Use a dash to notify the reader of a surprising element at the end of a sentence.
- The trapper gave his grandson a coat made of fur—skunk fur.
Use a dash to announce a list, restatement or an amplification.
- The waiter’s first recommendation—a sea bass baked in a hazelnut crust—was sold out.
Her first car—a pink and white pinto with leopard-skin seat covers—should be in a museum.
- He had worked hard—did his coach realize how hard?—to improve his free throw shooting.
Don’t use a dash for a simple appositive that doesn’t require a dramatic shift.
- Her first car, a Dodge Dart, is still running.
