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 examples
Example 1
'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.
Example 2
'The students who finished early left' means only some left. 'The students, who finished early, left' means all of them did — the commas change the fact.
Example 3
Dashes shout and parentheses whisper. 'My brother — who has never cooked — made dinner' lands harder than the same clause in brackets.
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 Información Adicional
Usa comas, paréntesis o rayas para separar un elemento explicativo — información extra que la oración no necesita para tener sentido. Compruébalo quitando esa parte: si la oración básica se sostiene, sepárala con signos. Y escribe sin faltas de ortografía.
Ejemplo 1: 'Mi primo, que vive en Monterrey, viene de visita.' La oración básica — 'Mi primo viene de visita' — sigue funcionando, así que 'que vive en Monterrey' es información extra y va entre comas. Las rayas o los paréntesis cumplen la misma función con distinto énfasis.
Ejemplo 2: 'Los estudiantes que terminaron temprano se fueron' significa que solo algunos se fueron. 'Los estudiantes, que terminaron temprano, se fueron' significa que todos — las comas cambian el hecho.
Ejemplo 3: Las rayas gritan y los paréntesis susurran. 'Mi hermano —que nunca ha cocinado— hizo la cena' pega más fuerte que la misma frase entre paréntesis.
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