Question

When working with additional information in a sentence, when should dashes be used instead of commas or parentheses?

A. A dash is always used when renaming a noun.
B. A dash is used to continue the flow of a complex sentence.
C. A dash is used to set off a relatively important aside in a way that grabs the reader's attention.
D. A dash is used in formal writing to set off less important background information.

Answer 1

Dashes should be used instead of commas or parentheses when working with additional information in a sentence in which:

C. A dash is used to set off a relatively important aside in a way that grabs the reader's attention.

Instead of using parentheses to emphasize a particular point that aids the sentence clarity in meaning, the most efficient punctuation to use is a dash.