Punctuating Extra Information
Aligned to L.6.2 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Use commas, parentheses, or dashes to set off a nonrestrictive element — extra information the sentence doesn't need to make sense. Test it by removing the part: if the core sentence still stands, punctuate it off. Spell correctly too.
Worked example
'My cousin, who lives in Denver, is visiting.' The core — 'My cousin is visiting' — still works, so 'who lives in Denver' is extra and gets commas. Dashes ('— surprisingly —') or parentheses do the same job with different emphasis.
Practice questions
- Add commas around a nonrestrictive phrase in a sentence you write.
- Rewrite it once using dashes and once using parentheses.
- Proofread a short paragraph and fix any misspelled words.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Puntuar la Informacion Adicional
Usa comas, parentesis o rayas para separar un elemento explicativo — informacion extra que la oracion no necesita para tener sentido. Compruebalo quitando esa parte: si la oracion basica se sostiene, separala con signos. Y escribe sin faltas de ortografia.
Ejemplo: 'Mi primo, que vive en Monterrey, viene de visita.' La oracion basica — 'Mi primo viene de visita' — sigue funcionando, asi que 'que vive en Monterrey' es informacion extra y va entre comas. Las rayas o los parentesis cumplen la misma funcion con distinto enfasis.
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