Parenthesis: brackets, dashes and commas
I can choose when to use brackets, dashes or commas for most effective parenthesis.
Parenthesis: brackets, dashes and commas
I can choose when to use brackets, dashes or commas for most effective parenthesis.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Parenthesis can be achieved with a range of punctuation: brackets, dashes and commas.
- Any type of parenthesis is additional information that can be removed without compromising grammatical accuracy.
- Brackets are useful in non-fiction writing to add extra, factual information.
- Dashes are useful in fiction writing for dramatic effect.
- Commas are useful to drop information in to a clause.
Keywords
Parenthesis - additional information that is added to a sentence; if it is removed, the sentence still makes sense
Brackets - a punctuation mark used to add extra, factual information in a clause
Dashes - a punctuation mark to add extra information in a clause often for dramatic effect
Clause - a group of words that contains a verb
Phrase - a group of words with no verb
Common misconception
Pupils may believe dashes and commas are used interchangeably in fiction writing.
We favour using dashes when we are showing a dramatic effect and commas when simply adding detail.
To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Parenthesis: brackets, dashes and commas, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Parenthesis: brackets, dashes and commas, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 english lessons from the Key terminology, including determiners, fronted adverbials and parenthesis unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Instantly,
At that very second,
Before we knew what was happening,
Now, add the flour into the mixture.
With great care, add the flour into the mixture.
Once you have beaten the eggs, add the flour to the mixture.
Just then,
With a sigh,
To my left,
Even though it was raining,
Unless you do your work,
Exit quiz
6 Questions
to add detail in fiction and non-fiction
to add dramatic effect in fiction
to add extra, factual information in non-fiction