Learn on PengiElements of Language, 5th CourseChapter 14: Punctuation: Other Marks of Punctuation

Lesson 2: Parentheses, Dashes, Brackets, and Italics

In this Grade 8 grammar lesson from Elements of Language, 5th Course, students learn how to correctly use parentheses, dashes, brackets, and italics in their writing. The lesson covers rules such as using parentheses for minor explanatory material, dashes to signal abrupt breaks in thought or to introduce explanations, brackets to add clarification within quoted or parenthetical material, and italics for titles of books, plays, periodicals, and other works. Guided exercises give students practice applying each punctuation mark in context.

Section 1

Using Parentheses

Definition

Use parentheses to enclose informative or explanatory material of minor importance.

Explanation

Parentheses act like a quiet aside in your writing, allowing you to tuck in extra facts or comments that are helpful but not critical to the sentence's main idea. Think of it as a way to whisper, "By the way..." without breaking the sentence's flow. Remember, if a full sentence is inside parentheses within another sentence, it usually doesn't get a capital letter or period. But if it stands alone between sentences, it follows all the normal capitalization and punctuation rules.

Examples

  • The famous scientist Marie Curie (1867–1934) was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity. [The dates are extra information but not essential to understanding who she was.]
  • Please call Sarah (her number is on the fridge) to confirm the time. [The sentence in parentheses does not begin with a capital letter and is not followed by a period.]
  • Our new puppy (have you seen him yet?) is a golden retriever. [The question in parentheses does not begin with a capital letter but ends with a question mark.]
  • My sister won the art contest. (Her painting was a landscape.) [The sentence in parentheses stands on its own, so it begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.]

Section 2

Using Dashes

Definition

Use a dash to indicate an abrupt break in thought or speech. Use a dash to mean namely, in other words, or that is before an explanation.

Explanation

Dashes create a dramatic pause. Use them to show a sudden interruption or a quick change of direction in a sentence. It's like shouting, "Wait!" and adding a new thought. Dashes can also shine a spotlight on an explanation, working like a drumroll before a big reveal. They signal to the reader, "in other words" or "here comes the important part" without you having to write it out.

Examples

  • We were about to leave for the movie when—oh, I just remembered I have to finish my homework. [The dash shows an abrupt break in thought.]
  • The cake had all of my favorite ingredients—chocolate, strawberries, and whipped cream. [The dash means "namely" and introduces an explanation.]
  • My little brother finally cleaned his room—a miracle had occurred! [The dash means "in other words" and introduces a clarifying statement.]

Section 3

Using Brackets

Definition

Use brackets to enclose an explanation within quoted or parenthetical material.

Explanation

Brackets are like your own special editing tool. They let you insert a clarification directly into someone else's words. If a quote says, "She is the best player on the team," you can use brackets to clarify who "She" is, like this: "She [Maria] is the best player." Brackets are also used to add an explanation inside something that is already in parentheses, preventing a confusing pile-up of punctuation.

Examples

  • The news report stated, "The mayor [Mayor Johnson] will give a speech this afternoon." [Brackets are used to add clarifying information that was not in the original quote.]
  • My aunt (the one who lives in Florida [near Miami]) is visiting us next week. [Brackets are used to add an explanation within material that is already in parentheses.]
  • The final line of the review read, "It [the movie] is a must-see for all families." [Brackets clarify the pronoun "It" used in the original quotation.]

Section 4

Italics for Titles

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for the titles and subtitles of books, plays, long poems, periodicals, works of art, movies, radio and TV series, videos, video games, long musical works and recordings, computer games, and comic strips.

Explanation

Think big! Use italics for the titles of large, complete works that stand on their own. This rule helps readers distinguish a title from the surrounding words in a sentence. It applies to things like an entire book (not just a chapter), a full movie (not just a scene), or a complete TV series (not just one episode). Remember that underlining serves the same purpose, especially when you are writing by hand.

Examples

  • My favorite book is The Giver by Lois Lowry. [The title of a book should be italicized.]
  • We watched the movie Finding Nemo last night. [The title of a movie should be italicized.]
  • Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa is famous throughout the world. [The title of a work of art should be italicized.]
  • I read an interesting article in the National Geographic magazine. [The title of a periodical should be italicized.]

Section 5

Italics for Specific Names

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for the names of trains, ships, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Explanation

When a vehicle is important enough to have a specific name, that name gets special treatment with italics. This rule is for the proper names of major vessels and vehicles. Think of the ship Titanic or the space shuttle Discovery. Using italics makes it clear you are referring to a unique, named craft and not just a generic ship or shuttle. It's a way of giving these famous vehicles the respect they deserve!

Examples

  • The space shuttle Endeavour completed many successful missions for NASA. [The name of a spacecraft should be italicized.]
  • In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis nonstop from New York to Paris. [The name of an aircraft should be italicized.]
  • The research ship Calypso was used by the explorer Jacques Cousteau. [The name of a ship should be italicized.]

Section 6

Italics for Words and Symbols

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for words, letters, symbols, and numerals referred to as such, and for foreign words that have not been adopted into English.

Explanation

Use italics when you are discussing a word, letter, or number itself, rather than using it for its meaning. It's like holding up a sign to show you are talking about the term. You would write, "The word onomatopoeia is hard to spell." Also, use italics for foreign words that are not yet common in English. While taco is an everyday word, a term like déjà vu still gets italicized to show its foreign origin.

Examples

  • Can you spell the word necessary? It has one c and two s's. [The word, letter, and plural letter are referred to as such.]
  • My little sister gets her 6s and 9s mixed up when she writes them. [The numerals are referred to as such.]
  • In France, people say bonjour to greet each other in the morning. [The foreign word bonjour is italicized.]

Book overview

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Chapter 14: Punctuation: Other Marks of Punctuation

  1. Lesson 1

    Lesson 1: Semicolons and Colons

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  2. Lesson 2Current

    Lesson 2: Parentheses, Dashes, Brackets, and Italics

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  3. Lesson 3

    Lesson 3: Quotation Marks

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  4. Lesson 4

    Lesson 4: Ellipsis Points

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  5. Lesson 5

    Lesson 5: Apostrophes and Hyphens

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Lesson overview

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Section 1

Using Parentheses

Definition

Use parentheses to enclose informative or explanatory material of minor importance.

Explanation

Parentheses act like a quiet aside in your writing, allowing you to tuck in extra facts or comments that are helpful but not critical to the sentence's main idea. Think of it as a way to whisper, "By the way..." without breaking the sentence's flow. Remember, if a full sentence is inside parentheses within another sentence, it usually doesn't get a capital letter or period. But if it stands alone between sentences, it follows all the normal capitalization and punctuation rules.

Examples

  • The famous scientist Marie Curie (1867–1934) was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity. [The dates are extra information but not essential to understanding who she was.]
  • Please call Sarah (her number is on the fridge) to confirm the time. [The sentence in parentheses does not begin with a capital letter and is not followed by a period.]
  • Our new puppy (have you seen him yet?) is a golden retriever. [The question in parentheses does not begin with a capital letter but ends with a question mark.]
  • My sister won the art contest. (Her painting was a landscape.) [The sentence in parentheses stands on its own, so it begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.]

Section 2

Using Dashes

Definition

Use a dash to indicate an abrupt break in thought or speech. Use a dash to mean namely, in other words, or that is before an explanation.

Explanation

Dashes create a dramatic pause. Use them to show a sudden interruption or a quick change of direction in a sentence. It's like shouting, "Wait!" and adding a new thought. Dashes can also shine a spotlight on an explanation, working like a drumroll before a big reveal. They signal to the reader, "in other words" or "here comes the important part" without you having to write it out.

Examples

  • We were about to leave for the movie when—oh, I just remembered I have to finish my homework. [The dash shows an abrupt break in thought.]
  • The cake had all of my favorite ingredients—chocolate, strawberries, and whipped cream. [The dash means "namely" and introduces an explanation.]
  • My little brother finally cleaned his room—a miracle had occurred! [The dash means "in other words" and introduces a clarifying statement.]

Section 3

Using Brackets

Definition

Use brackets to enclose an explanation within quoted or parenthetical material.

Explanation

Brackets are like your own special editing tool. They let you insert a clarification directly into someone else's words. If a quote says, "She is the best player on the team," you can use brackets to clarify who "She" is, like this: "She [Maria] is the best player." Brackets are also used to add an explanation inside something that is already in parentheses, preventing a confusing pile-up of punctuation.

Examples

  • The news report stated, "The mayor [Mayor Johnson] will give a speech this afternoon." [Brackets are used to add clarifying information that was not in the original quote.]
  • My aunt (the one who lives in Florida [near Miami]) is visiting us next week. [Brackets are used to add an explanation within material that is already in parentheses.]
  • The final line of the review read, "It [the movie] is a must-see for all families." [Brackets clarify the pronoun "It" used in the original quotation.]

Section 4

Italics for Titles

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for the titles and subtitles of books, plays, long poems, periodicals, works of art, movies, radio and TV series, videos, video games, long musical works and recordings, computer games, and comic strips.

Explanation

Think big! Use italics for the titles of large, complete works that stand on their own. This rule helps readers distinguish a title from the surrounding words in a sentence. It applies to things like an entire book (not just a chapter), a full movie (not just a scene), or a complete TV series (not just one episode). Remember that underlining serves the same purpose, especially when you are writing by hand.

Examples

  • My favorite book is The Giver by Lois Lowry. [The title of a book should be italicized.]
  • We watched the movie Finding Nemo last night. [The title of a movie should be italicized.]
  • Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa is famous throughout the world. [The title of a work of art should be italicized.]
  • I read an interesting article in the National Geographic magazine. [The title of a periodical should be italicized.]

Section 5

Italics for Specific Names

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for the names of trains, ships, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Explanation

When a vehicle is important enough to have a specific name, that name gets special treatment with italics. This rule is for the proper names of major vessels and vehicles. Think of the ship Titanic or the space shuttle Discovery. Using italics makes it clear you are referring to a unique, named craft and not just a generic ship or shuttle. It's a way of giving these famous vehicles the respect they deserve!

Examples

  • The space shuttle Endeavour completed many successful missions for NASA. [The name of a spacecraft should be italicized.]
  • In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis nonstop from New York to Paris. [The name of an aircraft should be italicized.]
  • The research ship Calypso was used by the explorer Jacques Cousteau. [The name of a ship should be italicized.]

Section 6

Italics for Words and Symbols

Definition

Use italics (underlining) for words, letters, symbols, and numerals referred to as such, and for foreign words that have not been adopted into English.

Explanation

Use italics when you are discussing a word, letter, or number itself, rather than using it for its meaning. It's like holding up a sign to show you are talking about the term. You would write, "The word onomatopoeia is hard to spell." Also, use italics for foreign words that are not yet common in English. While taco is an everyday word, a term like déjà vu still gets italicized to show its foreign origin.

Examples

  • Can you spell the word necessary? It has one c and two s's. [The word, letter, and plural letter are referred to as such.]
  • My little sister gets her 6s and 9s mixed up when she writes them. [The numerals are referred to as such.]
  • In France, people say bonjour to greet each other in the morning. [The foreign word bonjour is italicized.]

Book overview

Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.

Continue this chapter

Chapter 14: Punctuation: Other Marks of Punctuation

  1. Lesson 1

    Lesson 1: Semicolons and Colons

    LearnPractice
  2. Lesson 2Current

    Lesson 2: Parentheses, Dashes, Brackets, and Italics

    LearnPractice
  3. Lesson 3

    Lesson 3: Quotation Marks

    LearnPractice
  4. Lesson 4

    Lesson 4: Ellipsis Points

    LearnPractice
  5. Lesson 5

    Lesson 5: Apostrophes and Hyphens

    LearnPractice