Brackets and dashes for parenthesis · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
En anglais

Extra information: brackets, dashes, and commas

English · Grammar & Punctuation · ages 9-10
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. Which words are the extra information in 'The library (next to the bank) closes at five'?

    • next to the bank
    • The library closes
    • closes at five
  2. Which sentence uses matching dashes around a middle aside?

    • Our cat – the fluffy grey one – sleeps all day.
    • Our cat – the fluffy grey one sleeps all day –.
    • Our cat the fluffy grey one – sleeps all day –.
  3. Which sentence puts commas on both sides of the extra information?

    • Our teacher who cycles to school, knows every shortcut,
    • Our teacher, who cycles to school knows every shortcut.
    • Our teacher, who cycles to school, knows every shortcut.
  4. Which words are the aside in 'My aunt – the one from Peru – collects stamps'?

    • My aunt
    • My aunt collects stamps
    • the one from Peru
  5. Leo wrote 'My cousin (who loves dinosaurs) showed me a fossil'. What job does the bracketed part do?

    • It says that no cousin ever found a fossil before
    • It adds background information about Leo's cousin
    • It gives the main action of showing Leo a fossil
  6. An aside at the end of a sentence must have a closing dash before the full stop.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A writer wants a middle aside to stay closely connected to the sentence, without extra emphasis. Which marks usually fit?

    • Commas
    • Dashes
    • Brackets
  8. Dashes around an aside tell the reader to shout those words aloud.

    Circle one:   True   False

  9. Which sentence stays complete when the bracketed words are removed?

    • The (dog with brown fur) barked.
    • The dog (with brown fur) barked.
    • (The dog with brown fur) barked.
  10. Ben wants to emphasise a middle aside containing 'shells, stones and feathers'. Which plan makes its boundaries clear and adds emphasis?

    • Use two dashes around the whole list
    • Use two commas around the whole list
    • Use two brackets around the whole list
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_m3-eXac3aP-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Extra information: brackets, dashes, and commas W1-mt_m3-eXac3aP-s1

  1. next to the bank · 'Next to the bank' is inside the brackets.
  2. Our cat – the fluffy grey one – sleeps all day. · The dashes belong before and after 'the fluffy grey one'.
  3. Our teacher, who cycles to school, knows every shortcut. · The middle aside is 'who cycles to school'. It needs a comma before and after it.
  4. the one from Peru · 'The one from Peru' is enclosed by the two dashes.
  5. It adds background information about Leo's cousin · The aside adds background detail. The main action is showing Leo a fossil.
  6. False · A dash aside at the end does not need a second dash before the sentence's full stop.
  7. Commas · Commas usually keep an aside closely connected to the main sentence.
  8. False · Dashes can emphasise information in writing. They do not require shouting.
  9. The dog (with brown fur) barked. · Removing 'with brown fur' leaves 'The dog barked'. The other versions leave incomplete sentences.
  10. Use two dashes around the whole list · Dashes distinguish the aside's boundaries from its list commas and can add emphasis.
Worksheet · LightMySky