Comma
What do commas represent?
A pause or break in a sentence
What do dashes indicate?
A pause
How is an ellipsis written?
...
Comma:
My favorite cookies are chocolate chip molasses and oatmeal.
My favorite cookies are chocolate chip, molasses, and oatmeal.
Ellipsis:
Her dress was interesting.
Her dress was ... interesting.
Use a comma to separate items in a series.
Items in a series or list
What kind of writing can a dash be used in?
formal and informal
What type of writing is an ellipsis not used in?
formal writing
Ellipsis:
He nervously peeked between the curtains and saw a ghost!
He nervously peeked between the curtains and saw ... a ghost!
Comma:
She was a strong flexible gymnast.
She was a strong, flexible gymnast.
Use a comma to set off quoted elements.
Quotations
A pair of dashes can be used to set off information or ideas that are not essential to understanding the rest of the sentence.
Nonessential ideas
When do you use an ellipsis besides to indicate a pause, hesitation, or break?
To indicate that you have left something out of an abbreviated quote
Comma:
At Easter which is my favorite holiday my entire family is getting together.
At Easter, which is my favorite holiday, my entire family is getting together.
Dash:
The time had come for my morning drink coffee.
The time had come for my morning drink-coffee.
Use a comma to set off clauses that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Nonessential clauses
What is the formal name of the dash we learned about?
em dash
What is the proper way to write an ellipsis?
space before and after the ellipsis
Dash:
I was delighted to learn that a girl the only girl in the baseball league was the fastest pitcher.
I was delighted to learn that a girl-the only girl in the baseball league-was the fastest pitcher.
Ellipsis:
Umm I'm not quite sure that's true.
Umm ... I'm not quite sure that's true.
Use a comma to set off a noun or noun phrase that renames or clarifies the noun or noun phrase beside it.
Appositive
What are the names of the two types of punctuation that the dash should not be confused with?
en dash and hyphen
I mean I'm really not sure that's right.
I mean ... I'm really not sure that's right.
What else can be used in the place of a dash?
colon, parentheses, semicolon, comma
Dash:
The chef finally decided what she would do with the restaurant sell it to her sister.
The chef finally decided what she would do with the restaurant-sell it to her sister.