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Dashes separate
(a dash is longer than a hyphen — to make one type shift-option-minus, or just use two hyphens -- but whichever you choose, stick to it).-
Always put a space before and after a dash.
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Use dashes sparingly — most people use them far too often.
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Use a dash to indicate a pause or break in the sentence.
The prisoners sat in Poetry Appreciation Chairs — strapped in. Vogons suffered no illusions as to the regard their works were generally held in.
Whatever Zaphod's qualities of mind might include — dash, bravado, conceit — he was mechanically inept and could easily blow the ship up with an extravagant gesture. -
Use a dash to add an after- or before-thought to a complete sentence.
A red star the size of a small plate crept across it followed quickly by another one — a binary system.
Old, ugly, and stupid — yes, he had it all. -
Use a dash to indicate an interruption or cut-off, especially in dialog (where it goes inside the quotation marks).
He thought again, which required looking at the ceiling, "Some of the shouting I quite like." He filled his lungs and bellowed, "Resistance is —"
"Sure, yes," interrupted Ford hurriedly, "you're good at that, I can tell."
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