Can you give me examples of "---"?

She opened the door and --- there it was, the surprise of her life. The story was divided into three parts: the beginning, the middle, and --- the end. He paused for a moment, --- then continued with his speech.

Can you give me examples of "and before I knew it"?

I started reading the book, and before I knew it, I had finished the whole thing. We were talking about our plans, and before I knew it, we were on a plane to Paris. I was just browsing online, and before I knew it, I had spent hours shopping.

Which is correct:
"---" or "and before I knew it"?

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---

This is a common way to indicate a pause or a separation in writing.

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The three dashes (---) are often used to separate sections of a text or to indicate a pause in dialogue. It can also be used to create emphasis or draw attention to a particular point.

Examples:

She opened the door and --- there it was, the surprise of her life.
The story was divided into three parts: the beginning, the middle, and --- the end.
He paused for a moment, --- then continued with his speech.

and before I knew it

This phrase is correct and commonly used to express surprise at how quickly something happened.

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This phrase is used to describe a situation where something happened quickly or unexpectedly. It is often used in storytelling or recounting events to convey a sense of surprise or suddenness.

Examples:

I started reading the book, and before I knew it, I had finished the whole thing.
We were talking about our plans, and before I knew it, we were on a plane to Paris.
I was just browsing online, and before I knew it, I had spent hours shopping.

These two phrases are not directly comparable as they serve different purposes. "---" is used as a separator or to indicate a pause, while "and before I knew it" is used to express surprise at how quickly something happened. They are not interchangeable in most contexts.

Last updated: March 08, 2024

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Which is correct: "---" or "and before I knew it"?

---

and before I knew it

Which is correct:
"---" or "and before I knew it"?