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When a person finishes a sentence and then decides to add "clarification" in the form of an appositive that renames the subject, the only correct punctuation is a dash. ...We didn't have the exper...

Most reporters use the dash simply for that ever-present interruption. There are, however, grammar rules associated with the dash. Here's one: When an indefinite pronoun follows ONE word and rena...

These eight expressions are often used when something is being renamed or reiterated: i.e., that is, e.g., for example, to wit, namely, for instance, in other words The punctuation depends upon w...

These eight expressions are often used when something is being renamed or reiterated: i.e., that is, e.g., for example, to wit, namely, for instance, in other words The punctuation depends upon w...

Capitalize the first word after a colon only when it begins a complete sentence. ...This is what I want to know: What day did he arrive? ...This is what I want to know: the day he arrived. ...He ...

One of the places where there is a lot of push-back against using the dash is this: ...Q The car on the left -- what color was it? ...Q The restaurant where you were eating -- is that one ...

The second rule for using a dash is for a complete sentence that is dropped into the middle of another complete sentence. ...I am looking at the article that -- it is the first one on the page -- ...

Bill and I are in Falmouth, MA, this morning on Cape Cod, enjoying a little down time. The Massachusetts reporting group had a great convention this weekend, and I was privileged to be a part of it...

Just the basic rules for the dash. It is the third one that many people don't always remember. There are three basic reasons to use a dash:1. broken sentence structure (This is where the interrupt...