech, the question mark takes the
place of the comma and is always placed inside the inverted
commas.
‘When is your interview?’ asked Lucy.
‘Are you travelling by train?’ queried John.POLISHING UP YOUR PUNCTUATION / 39