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Tiny Grammar Review

colons * hyphens * dashes

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COLONS

Think about a colon meaning “and here it is”. For example:

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I made my decision: it is time to shave my head.

I need a couple things from the store: fresh razor blades and shaving cream.

I already know how my mom is going to react: she’s going to lock me in my room until my hair grows back.

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HYPHENS

The most common use of hyphens is for creating compound words, especially ADJECTIVES. For example:

A seatbelt is a life-saving device.

Have some of this face-melting hot sauce.

He was secretive about his class-skipping techniques.

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DASHES

Use a dash any time you interrupt a sentence to drop in an extra piece of information. The form is SPACE -- TWO DASHES -- SPACE. For example:

I was having a terrible dream -- the one about being chased by clowns -- and I woke up screaming, clutching my blankets.

He was downing a Red Bull -- his fifth one that morning -- when he suddenly felt his heart explode in his chest.

We were going to the movies -- the new Star Wars was finally out -- and I was stuffing my pockets with contraband candy.

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Practice time!

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Write these sentences down, adding the appropriate punctuation (colon, hyphen or dashes):

  1. I was impressed by her money saving shopping habits.
  2. The car came out of nowhere a flaming red sports car and flew off the bridge.
  3. I can’t take any more of that skull crushing noise you call music.
  4. I’ll tell you one thing for sure he never knew what hit him.
  5. The only advice my dad ever gave me was this if you ain’t first, you’re last.
  6. The perfect dress the one I had sought for three months had finally arrived.

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