Parenthesis
Extra information dropped into a sentence, the three pairs that mark it, and the lift-out test.
The answer
Parenthesis is a word, phrase or clause added to a sentence as extra information, marked off with a pair of brackets, dashes or commas.
Examples
My sister (who is nine) loves football.
Brackets.
Mr Jones, our head teacher, plays the drums.
A pair of commas.
The treasure – all six gold coins – was hidden in a boot.
A pair of dashes.
Grandma baked a cake (her famous lemon one) for the party.
How to spot it
- Take the marked part out. If the sentence still makes complete sense, it was parenthesis.
- Look for a pair: two brackets, two dashes or two commas around the extra part.
- Brackets feel quiet, like a whisper; dashes are more dramatic; commas are the most ordinary.
The common mistake
Using only half of the pair.
‘My sister, who is nine loves football’ is missing its second comma. Every opening comma, bracket or dash needs its partner.
When it is taught
- First met
- Year 5
- On the pupil word list
- Year 5, as “parenthesis”
Year 5 uses brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis, and names parenthesis, bracket and dash.
Try a question
Add a pair of brackets to show the parenthesis.
The castle which was built 800 years ago is now a museum.
Show the answer
Answer: The castle (which was built 800 years ago) is now a museum.
Take out which was built 800 years ago and the sentence still makes sense, so that is the extra information.
Practise it
An interactive exercise where your child puts a pair of brackets around the extra information in a sentence.
Related terms
- Practise the 11+ skill: Punctuate parenthesis
More grammar terms
Questions parents ask
Is parenthesis the same as brackets?
Not quite. Parenthesis is the extra information; brackets are one way to mark it. (In some countries, round brackets are also called parentheses.)
Which should children use: brackets, dashes or commas?
Any of the three is correct if it comes as a pair. Writers choose by feel: brackets for an aside, dashes for drama, commas for everyday detail.
When is parenthesis taught?
In Year 5, along with relative clauses, which are often used as parenthesis.
Grammar turns up in 11+ English too
Many 11+ English papers include grammar and punctuation questions alongside comprehension. The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.