When does the sentence contain a dash? In which sentence is a dash?

Dash is a special punctuation mark. On the one hand, the tolerance of its use is quite wide, since this sign is considered "author's", it is often used for intonation allocations, logical selection and sentence splitting, and for creating a special rhythm of sounding both verse and prosaic speech. In this sense, any text writer, it seems, decides in which sentence the dash is put. In many cases, author's dashes are fully justified, the status of this punctuation mark allows quite "freely" to interpret the need for its use. On the other hand, there are a lot of cases when there is a dash in the sentence, but quite often the statement of this sign looks obviously erroneous and does not result from the desire to emphasize special meanings in the sentence, but from ignorance of the rules. Finally, the absence of a sign in the place where it is supposed to be the rule is a serious punctuation error.

Between subject and predicate

Perhaps the most typical and common case when a dash is put in a sentence is its need between the subject and the predicate, and it is this case that usually causes the greatest number of questions, and therefore errors.

So, this sign between the subject and the predicate is necessarily put in the event that the main terms of the sentence are expressed by the noun in the nominative case, the numerical numerative in the nominative case or the infinitive.

My dog is a real friend.

Talking about something with your mom - doom yourself to long questions on naughty topics.

His only hope is to go to an outstanding medical professor.

Do not want to touch without him to such a tasty - real love.

In this case, between the main members of the sentence there should be no verb-bundle "is", "to be". There is no dash, for example, in the following cases:

His cat was his home and family for him.

Listening to him was a real torture.

A real holiday for children was to go out of town by car.

A dash is not put also if the predicate contains a negation:

Your mother is not strong, why do not you help her carry her brother?

Between the subject and the predicate before the words "this", "here", "means"

A common mistake is not to put a sign between the subject and the predicate in the event that between them there are words "this", "here", "means". These words do not affect the construction of the sentence in any way from the point of view of the necessity of setting a dash. Before these words, a dash is mandatory. In these cases, the place where the dash is put in the sentence is structurally no different from the same place without these words.

Holding your child in your arms is real happiness.

To agree to such a position is a big responsibility.

Reading poems and fairy tales at night for children means to give them great pleasure and prepare them for independent reading.

Kornei Chukovsky is the real joy of my childhood!

Between the pronoun and the noun

Another case when a dash is put in a sentence is some sentences in which the basis is expressed by a personal pronoun (subject) and a noun in the nominative (predicate).

First, the sign is placed in the case when it is necessary to logically select a personal pronoun:

You are the most precious thing that I have.

She is a brilliant scientist, an excellent teacher and a real person.

Secondly, a dash is placed, when in the sentence the reverse order of words (not the predicate follows the subject, and the subject follows the predicate):

That girl you liked on the train - she.

All respected scientist and poet - he.

Thirdly, according to the rules, the dash is necessary in the proposals with opposition:

We care about you, we think how to help, and you are an egoist.

His father works tirelessly and loves to do everything with his own hands, and he is a slacker.

A sign is also placed when two or more consecutive sentences have the same structure:

Today you are a fine fellow, today you are simply clever, you are today the hero of the day!

She is beautiful as always, she is perfection as always.

In incomplete sentences

The so-called intonational dash is placed in incomplete sentences in the event that a pause is assumed on the place of the omitted sentence.

We gave our oldest daughter a computer, and the younger one - a phone.

Whatever it was, and tomorrow you'll have to go to the printing house, the day after tomorrow - to the post office, and a week later - to the bank.

Victor Astafiev wrote my favorite "Tsar-fish", and Boris Vasilyev - "And the dawns here are quiet."

It is often considered that the dash in a simple sentence is placed in two cases: between the subject and the predicate and between words in incomplete sentences, but this is not at all the case.

Dash, which determines intonation

Also an intonational dash is allowed in any sentence between any of its members.

How many times do you say that you should not go there! What is there for you - not happy! What's over you there - they laugh!

It's time to drink tea - with honey and favorite gingerbread.

When reading art texts, it is sometimes difficult to understand why a dash is put in a sentence, but most often this sign is not accidental - it emphasizes the special logic, intonation or rhythm of the utterance.

In clarifying

These signs are surrounded by explanatory isolation.

This trip - participation in the conference - was always remembered as something old and bright.

After the homogeneous terms of the sentence

In those cases when the homogenous members of the sentence are preceded by a general word, and after them the sentence continues, after a homogeneous sentence, a dash is placed.

And suddenly all these kids - daughter, nephew, neighbor boy and grandson of an old acquaintance - turned out to be adults independent people who have all their points of view.

Of course, most of these topics - death, illness, suffering, loneliness, childlessness, betrayal, lack of money - are, to one degree or another, of every fate.

When specifying the time, spatial and quantitative segments

Dashes with the indication of time, spatial and quantitative segments are placed between words and between numbers.

We lived there in 1997-2004.

On the train Moscow-Vorkuta he met an old acquaintance.

If it is a printed text, it should be remembered that in such cases the dash is not separated by spaces and it should be short - even if a long dash is used when typing .

In addition, it must be remembered that in the case where it is necessary to put a sign between numbers or words reflecting quantitative uncertainty, it is not a dash, but a hyphen:

She did not leave the house for five or seven days.

Add 3-4 teaspoons of anise and dill to the sauce.

Before the general word

The obligatory case when a dash is put is a sentence in which the generalizing word follows the homogeneous terms of the sentence. In front of him is a dash.

Currant, gooseberry, raspberry, Irgu - all the berries had time to try the girly this summer.

Long-distance relatives, friends, with whom he had not seen for a long time, half-forgotten colleagues from the old work - they all began to be recalled for some reason recently.

Before the appendix at the end of the sentence

If the application, which is in the absolute end of the sentence, should be logically distinguished, on the letter it is shown with a dash:

When we came in, his cat ran out to meet us - fluffy Alisk.

All the way, my son talked to me about his new friend - Boris Ivanovich.

How would I like to chat with you as a specialist about your favorite business - construction.

Before the minor member of the sentence, which is expressed by the infinitive

If the minor member of the sentence is expressed in an infinitive and has an explanatory character, it is separated by a dash.

Finally, he had a mature plan and a decision was born - to take the first step and make up.

A child who hates school has one way out - to use every opportunity to truant on legal grounds.

With plug-in structures

Dash marks surround any plug-in structures, including those that end with a question mark or exclamation mark. This is actually the case when a dash is placed between sentences.

And these little newborn kittens - do not even want to think about it! - live in such conditions.

All the good students - but how else? - should be passionate about their future profession.

In non-union sentences

In those cases when a dash is placed, the uni-form proposal contains such parts as are opposed to each other:

We officially invited him to visit - he did not even deign to answer anything.

Ask her homework - she will pretend that there was nothing like this.

In addition, a dash is placed before that part of the union-free sentence, the meaning of which is to express the conclusion, result or consequence of what is said in the preceding part of the complex sentence:

Mom came - and all the sorrows, as always, seemed small and quickly forgotten.

When formulating direct speech and dialogue

Dash in a complex sentence is put, in addition, in the formulation of direct speech, separates the author's words from the quote:

"I have already come! - cheerfully shouted my daughter and after a pause, asked mysteriously: - Do you know who I saw today? ».

When preparing a dialogue, a dash is also put before each statement:

"Can not you learn to keep secrets?" Mitya asked severely.

- I can. I keep it, I just did not know that you, too, should be kept by it, "the little one answered in vain.

In addition, there are other special cases when a dash is put in the sentence, but basically all of them are variants or modifications of the listed ones.