Brackets and dashes for parenthesis
English · Grammar & Punctuation · procedural
Use brackets, dashes, and commas to indicate parenthesis — additional information inserted into a sentence that could be removed without changing the sentence's core meaning
What mastery looks like
- Insert a parenthetical phrase using paired brackets, e.g. 'The oldest building (built in 1642) stands in the town square'
- Use paired dashes to add an aside or extra detail within a sentence, e.g. 'My brother — who is older than me — lives in London'
- Choose between brackets, dashes, and commas for parenthesis based on how much emphasis the aside should receive, recognising that dashes give most prominence and brackets give least
Check your understanding
When Brackets and dashes for parenthesis adds a little extra detail inside a sentence — like "The teacher, who is very strict, gave us homework" — do they correctly use brackets, dashes, or commas around that added bit?
Prerequisites
Required first
Helpful