2. The Dash (— or --)
The dash is a versatile punctuation mark. It can
function as a semicolon, colon, or comma within a
sentence; however, the dash’s flexibility also makes it a
liability if used too frequently. Dashes are often used to
connect additional comments to sentence or to
introduce a list.

3. Examples:
Ex. 1 connecting a series (list) of words or phrases
 James was a handsome looking man—tall, strong and rugged.
 Tall, strong and rugged—James was a handsome looking man.
 Mark Twain—funny, rebellious and spirited—is my favorite author.
 I had a million chores to do at home—wash the dishes, make the bed, clean
the countertops, vacuum the living room, and mop the kitchen floor.
Ex. 2 adding comments or extra information
 Jenny—the prettiest girl in the world!—called me today.
 Henry James—is he the author of The Golden Bowl?—is on the test
tomorrow.
 Jack Kerouac—he is the author of On The Road—wrote many great books.
 I was startled out of bed by my alarm and landed on the floor—a terrible
start to the day.
Ex. 3 indicating faltering speech
 I—I—think I saw a—a—ghost.

4. Colon (:)
Ex. 1 to offer a definition
 Jive talk: an English dialect or “slang” used by the Beat
Generation in the 1950s.
Ex. 2 to rephrase the sentence
 The room was unfathomably dark: a darkness that could
seemingly swallow even the brightest light.
Ex. 3 to introduce a list
 My niece has four favorite colors: red, green, blue, and yellow.
Ex. 4 introduce a quote
 Martin Luther King believes that civil disobedience only works
when demonstrators accept the punishment of violating the law:
“One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and
with a willingness to accept the penalty” (602).

5. Semicolons (;)
Semicolons are common punctuation marks. They
have the ability to connect independent clauses
together, but they are also used to connect items in a
formal list.

6. Examples
Ex. 1 connecting sentences
-Hamlet is a tragic character; he is perhaps the most tragic
in all of literature.
Ex. 2 a formal list
-Jack Kerouac wrote some of the finest novels of 40s and
50s: On The Road, 1957; The Dharma Bums, 1958; Doctor
Sax, 1959; Visions of Cody, 1959; Tristessa, 1960; Big Sur,
1962; and Vanity of Duluoz, 1968.
Or
Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road, 1957; The Dharma Bums,
1958; Doctor Sax, 1959; Visions of Cody, 1959; Tristessa,
1960; Big Sur, 1962; and Vanity of Duluoz, 1968.

7. Example of Semicolons in
a Complex List
“I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the
Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom
is not the White Citizens Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner,
but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’
than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the
absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence
of justice, who constantly says, ‘I agree with you in the goal
you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct
action’; who paternalistically believes he can set the
timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a
mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the
Negro to wait for a ‘more convenient season’” (603).
-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail”