Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[fw]

I�m interested in the use of "dash" and "comma"..
I came across the sentence #1 below the other day, but I guess I have seen more often the type of #2, meaning almost the same. Is #1 natural English?

1. It is important to note here that the proper noun �English� has received a plural �-s�---becoming �Englishes�. (dash)
2. It is important to note here that the proper noun �English� has received a plural �-s,� becoming �Englishes�. (comma)

[pugachevV]

I prefer the comma here.

Here's what Purdue Online Writing Lab has to say:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/566/01/
Dash

Dashes are used to set off or emphasize the content enclosed within dashes or the content that follows a dash. Dashes place more emphasis on this content than parentheses.

Perhaps one reason why the term has been so problematic�so resistant to definition, and yet so transitory in those definitions�is because of its multitude of applications.
In terms of public legitimacy�that is, in terms of garnering support from state legislators, parents, donors, and university administrators�English departments are primarily places where advanced literacy is taught.
The U.S.S. Constitution became known as "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812�during which the cannonballs fired from the British H.M.S. Guerriere merely bounced off the sides of the Constitution.
To some of you, my proposals may seem radical�even revolutionary.

Use a dash to set off an appositive phrase that already includes commas. An appositive is a word that adds explanatory or clarifying information to the noun that precedes it.

The cousins�Tina, Todd, and Sam�arrived at the party together.