Mastering Dashes: Em-dashes and En-dashes
A Grade 7 ELA worksheet focusing on the correct usage of em-dashes and en-dashes in sentences, including their roles in showing emphasis, interruption, and ranges.
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Mastering Dashes: Em-dashes and En-dashes
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Read each question carefully and follow the instructions. This worksheet will help you practice using em-dashes (—) and en-dashes (–) correctly in your writing.
Dashes are punctuation marks that can be very useful in writing, but they are often confused with hyphens. There are two main types of dashes: the em-dash (—) and the en-dash (–).
Em-dashes are longer and are used to indicate a sudden break in thought, to set off an emphatic appositive, or to introduce a summary. They can be used in place of commas, parentheses, or colons for stronger emphasis.
En-dashes are shorter than em-dashes but longer than hyphens. They are primarily used to indicate a range (such as dates, times, or page numbers) or to connect two things that are related by distance.
Choose the correct dash (em-dash or en-dash) to complete each sentence. Write 'em' or 'en' in the blank.
1. The trip to Paris a dream come true was unforgettable.
2. Please refer to pages 125 130 for more information.
3. My favorite colors blue, green, and purple are all cool tones.
4. The New York London flight was delayed.
5. He finally arrived late, as usual and missed the beginning of the movie.
Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the parentheses or commas with em-dashes to create a stronger emphasis.
1. My sister (a brilliant artist) won the competition.
2. The dessert, a rich chocolate cake, was devoured quickly.
3. She had only one goal (to finish the marathon) and she achieved it.
Choose the sentence that uses dashes correctly.
1. Which sentence correctly uses an em-dash?
The weather was beautiful - perfect for a picnic.
The weather was beautiful — perfect for a picnic.
The weather was beautiful – perfect for a picnic.
The weather was beautiful -perfect for a picnic.
2. Which sentence correctly uses an en-dash?
Read chapters 3 - 5 for tomorrow.
Read chapters 3—5 for tomorrow.
Read chapters 3–5 for tomorrow.
Read chapters 3-5 for tomorrow.
Indicate whether each statement is True or False.
1. An em-dash is typically shorter than a hyphen.
True
False
2. En-dashes are used to indicate a range, like 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
True
False
Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) about your favorite hobby or a recent event. Make sure to include at least one em-dash and one en-dash correctly in your paragraph.