More about Dashes Dashes Are Usually an Option, Not a Necessity For the most part, the dash does not have a unique role in grammar. It is usually used as an alternative to another punctuation mark. When used to extend a sentence, a dash can replace a semicolon (;), a colon (:), or three dots (...) used as a pause for effect. When used as parentheses, dashes are alternatives to brackets or commas.
