Darn it! Twice abandoned—first by Dr. Truneh and now by Maria… (I'm doubting also the use of the ellipsis.) Thank you.
I would say use a semi-colon, ; So it would read Darn it! Twice abandoned; first by Dr. Truneh and now by Maria
A dash works. A colon would work. A full stop would work (my preferred option, in the absence of context). And I'd doubt the use of the ellipsis too, but again that depends on the context.
Dash A dash is more appropriate in that sentence than a semi-colon in my opinion. But it depends on what exactly you're trying to convey to the readers. While a semi-colon also works - please don't think that a semi-colon is the same thing as using a dash; the meanings of the sentences differ even if it is only by a little. A semi-colon is used to separate two independent clauses. A dash is to: *Separate a separate but related thought within a sentence. *To isolate, show emphasis, define, elaborate, explain *To show a break or interruption in a sentence In your sentence, you are elaborating on the clause "twice abandoned." Therefore, a dash would seem more appropriate than a semi-colon. You can separate by a dash, semi-colon, and a period there; but do note that the meaning of the sentence changes. I would actually first used a dash, then a period, and then a semi-colon..
Thank you very much for your advice. After reading your comments, I think the dash is the best option. For completion, here is the context: The bad news was that our midwife informed us that she was taking a week off, flying to New York on Friday. Her mom had died two years before and the family was trying to keep her dad company for most of the time. Darn it! Twice abandoned—first by Dr. Truneh and now by Maria… “So that means we have 36 hours to have you as our midwife?” Tom said. “That’s right!” “Anything we can do?” I asked. . . .
