Parenthesis: brackets, dashes and commas · Year 5
Parenthesis is a word or phrase added to a sentence to give extra information. We put a mark on both sides of it: brackets, a pair of dashes or a pair of commas. If you take the extra information out, the sentence still makes sense: My uncle (who lives in Cairo) is visiting.
Key facts
- Brackets go around the extra information: The Nile (the longest river in Africa) flows north.
- A pair of dashes does the same job and makes the extra information stand out: The test – to everyone's surprise – was easy.
- A pair of commas is the most common way, and the least noticeable: Omar, our team captain, scored the goal.
- Always use a pair: the mark at the end matches the mark at the start. Don't open with a bracket and close with a comma.
- Test it: take the parenthesis out. My uncle is visiting. is still a complete sentence, so the marks are in the right place.