Tutoring English, you get asked how to make writing more interesting. The English tutor offers a way to add variety to your sentences:  occasional use of the dash.

The dash is not the most commonly used punctuation mark; however, some people use it frequently.  It can mark a sudden change in thought, which is the way many people really do think.  Consider the following examples:

I bought him some wine, afterwards recalling he is a recovering alcoholic – what was I thinking?

I bought my bed at Robinson’s Furniture during Saturday Morning Markdown – I don’t know if they still do that.

We discussed the exam afterwards – none of us felt confident.

Dashes can give the flavour of how people truly talk and think.  They can also be used to enclose an idea, rather like parentheses:

If we invite Dave – we’ve invited him every year so far – we’ll need a vegetarian dish.

While we’re in Berlin – we’ll be there for two weeks – I hope we can attend the opera.

I might overuse dashes.  If you don’t use them already, start slowly:  put one or two in an assignment, then wait for feedback.  If your teacher doesn’t complain, you can start experimenting.  If, on the other hand, they do complain, try to comply with their advice the next time you use a dash.  You needn’t use them often in order to benefit from the variety they can add to your writing:)

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.