Punctuation Worksheets | Dash Worksheets - Free Printable

Solution to the "Dash as Interruption Worksheet"

The goal of this worksheet is to use dashes (—) to show interruptions in speech or thoughts. Dashes are used when someone's quote is cut off, interrupted, or incomplete — often indicating a sudden break in the sentence.

Dashes are longer than hyphens and are typically used in pairs: -- (in many typed formats) or — (em dash). In this context, we'll use -- for clarity in typing.

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Let’s go through each sentence and correct it by adding dashes where needed.

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#### 1. “I’m having a “ John interrupted as he stepped off the bus.

- The speaker starts saying something ("I'm having a...") but is interrupted by John.
- The interruption occurs after the phrase "I'm having a".
- We need to place a dash after the quote before the interruption.

✔ Answer:
“I’m having a—” John interrupted as he stepped off the bus.

> ✔ Explanation: The dash shows that the speaker was cut off mid-sentence.

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#### 2. The teacher said “Good morning ever “ when the bird flew in.

- The teacher begins to say "Good morning, everyone," but gets interrupted by a bird flying in.
- The word "ever" is likely part of "everyone" — so the quote is incomplete.
- We need to interrupt the quote with a dash.

✔ Answer:
The teacher said “Good morning, ever—” when the bird flew in.

> ✔ Explanation: The dash shows the teacher was interrupted before finishing the sentence.

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#### 3. “What a great“ Jerry screamed aloud.

- Jerry starts exclaiming "What a great..." but is interrupted (perhaps by excitement or another event).
- The quote is cut off mid-sentence.

✔ Answer:
“What a great—” Jerry screamed aloud.

> ✔ Explanation: The dash shows the thought was abruptly stopped.

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#### 4. “But I“ Jeremy started saying when he arrived.

- Jeremy begins to speak but is interrupted — possibly because he didn’t finish his thought.
- He says “But I…” and then stops.

✔ Answer:
“But I—” Jeremy started saying when he arrived.

> ✔ Explanation: The dash indicates an unfinished or interrupted statement.

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#### 5. The women began to respond, “I am not “

- The woman starts to say “I am not…” but is interrupted.
- The quote ends abruptly.

✔ Answer:
The women began to respond, “I am not—”

> ✔ Explanation: The dash marks the abrupt end of her sentence due to interruption.

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#### 6. The student thanked the teacher, “You’re very“

- The student starts to say “You’re very…” but is interrupted.
- Likely, they were going to say “You're very kind” or similar, but got cut off.

✔ Answer:
The student thanked the teacher, “You’re very—”

> ✔ Explanation: The dash shows the sentence was not completed.

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✔ Final Answers:

1. “I’m having a—” John interrupted as he stepped off the bus.
2. The teacher said “Good morning, ever—” when the bird flew in.
3. “What a great—” Jerry screamed aloud.
4. “But I—” Jeremy started saying when he arrived.
5. The women began to respond, “I am not—”
6. The student thanked the teacher, “You’re very—”

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📌 Key Rule Reminder:

- Use dashes (--) to show interruptions in quotations.
- Place the dash before the quotation mark if the sentence is cut off.
- Dashes are not used for compound words or hyphenated phrases — only for interruptions.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or explanation in simpler terms!