Sat Dash: A Guide to Proper Punctuation

Proper punctuation is key to acing the SAT Dash. Commas are used to separate items in a series, but be careful not to overuse them.

In the SAT Dash, commas are used to separate items in a series, as seen in the example "I had eggs, toast, and orange juice for breakfast." This is a crucial rule to remember.

Apostrophes are used to form possessive nouns, but they're often misused. Make sure to add an apostrophe to the word to show ownership, like in the example "The cat's toy is under the bed."

Proper use of apostrophes can make all the difference in the SAT Dash.

Colons are often used to precede an explanation or a list, but they can be tricky to use correctly. A colon must follow a complete sentence.

To check if a colon is used correctly, ask yourself if it can be replaced by a period. If not, you need to edit the punctuation. In the SAT exam, colons are frequently used incorrectly.

For example, consider the sentence "The famous dessert recipe required some basic ingredients, such as: flour, sugar, eggs, milk, and baking powder." Here, the colon is used incorrectly because the clause before it is not a complete sentence.

On the other hand, in the sentence "Aunt Julie loves to travel: warm beaches and historic landmarks are her favorite destinations", the colon is used correctly because it follows a complete sentence.

Using dashes correctly can be a bit tricky, but it's essential for scoring well on the SAT. Long dashes have a very specific purpose, which is to indicate a change in tone, an elaboration, or new thought.

You can use a single long dash to separate a new thought from the rest of the sentence. This is the most challenging part of using long dashes, but it's also the most important.

Two long dashes, on the other hand, are used to separate additional, explanatory, and/or descriptive information from the rest of the sentence. This is similar to using commas or parentheses to provide extra context.

Take a look at this: New Dash

Here's an example of how two long dashes can be used in a sentence:

The pier to the left of the canoe house–reputed to be haunted by a restless ghost–is a popular destination for tourists.

This type of sentence structure can be a good sign that you're dealing with the second rule of using long dashes, so be sure to hunt for long dashes in the non-underlined portion of a passage if you see one in an answer choice.

Long dashes have a very specific purpose, and it's essential to understand the rules to use them correctly. There are only two occasions when we use long dashes: to indicate a change in tone, an elaboration, or new thought, and to offset additional, explanatory, and/or descriptive information.

Let's break down the first rule, which can be the most challenging to grasp. Long dashes can be used to indicate a change in tone, an elaboration, or a new thought. This is a single long dash, and it's used to signal a shift in the sentence.

To illustrate this, consider the following sentence: "Long dashes have a very different purpose." The single long dash at the end indicates that the sentence is about to take a new turn.

You can use two long dashes to separate additional information from the rest of the sentence, much like a set of parentheses or a pair of commas. This is the second rule, and it's essential to understand how to use it correctly.

Here's an example of how two long dashes can be used: "The pier to the left of the canoe house–reputed to be haunted by a restless ghost–is a popular destination for tourists." The two long dashes separate the additional information about the pier being haunted from the rest of the sentence.

In fact, two long dashes function in exactly the same way as a pair of commas. If you see a long dash in one of your answer choices, always hunt for a long dash in the non-underlined portion of the passage. This could be a good sign that you're dealing with the second rule.

To use dashes correctly, you need to understand the basics of complete and incomplete sentences. A complete sentence is a sentence that expresses a complete thought, with a subject and a verb.

Complete sentences can be identified by their ability to stand alone as a complete thought. For example, "I went to the store" is a complete sentence because it expresses a complete thought.

In contrast, incomplete sentences, also known as fragments, can't stand alone as a complete thought. They often lack a subject or a verb. For instance, "I went to the store" is a complete sentence, but "to the store" is an incomplete sentence because it lacks a subject.

Understanding complete and incomplete sentences is crucial for using dashes correctly. Dashes are often used to set off nonessential clauses, but they can also be used to set off incomplete sentences.