Question

which of the following sentences uses dash(es) effectively?
a the new-to-the-restaurant employee was
ready to start her first day of training.

b corrine—linda—and martina have been best
friends since kindergarten.

c alma was excited to announce the new spe-
cial on the dinner menu—stuffed clams and
baked lobster.

d ray—who always appreciated good humor—
was telling a knock-knock joke—one that his
mother taught him at a young age.

Explanation:

Dashes effectively set off explanatory details. Option A uses hyphens (not dashes) for a compound adjective. Option B incorrectly uses dashes between list items (commas are proper). Option D has unnecessary nested dashes that disrupt flow. Option C uses em dashes correctly to clarify the "new special" as "stuffed clams and baked lobster."

Answer:

C. Alma was excited to announce the new special on the dinner menu—stuffed clams and baked lobster.