Use a dash to set off a series of items when the sentence might be confusing otherwise.
The three boys – Sam, John, and Bill – were eager to get to the beach.
My four cousins – ranging in age from 13 to 21 – are having a sleepover tonight.
You can also use a dash at the end of a sentence to set off a word or phrase.
After a hot day on the ball diamond, Sam wanted only one thing – a cool dip in the pool.
The knocking on my front door could mean only one thing – trouble.
A dash is used to emphasize certain words or phrases by setting them off from the rest of the sentence.
▶Now you try it. Where in this sentence could you put a dash or two? Brightly colored flowers daisies, roses, and phlox filled the garden along the fence. Did you put dashes before and after the list of flowers? Good for you!