We can use punctuation, such as colons and dashes, as connectors. Here's a snippet that uses a dash and a semicolon this way:
You're not going to marry Violet figuratively—you're going to marry her literally! This play won't be pretend; it will be real and legally binding.
How is using dashes and colons and semicolons and the like different from just using full stops or periods?
Different punctuation has different effects (check out the Expressive punctuation lessons to explore some of the cool things you can do with punctuation). In this snippet:
Let's try it.
I didn't want to eat raisin toast—raisins are gross! They're so crunchy and slimy; dad should just make regular old toast.
Goblins are weird—they hoard toenail clippings! My friend Gobbo brings his collection to school every day; it's supposed to help him with math class.
