Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mr. Buckingham, and it's so nice to see you here for today's lesson on parenthesis.

I think this skill is going to be really useful for us in adding detail to our non-chronological report about pandas, and I'm good to be here to help you the whole way through.

So let's make a start.

Today's lesson is called generating ideas for parenthesis in a non-chronological report about pandas from our unit called Pandas or Antarctic Animals non-chronological report and if you're doing this lesson, you're working towards writing reports about pandas.

By the end of today's lesson, we'll be able to say and write ideas for parenthesis using information about pandas.

Now, using parenthesis is a great way of improving the text cohesion or the flow of our writing because it allows us to combine different pieces of information into one sentence, and we're going to learn several different ways of doing that today, let's get to work.

Here are our keywords for today's lesson.

My turn, your turn.

Parenthesis, text cohesion, commas, relative clause and brackets.

Well done.

Now parenthesis is extra information.

Now parenthesis is extra information that's added to a sentence, and if it's removed, the sentence still makes sense.

The text cohesion refers to the way a text flows together to keep the reader interested and to meet its purpose, the purpose of the text.

Commas are a punctuation mark used to demarcate our relative clause or other parenthesis and you know, commas have other uses as well, but that's not my focus on today.

A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that starts with a relative pronoun, for example, who, which, who's or where and brackets are a punctuation mark used to add extra factual information in a clause.

Here's our lesson outline for today.

We're going to start off at looking at how we can use commas to show parenthesis, and then we'll move on to looking at using brackets do the same thing.

So when we write, we want to improve our text cohesion by ensuring the information we're writing flows together well and one way to do this is to use parenthesis, extra information added into a sentence that could be removed from it and the sentence would still make sense.

For instance, in this sentence we've written, the giant panda, which is native to China, is well known around the world and here we've got some parenthesis, which is native to China, that's been added in, but we could remove it and the sentence will still make sense.

Here's another example.

The giant panda and omnivorous mammal is native to China.

So here this is the parenthesis, an omnivorous mammal.

So each time the parenthesis could be removed and the sentence will still make sense.

Let me show you.

If I remove that parenthesis from the first sentence, it would say the giant panda is well known around the world, and that sentence makes sense and in the second one it would say the giant panda is native to China.

So each time the parenthesis was extra, it wasn't essential to the sentence, it's been added in and it can be taken away.

So parenthesis often follows, as I'm sure you spotted there, a noun or a noun phrase to tell us more information about it.

So here's a sentence.

Bamboo is a fast growing plant, which starts with a noun, bamboo.

So what more could we say about bamboo? Well, we could say bamboo, which can reach 45 metres in height, is a fast growing plant.

So we've got our noun, and then we have our parenthesis, which can reach 45 metres in height, telling us more about that noun and notice how it's come directly after that noun it's telling us more about.

So here we can see the parenthesis can be demarcated or shown using commas on either side of the parenthesis and the rest of the sentence, as we said before, must make complete sense in its own and we know that's true here because the sentence without the parenthesis would be, bamboo is a fast growing plant.

So we've added extra information as parenthesis after that noun, and we've put commas to demarcate it on either side.

So can you identify the parenthesis in each sentence here by looking for the part of the sentence that could be removed? Pause the video and have a try.

Really good, job well done.

So in A, it would be, which is black and white, in B, it would be a fast growing plant, C would be which are thick and woody and D would be a huge area in central China.

In each of those cases we could remove the parenthesis and the sentence would still make sense.

For instance, A would say the pandas fur has several purposes, and C would say the bamboo stems are very hard for pandas to digest.

Really well done if you spotted those pieces of parenthesis and I bet you also notice that each one is demarcated on either side by commas, really good job.

Now one way of creating parenthesis, which you've already seen a few times is to use a relative clause and a relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that starts with a relative pronoun, like who, which, who's or where and I'm sure you know that a subordinate clause is a group of words that contains a verb but doesn't make complete sense on its own.

So here's an example of a relative clause used for parenthesis.

The pandas patterned fur, which sets it apart from other bears, helps it to camouflage itself.

Notice how that relative clause starts with the relative pronoun, which, and it could be removed from the sentence and the sentence would say, the pandas pattern fur helps it to camouflage itself.

Here's another example.

The heavily forest mounts of China, where pandas are found, can be very cold in winter and finally, giant pandas, whose fur is thick and woolly, are well adapted to survive in cold climates.

So each time we've started our relative clause with a relative pronoun, we've used, which, where and who's as our relative pronouns here and remember, this is a subordinate clause, so it doesn't make complete sense in its own.

It relies on being paired with that main clause in order to make complete sense.

So in each case, that relative clause is following a noun phrase and it could be removed.

So for instance, in the first one, the relative clause follows on from the patterned fur.

In the second one, it follows on from those mountains and then the third one, it's describing giant pandas in general.

So it's giving us extra information about that noun or noun phrase.

Now we can use relative clauses for parenthesis as a way of combining linked information to boost or improve our text cohesion.

Let me show you some examples.

We've got these two separate pieces of information.

Bamboo stems are hard to digest, bamboo stems are thick and woody, at the minute, if we wrote those two sentences one after the other, we wouldn't have very good text cohesion.

We are not joining the information together, we're not connecting it, we're not showing how it's linked, but we can do that with parenthesis.

For instance, I could say bamboo stems, which are thick and woody are hard to digest.

Notice how I've taken that second piece of information and put it as a relative clause inside the first piece of information, and they've put it after the noun phrase it referred to, those bamboo stems. Here's another example, two separate pieces of information.

Pandas able to grip bamboo, pandas have a form of thumb.

Now I know that the reason pandas can grip the bamboo is because they have that thumb.

So I could put that as a piece of parenthesis inside the first sentence.

I could say "Pandas, which have a form of thumb, are able to grip bamboo." Again, it's a relative clause, starting with that relative pronoun, which I could remove it from the sentence, but it's extra information about pandas, so I've put it after the noun pandas.

Here's final example.

Pandas can crunch bamboo for hours and panda's teeth are very strong.

So this is extra information about pandas, which explains why they can crunch bamboo for hours.

So I could say pandas whose teeth are very strong can crunch bamboo for hours.

Again, it's a relative clause and again, it's followed on from the noun it's tells us more about, it's followed on from pandas.

So here we can see parenthesis as a relative clause, increasing our text cohesion by combining linked pieces of information to show the connection between them.

So can you try and do the same thing now.

Here are two pieces of information about pandas.

Pandas rarely use their sharp canine, pandas only occasionally eat meat.

Can you see if you can combine these two pieces of information to create a sentence containing parenthesis using a relative clause? Pause the video and have a try.

Well done, great effort.

So hopefully you came up with something like this.

Pandas, which only occasionally eat meat, rarely use their sharp canines.

So we've placed the parenthesis after the noun it tells us more about, pandas.

We use the relative pronoun, which, because pandas are not named people, we use who for named people, but pandas are animals and the parenthesis again could be removed and the sentence will still make sense.

It would just say pandas rarely use their sharp canines.

So the parenthesis has improved our text cohesion by combining those two pieces of information together, really well done.

Now another way of adding parenthesis to a sentence is to add a noun phrase, demarcated again on either side by commas after the first noun or noun phrase.

So this time we're not using a round of clause, we're just using a noun phrase and you probably know that the difference between a clause and a phrase is that a clause contains a verb and a phrase does not.

So a noun phrase is the group of words that link to a noun that do not contain a verb.

So for instance, China, a country in Asia is home to all the world's wild pandas.

So a country in Asia is a noun phrase, acting as parenthesis, coming after that noun China to give us extra additional information about it.

We could also say bamboo, a fast growing plant has thick woody stems, or we could say bamboo stems, the main component of the pandas diet are very difficult to digest.

So here the parenthesis clarifies something about that noun or noun phrase it describes, it says what it is in a different way.

China is a country Asia, bamboo is a fast growing plant.

So it's almost like describing what it actually is and again, that parenthesis could be removed and the part of the sentence outside the commas, would still make complete sense on its own.

In the first example it would say China is home to all the world's wild pandas, which makes perfect sense and the difference is, this time we've not used a clause, we've used a phrase that does not contain a verb.

Instead it's another noun phrase, describing or adding detail to that first noun phrase that it follows.

So where could commas be added to show parenthesis in these sentences? Pause the video and have a look.

Great effort, well done.

So in A, the parenthesis is an omnivore.

In B, it is a vast area of bamboo forest and in C, it's a member of the Ursidae day family.

In each case, I could remove that parenthesis and have a complete sentence.

So for C, it would say, the panda has the second longest tail of any bear.

Really well done if you manage the spot those pieces of parenthesis, good job.

Now, just like we did for relative clauses, we can combine pieces of information by using a noun phrase to create parenthesis and this is another way of improving our text cohesion and you might have noticed that we often use the articles a, an, and the, to start our parenthesis.

Let me show you.

Here are two separate pieces of information.

Bamboo can reach a height of 45 metres, and bamboo is a fast growing plant.

So I can combine them like this.

I could say bamboo, a fast growing plant can reach a height of 45 metres.

Can you see how we've made that second sentence into a short phrase that just tells us what bamboo is or describes bamboo as a noun phrase? Here's another one, pandas eat bamboo almost exclusively and bamboo is a plant composed of thick woody stems. So I could combine those like this.

Pandas who eat bamboo, a plant composed of thick woody stems almost exclusively.

So again, I've taken that second sentence and made it a noun phrase without a verb in that describes the noun I want to describe it and in this case, it wasn't pandas but bamboo.

So can you do the same thing now? Can you combine the two pieces of information below to create a sentence containing parenthesis using a noun phrase, pause the video and have a try.

Well done, great effort.

So hopefully you came up with something like this.

The panda, a solitary animal chooses to sleep alone in hollow trees and in caves.

So we place that parenthesis after the noun it clarifies, which is the panda, and we use the article, a, in this case to start the parenthesis and we'll often see a, an and the, used for our parenthesis when used like this and finally, that parenthesis as always could be removed and the sentence would still work.

It would still say the panda chooses to sleep alone in hollow trees and caves.

Great job if you managed to do that.

Good work.

Let's do our first task for this lesson.

I could just show you some pairs of facts and what I want you to do is combine each pair of facts into one sentence with parenthesis.

Now, you could either use a relative clause starting with which or who's or a noun phrase, starting with a, an or the.

It's up to you to decide which type of parenthesis you'd like to use here, but for this task we're going to use commas to demarcate the parenthesis.

So you'll need a comma on either side of your piece of parenthesis.

So here are your three pairs of facts.

Pause the video and see if you can combine them to improve text cohesion into one sentence for each pair.

Have a go.

Okay, let's take a look at some examples of these sentences being combined using parenthesis.

I need you to make sure that your parenthesis can be removed from the sentence.

So I've chosen to do bamboo, a plant that has been destroyed in many areas of China makes up nearly 98% of her pandas food intake.

So here I've gone for a noun phrase and not a relative clause, but you could have said, which is a plant that has been destroyed in many areas of China and that would be fine with a relative clause as well.

For the second one, I chose to do a relative clause.

I said, pandas whose fur is white on their face and torso can camouflage themselves in snowy conditions and finally, for the third one, I've said, the panda, which is an aggressive creature when it's threatened, can deliver a nasty bite if needed.

Really well done if you've managed to improve your text cohesion by combining those facts together into one sentence using a parenthesis, good job.

Okay, the second part of our lesson, we are going to see how we can use brackets to shape parenthesis instead of using commas.

So we can also use bracket to show parenthesis and brackets are used in a non-fiction text to add parenthesis that is extra factual information about a noun or a noun phrase.

For example, China, the home of all the world's wild pandas is the second largest country in Asia, or I could say, the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca relies heavily on bamboo for its nutrition or finally, panda's large size, 120 to 190 centimetres means that they must consume huge quantities of bamboo for energy.

So just like with commas, the parenthesis in the brackets could be removed from each sentence and notice how we have a bracket on either side of that piece of parenthesis and we can see here that sometimes with brackets we've just added in a name like Ailuropoda melanoleuca or even just some numbers like I've done with the length of the panda there.

Now we can tell whether a piece of parenthesis works by trying to remove it, because we know the rest of the sentence should still make sense.

Let's look at this piece of parenthesis in brackets.

The panda, a much love creature is revered in its native China.

If I remove that parenthesis the sentence says, The panda is revered in its native China, which makes complete sense, so that piece of parenthesis worked in that sentence and we can identify the parenthesis in a sentence by looking for the part that could be a sentence on its own, because that must be the part which is outside the brackets, the part that isn't the parenthesis.

For example, each panda with its unique eye markings can be identified by other pandas.

Here, this part could be its own sentence.

It could say each panda can be identified by other pandas.

So that part must be outside the brackets and the other part must be the parenthesis.

So it would say each panda, bracket, with its unique eye markings can be identified by other pandas.

So where could the brackets be placed to show parenthesis in each of these sentences? Pause the video and have a try.

Okay, great effort.

Let's take a look together.

So in A, it would be the natural habitats of giant pandas, in B, it would be often simply called a panda and in C, it would be unlike other bears.

In each case that parenthesis could be removed and the rest of the sentence makes complete sense, really well done.

Now brackets are not always used in the middle of a sentence.

They can also be used to add extra factual parenthesis at the end of a sentence.

Let me show you some examples.

We could say, because it does not provide them with much energy, pandas must eat vast quantities of bamboo each day, up to 38 kilogrammes.

We could say this much love creature is one member of the bear family, Ursidae.

We could say pandas are capable of attacking humans if threatened and finally, pandas defecate an unusually large number of times each day, up to 50 and as ever, the rest of the sentence is complete on its own.

What's inside the parenthesis is extra factual information.

So each sentence has brackets in the correct position to show the parenthesis here? Pause the video and have a think.

Well done good effort.

So remember the way to check is to see if the rest of the sentence is complete.

So the Giant Panda National Park was founded.

Hmm, well there's something missing there, so that one's not right and B says, the Giant Panda National Park was founded recently in, well that doesn't make sense, that doesn't work, but C, it would be the Giant Panda National Park was founded recently, which is a complete sentence and then the parenthesis tells us when that was.

It's extra detail.

So that one works, really well done if you spotted that.

So in the same way as with commas, we can improve our text cohesion by adding parenthesis using brackets to combine pieces of information.

So I could have these two separate pieces of information.

Bamboo can reach vast heights when it grows in the wild and its height can reach up to 45 metres and we could combine those together.

We could say, bamboo can reach vast heights of up to 45 metres when it grows in the wild.

So I've taken that second fact, I've made it a piece of parenthesis and I've put that after what it refers to, which in this case was the height of the bamboo.

Here's another example.

The giant panda is now protected by many reserves in China and it is a vulnerable species.

Now that second sentence is about pandas.

So the piece of parenthesis is gonna come after the giant panda here.

So it would say the giant panda, a vulnerable species is protected by many reserves in China.

Notice that we change that second fact each time into a short phrase, a vulnerable species in that second case.

So can you do the same thing here? Can you combine the two pieces of information below to create a sentence that contains parenthesis using bracket? Pause the video and have a try.

Well done, great effort.

Hopefully you got something like this.

The panda, a shy and retiring mammal spends most of its time alone after its childhood is over.

So we've got that parenthesis after the noun, it gives more information about, which in this case is the panda and the parenthesis again, could be removed and the sentence would make sense and notice how I've changed that second full sentence, the panda is a shy and retiring mammal into just a short phrase, a shy and retiring mammal, because it's already got the noun in front of it, the panda.

We are just adding extra detail, extra information about that noun, really well done if you managed to do that and just as we did there, we can do the same thing to add parenthesis at the end of a sentence.

So if we take these two facts, while panda numbers have risen considerably in recent years and the number is now 1,800, I could combine them like this.

Wild panda numbers have risen considerably in recent years to 1,800.

I've taken that complete sentence, the second one, and I've made it a short phrase to put at the end of my sentence there.

Here's another example.

Panda habitats have been damaged by human developments, and these developments include roads and railways.

So I could say, panda habitats have been damaged by human developments such as roads and railways.

Again, we've taken that complete sentence and made it a short phrase.

Okay, now you try, let's see if we can combine the two pieces of information below to create a sentence that has parenthesis in brackets at the end.

Pause the video and have a try.

Well done, great effort, hopefully came up with something like this.

Pandas must spend a huge proportion of their day eating bamboo up to 16 hours.

So notice we've shortened that second sentence into a short phrase inside the brackets and as ever, that could be removed to leave a complete sentence, great job.

Now let's do our final task for this lesson.

Again, I'm going to show you some pairs of facts and I want you to combine the pair of facts into one sentence with parenthesis, as a way of improving our text cohesion.

So you're going to use brackets to add the parenthesis in an appropriate place in the sentence, wherever you think it should be.

So here your three pairs of facts, pause the video and let's make three sentences, which each include a piece of parenthesis using bracket.

Have a go.

Well done, great effort.

So here are some examples of the sentences being combined using parenthesis and for your own sentences, make sure that your parenthesis can be removed from the sentence.

We could have said for the first one, pandas were poached for their fur in the past, causing their numbers to drop.

For the second, we could say, pandas have thick, black and white fur, a useful adaptation to their mountain habitat and for the final one, we could say, pandas black fur patches on their arms and shoulders help them camouflage in shady forests.

So in each case, I could remove those pieces of parenthesis and the sentence would still make sense and notice how each time I have brackets on either side of my piece at parenthesis, really well done if you managed to do the same.

Good job.

Let's summarise our learning in this lesson.

We've learned that parenthesis is extra information added into a sentence that could be removed.

We've learned that using parenthesis is a good way of combining linked information to improve text cohesion.

We've learned that we can demarcate the parenthesis using commas to add in a relative clause or a noun phrase and we can also demarcate the parenthesis using bracket when we're adding in extra factual information.

Really well done for your effort in this lesson.

We've achieved an awful lot and I'm really pleased with how you've done.

Good job and I hope to see you again in a future lesson.

Good bye.