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Primary English · Year 6Chapter 9 · Brackets, dashes, commas and speech
Year 6 English · Brackets, dashes, commas and speech · Lesson 9.1

Year 6 English: Brackets to mark extra information

Part of the Year 6 English brackets, dashes, commas and speech chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

9.1

Brackets to mark extra information

Year 6
Use brackets to indicate a parenthesis, which is extra information that can be removed (Y5-6 punctuation)
Story. Ruby is writing a guide to the village. She describes the castle (built in 1400) and the bridge, which she calls a useful way to reach the river.

A parenthesis is extra information in a sentence. It can be removed, and the sentence still makes sense. Use round brackets to mark it: The castle (built in 1400) is open today.

Brackets around extra information

Sentence without the extra informationWith brackets
The castle is open to visitors today.The castle (built in 1400) is open to visitors today.
My sister is visiting us next week.My sister (who lives in Leeds) is visiting us next week.
The bridge crosses the river.The bridge (which was painted last spring) crosses the river.

Key ideas

  • Brackets mark extra information that can be removed.
  • The sentence must still make sense without the brackets and the words inside them.
  • Put a space before the opening bracket, and none after it.
Worked example 9.1.1
Mark the extra information with brackets: The castle built in 1400 is open today.

Method. Find the extra information, then put a bracket before and after it.

  1. Find the extra information. Built in 1400 gives extra detail about the castle.
    built in 1400
  2. Put the brackets around it. Round brackets go before and after the extra information.
    (built in 1400)
  3. Check the sentence. The sentence still makes sense without the brackets.
    The castle (built in 1400) is open today.
  4. Write the answer.
    The castle (built in 1400) is open today.

Check. The castle is open without the extra detail. ✓

Worked example 9.1.2
Add brackets around the extra detail: My grandad a keen gardener grew tomatoes.

Method. Find the detail that can be removed, and bracket it.

  1. Find the detail. A keen gardener describes the grandad.
    a keen gardener
  2. Bracket it. The brackets enclose the extra detail.
    (a keen gardener)
  3. Check. Without the detail, my grandad grew tomatoes still makes sense.
    My grandad grew tomatoes.
  4. Write the answer.
    My grandad (a keen gardener) grew tomatoes.

Check. The sentence makes sense without the brackets. ✓

Worked example 9.1.3
Which sentence uses brackets correctly? The bridge (which is old crosses the river. or The bridge (which is old) crosses the river.

Method. The brackets must close around the extra information.

  1. Check the first. The first sentence has no closing bracket.
    no closing bracket
  2. Check the second. The second sentence has an opening and a closing bracket.
    (which is old)
  3. Write the answer.
    The bridge (which is old) crosses the river.

Check. The second sentence is bracketed correctly. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: always close a bracket. An opening bracket with no closing bracket is a common mistake.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read a sentence with brackets aloud, and to say whether the sentence still works without the words in brackets.

Exercise 9A  Practice: brackets for parenthesis

1
FMark the extra information with round brackets: The castle built in 1400 is open to visitors today.
2
FMark the extra information with round brackets: My sister who lives in Leeds is visiting us next week.
3
FMark the extra information with round brackets: The bridge which was painted last spring crosses the river.
4
FMark the extra information with round brackets: The farmer a tall man in a green coat waved from the gate.
5
PSWhich sentence uses brackets correctly? Choose one: The farmer (a tall man waved from the gate. or The farmer (a tall man) waved from the gate..
6
RExplain in one sentence what the brackets in The castle (built in 1400) is open do.
7
PSAdd brackets to the extra information in this sentence: Mrs Patel our teacher organised the trip. Write the sentence.
8
FWrite the extra information that is in brackets: The river (swollen by the rain) rose over the path.
9
RExplain why the sentence The river rose over the path still makes sense without the brackets.
10
PSMark the extra information with round brackets: Our teacher Mrs Patel organised the trip.
11
FWhich bracket is missing from The bridge (which is old crosses the river.? Choose the mark. Choose one: ) or ].
12
PSWrite a sentence about a school, with extra information in round brackets.
13
FWrite the sentence without the brackets and the extra information: The castle (built in 1400) is open today.
14
PSWrite one sentence about a pet, with extra information in brackets that can be removed.
15
RExplain in one sentence why a writer might use brackets instead of a sentence of their own.

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