Which sentence uses a dash correctly for emphasis?

Which sentence uses a dash correctly for emphasis?

• A. The plan is simple; save money— avoid debt.
• B. The plan is simple—save money and avoid debt.
• C. The plan is simple, save money and avoid debt.
• D. The plan is simple: save money — and avoid debt.

Answer: (B)

The emphasis being tested is how an em dash can spotlight what follows, turning a simple statement into a punchy instruction. In the sentence with the dash after “simple,” the part that comes after the dash—“save money and avoid debt”—acts as the concrete plan the sentence highlights. The dash creates a sharp break that signals the immediate takeaway as the action to take, giving the sentence a strong, concise punch.

The other options struggle because the punctuation doesn’t set up the following idea as effectively: a semicolon before a fragment isn’t standard here, a comma creates a run-on by joining an incomplete idea, and a colon plus dash is overpunctuated and awkward. The chosen form uses the dash cleanly to emphasize the directive without extra fuss.