Hyphens, Dashes, and Parentheses - 6th Grade Grammar
Hello students! Today, we will learn about hyphens, dashes, and parentheses, which are all punctuation marks that help us clarify our writing.
Let's start with hyphens (-).
Hyphens are often used in compound numbers and fractions, with prefixes such as ex- or self- or the suffix -elect, and with prefixes before proper nouns and adjectives.
- We were delayed by a slow-moving train. My impatient sister-in-law was really upset.
- All twenty-one students in my math class appeared to be self-motivated.
- Everyone was supposed to read pages 24-94 over the weekend.
Now let's talk about dashes(—).
Use dashes to set off nonessential clauses.
Use dashes to show a strong break in thought within a sentence.
- Three prominent citizens--Edwin Wilkes, Tom Smith, and Roberta Marsh--were elected to the board.
- I knew the material perfectly--until test day.
- Math, English, psychology, communications--I have a busy schedule this quarter.
Finally, let's discuss parentheses ( ).
Use parentheses to set off nonessential facts within a sentence.
- Chapter Four (pages 123-156) is one of the most difficult we will study this quarter.
- I have seen many changes (most of them for the better) at Sinclair during the last ten years.
To summarize, hyphens (-) connect words like in "twenty-three" or "self-esteem," dashes (—) add extra info or show a big pause in a sentence, and parentheses ( ) are used to add extra details that aren't super important but still interesting. When we use these marks correctly, we can make our writing clearer and more effective.