University of Transnational Business Law

                                                                
Previous Section           Table of Contents          Next Section

This is “Incorporating Dashes and Parentheses”, section 18.7 from the book Writers' Handbook (v. 1.0). For details on it (including licensing), click here.








For more information on the source of this book, or why it is available for free, please see the project's home page. You can browse or download additional books there.

Has this book helped you? Consider passing it on:






Help Creative Commons

Creative Commons supports free culture from music to education. Their licenses helped make this book available to you.





Help a Public School

DonorsChoose.org helps people like you help teachers fund their classroom projects, from art supplies to books to calculators.


Previous Section

Table of Contents

Next Section  



18.7 Incorporating Dashes and Parentheses


Learning Objectives
1.Learn the various uses for dashes.
2.Learn the various uses for parentheses.
3.Learn how to punctuate dashes and parentheses.

Dashes and parentheses are both used to give more importance to a word or group of words. The information enclosed by dashes and parentheses often supports the information directly before or after it.


Using Dashes

Dashes separate emphasis-adding text from the rest of the words in a sentence. You can use one long dash to set apart text at the end of a sentence. You can use dashes before and after the text to set it apart in the middle of a sentence. Here are some uses for dashes:
•
Creating a sudden change in tone, thought, or ideas

Example: We had predicted that the storm would come soon—but not this soon!

•
Suggesting hesitation in dialogue

Example: The old lady said to the man working the register, “I’ve got an extra nickel for the little girl’s candy—that is, if she’ll take it.”

•
Providing a summary, an explanation, or an example

Example: The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is narrated by Scout Finch—a character who has much in common with the tomboy childhood of the author, Harper Lee.



Using Parentheses

Parentheses allow you to interrupt the flow of your text to give additional information. They can be used in the middle of a sentence or at the end. Some uses of parentheses include the following:
•
Enclosing numbers in an in-text list.

Example: My mother asked me to stop on the way to visit and pick a few things up at the store: (1) a half gallon of milk, (2) a dozen eggs, and (3) a loaf of bread.

•
Setting apart citation components in in-text references and in reference lists.

Example: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee, p. 34).

•
Separating nonessential but helpful information.

Example: My dog (some sort of a terrier-spaniel mix) has a unique personality.


Specific rules guide using punctuation with parentheses. End punctuation can be placed inside parentheses if the content of the parentheses is a complete sentence. If the content inside the parentheses is part of a larger sentence, the end punctuation should go outside the parentheses. If a comma is needed, it should always be placed outside the closing parenthesis. A comma should not be used immediately before an opening parenthesis, except in the case of in-text lists (e.g., “We need to (1) go to the bank, (2) buy some cereal at the store, (3) pick up the tickets, and (4) get to the party by 7:00 p.m.”


Key Takeaways
•You can use dashes to create a sudden change in tone; mark hesitation in speech; or provide a summary, an explanation, or an example.
•You can use parentheses to number items in an in-text list, enclose citation components in in-text references and in reference lists, or separate nonessential but helpful information from the rest of the sentence.


Exercises
1.Write a sentence that uses a dash to show a change in tone.
2.Write a sentence that uses a dash to show hesitation in dialogue.
3.Write a sentence that uses a dash to provide an example.
4.Write a sentence that uses parentheses to enclose numbers in an in-text list.
5.Write a sentence that uses parentheses to set apart citation components.
6.Write a sentence that uses parentheses to separate nonessential but helpful information.


Previous Section

Table of Contents

Next Section