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Year 5

Parenthesis: dashes

I can use dashes to cause a dramatic effect for the reader.

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New
New
Year 5

Parenthesis: dashes

I can use dashes to cause a dramatic effect for the reader.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Parenthesis can be achieved with a range of punctuation.
  2. Dashes are a punctuation mark used to add extra information in a clause often for dramatic effect.
  3. Dashes are often written in a pair.
  4. Dashes can be removed from a clause and it will still make sense.
  5. Dashes can be used purposefully in fiction texts to cause a dramatic effect for the reader.

Common misconception

Pupils may struggle to identify where to add parenthesis in a sentence.

It is easiest to add parenthesis after nouns or verbs - encourage children to identify these if needed.

Keywords

  • Parenthesis - additional information that is added to a sentence; if it is removed, the sentence still makes sense

  • Dashes - a punctuation mark to add extra information in a clause often for dramatic effect

  • Dramatic effect - using writing to create an emotion or effect for the reader

There are various ways of adding parenthesis (extra information) to a sentence. Here, we focus on using dashes in fiction writing for dramatic effect (as opposed to brackets, which we used in non-fiction writing for extra factual information).
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these texts are likely to be fiction?
a reference book
Correct answer: a novel
a diary
Correct answer: a poem
Q2.
Tick the sentences that contain parenthesis.
Correct answer: Leeds (a city in West Yorkshire) has a famous football team.
Leeds is known for its famous football team.
Plymouth is a city on the south coast of England and has 250,000 residents.
Correct answer: Plymouth (a city on the south coast of England) has 250,000 residents.
Q3.
Which section of this sentence could be a piece of parenthesis in brackets? 'World War II 1939-1945 resulted in the deaths of millions of people.'
World War II
World War II resulted in the deaths of millions of people
Correct answer: 1939-1945
Q4.
Which section of this sentence should be a piece of parenthesis in brackets? 'Spain a country in southern Europe produces lots of sausages.'
Spain produces lots of sausages
Correct answer: a country in southern Europe
produces lots of sausages
Q5.
Which version combines these two sentences correctly using parenthesis in brackets? 'K2 is the world's second-highest mountain. It is 8,611m tall.'
Correct answer: K2 (at 8,611m) is the world's second-highest mountain.
K2 (is 8,611m tall) and is the world's second-highest mountain.
K2 (is the world's second-highest mountain) is 8,611m tall.
Q6.
Tick all the pieces of parenthesis that could be placed inside this sentence: 'China has 1.4 billion people.'
is a country in Asia
Correct answer: a country in Asia
which has 1.4 billion people
Correct answer: the world's most populous country

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the purpose of adding parenthesis using dashes in a piece of fiction writing?
Correct answer: to add extra detail that adds to the dramatic effect for the reader
to add extra factual information
to describe nouns
Q2.
Which of these sentences uses dashes correctly to add parenthesis?
The lion – pounced fast as lightning – and grabbed its prey.
Correct answer: The lion pounced – fast as lightning – and grabbed its prey.
The lion pounced fast – as lightning – and grabbed its prey.
Q3.
Which words in this sentence should be placed between dashes to show parenthesis? 'An echo loud and deep rang through the darkness.'
an echo rang through the darkness
an echo
Correct answer: loud and deep
rang through the darkness
Q4.
Which words in this sentence should be placed between dashes to show parenthesis? 'The desert as dry as dust stretched for miles in all directions.'
Correct answer: as dry as dust
the desert stretched for miles in all directions
the desert as dry as dust
Q5.
Which of these sentences creates the most intense effect of fear for the reader?
Correct answer: A roar – ferocious and close at hand – blasted through the trees.
A roar blasted through the trees.
A loud roar blasted through the trees.
Q6.
Which of these pieces of parenthesis could be added to this sentence to create an effect of sadness? 'The toy was left on the shelf for years.'
neat and tidy
Correct answer: abandoned, forgotten and dust-covered
my favourite