Em Dash Examples for AP Lang: Adding Interruption and Emphasis

📚 Quick Study Guide

🖋️ The em dash (—) is a versatile punctuation mark used for interruption, emphasis, or to indicate an abrupt break in thought. ✏️ Use a single em dash to set off an introductory element or concluding summary. 📢 Use a pair of em dashes to set off parenthetical elements with more emphasis than parentheses would. 💡 Em dashes can replace commas, parentheses, or colons to achieve a specific stylistic effect. ✍️ Overuse of em dashes weakens your writing. Use them sparingly for maximum impact.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following sentences uses the em dash correctly to indicate an interruption?
   1. The dog—a golden retriever—barked loudly.
   2. The dog, a golden retriever, barked loudly—
   3. The dog—a golden retriever, barked loudly.
   4. The dog, a golden retriever—barked loudly.
2. In which sentence does the em dash effectively add emphasis?
   1. She wanted to travel the world—someday.
   2. She wanted to travel—the world someday.
   3. She—wanted to travel the world someday.
   4. She wanted to travel the world someday—or so she said.
3. Which sentence uses em dashes incorrectly?
   1. The concert—which was amazing—started late.
   2. The concert—started late.
   3. The concert—it was amazing—started late.
   4. The concert—and I loved it—started late.
4. Choose the sentence where the em dash replaces a colon most effectively.
   1. I need three things—milk, bread, and cheese.
   2. I need—three things: milk, bread, and cheese.
   3. I need three things: milk—bread, and cheese.
   4. I need three things: milk, bread, and—cheese.
5. Which of the following sentences uses the em dash to create an abrupt break?
   1. He said he would come—maybe.
   2. He said—he would come maybe.
   3. He—said he would come maybe.
   4. He said he would—come maybe.
6. Select the sentence that best demonstrates the em dash replacing parentheses.
   1. The play—a modern tragedy—moved the audience.
   2. The play, a modern tragedy, moved—the audience.
   3. The play a modern—tragedy moved the audience.
   4. The play—a modern tragedy, moved the audience.
7. Which sentence is the most stylistically effective use of the em dash?
   1. The rain—it never stops here—is depressing.
   2. The rain—is depressing.
   3. The rain is—depressing.
   4. The rain, it never stops here, is depressing—