Brackets, dashes and commas for extra information
You learn to find the extra information that goes in brackets, dashes or commas.
How to do the test
- Find words that give extra information.
- Take them out.
- If the sentence still makes sense, put brackets, dashes or commas around them.
A worked example
Tap the extra information. My brother who is ten loves football.
- Take it out and the sentence still works: My brother loves football.
- Put brackets, dashes or commas around the extra information.
- Who is ten is the extra information.
More examples
Tap the extra information. My cat a fluffy ginger one sleeps all day.
- Take it out and the sentence still works: My cat sleeps all day.
- Put brackets, dashes or commas around the extra information.
- A fluffy ginger one is the extra information.
Tap the extra information. The film which I saw twice was funny.
- Take it out and the sentence still works: The film was funny.
- Put brackets, dashes or commas around the extra information.
- Which I saw twice is the extra information.
Watch out
You tap words that the sentence needs, such as the verb.
Take the words out. If the sentence stops making sense, they are not extra information.
Tips
- Use a pair of marks: both brackets, both dashes or both commas.
Why it works
Parenthesis is extra information added to a sentence. If you take it out, the sentence still works. That is the test, and it is why you can put marks around it.