Parenthesis
Define parenthesis.
type of punctuation; a symbol that encloses supplemental phrases or clauses not meant to be part of the main statement
Define brackets.
type of punctuation; a symbol that encloses clarifying information a writer inserts into a quotation of someone else’s words
Define ellipses.
type of punctuation; a symbol to indicate the omission of material from a quote or a pause or unfinished thought
Define quotation marks.
type of punctuation; a symbol that encloses direct quotation or dialogue or punctuates short works such as short stories and songs
Define Italics
typeface used to emphasize text (ex: interjections) or punctuate long works such as books and films
What three questions should you ask yourself when deciding if something needs parenthesis?
Is supplemental information needed?
Is there an in-text citation?
Can the information in the parentheses be removed yet the sentence’s meaning retained?
What two questions should you ask yourself when deciding whether or not a sentence needs brackets?
Is clarifying information needed in a direct quote?
Is the information in the brackets necessary for the sentence to be understood?
What two questions should you ask yourself when deciding if something needs ellipses?
Is material omitted from a direct quote?
Is there a pause or unfinished thought?
What three questions should you ask yourself when deciding whether or not something needs quotation marks?
Is there a direct quote?
Is there dialogue?
Is there the title of a short work (ex: short story, song, etc.)
What three questions should you ask yourself when deciding whether or not something should be italicized?
Is emphasis needed?
Is there an interjection?
Is there the title of a long work (ex: book, film, etc.)?
Determine whether or not the sentence below needs parenthesis. If it needs parenthesis, add them where they are needed.
I wish I had room in my garage to park my new car actually, it’s an SUV because the trees in the yard tend to drip sap and that ruins the paint.
I wish I had room in my garage to park my new car (actually, it’s an SUV) because the trees in the yard tend to drip sap and that ruins the paint.
Determine whether or not the sentence below uses brackets correctly. If the brackets are used incorrectly, rewrite the sentence to be correct.
“[T]he study showed that exercise helped students stay healthy.”
“[T]he study showed that exercise helped students stay healthy.”
This answer is already correct.
The sentence below incorrectly uses ellipses. Determine why this is incorrect.
There… is… no… basketball… practice… today.
This is incorrect because the ellipses are being used to completely create a new sentence. This changes the meaning of the sentence, and the meaning of the sentence should not be changed.
The sentence below uses quotation marks incorrectly. Rewrite the sentence so that they are used correctly.
“Father said, "You can’t go to the dance with him,’ when I asked about our date", Alice cried.
“Father said, ‘You can’t go to the dance with him,’ when I asked about our date,” Alice cried.
Determine whether or not the word below is correctly italicized. If it is incorrect, change it to be correct.
Vikram's song "Asian Tiger," from his album Gross Domestic Product, was surprisingly popular among Latin Americans.
This is an album title and this is a longer work so it gets italicized.
Vikram's song "Asian Tiger," from his album Gross Domestic Product, was surprisingly popular among Latin Americans.
Determine whether or not the sentence below uses the parenthesis correctly. If not move or remove the parenthesis to be correct.
Are you sure that all the guests (especially the children) have extra blankets?
Are you sure that all the guests (especially the children) have extra blankets?
This is correct.
Rewrite the sentence: '“I love the smell of popcorn,” said Nick.' to instead start with 'Nick says he “'.
Nick says he “love[s] the smell of popcorn.”
The sentence below incorrectly uses ellipses. Determine why this sentence is incorrect.
“Money is life” …Hansberry 23.
The ellipses are not correctly placed. They do not add emphasis or leave information out. The in-text citation is incorrect as well.
Determine whether or not the sentence below uses quotation marks correctly. Then if it is incorrect, change the sentence so that the quotation marks are correct.
Sammie clearly lacked confidence about the decision because she used maybe and if with every expressed thought.
Sammie clearly lacked confidence about the decision because she used “maybe” and “if” with every expressed thought.
Determine whether or not the sentence below uses italics correctly. If it is incorrect, rewrite it to be correct.
Whether the Paris Agreement will have lasting effects on climate change remains to be seen.
Change to:
Whether the Paris Agreement will have lasting effects on climate change remains to be seen.
Create your own sentence that correctly uses parenthesis.
Students will write their own sentences.
Create your own sentence that uses brackets corectly.
Students create their own sentence.
Create your own sentence that uses ellipses correctly.
Students create their own sentences.
Create your own sentence that uses quotation marks correctly.
Students write their own sentences.
Create your own sentence using italics.
Students create their own sentence.