Week 8 - Punctuation: Dashes, Brackets & Ellipses

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, you will be able to:

  • Use dashes to add emphasis, interruptions, and additional information.
  • Use brackets for additional or less important information.
  • Use ellipses to indicate omissions, pauses, or trailing off.

Topic Introduction

Dashes, brackets, and ellipses are sophisticated punctuation marks that add nuance and emphasis to writing. Em dashes (—) create dramatic interruptions or add explanatory information. Brackets ( ) enclose supplementary information that could be omitted without affecting the main sentence. Ellipses (...) indicate pauses, omissions, or thoughts trailing off, adding subtlety to dialogue and narrative.

In-Class Activities

  • Practise using em dashes to add emphasis and explanatory information.
  • Create sentences using brackets for supplementary details.
  • Use ellipses in dialogue to show pauses or trailing thoughts.
  • Edit existing sentences to incorporate these punctuation marks effectively.

Homework Assignments

  • Write 5 sentences using em dashes for emphasis or explanation.
  • Write 5 sentences using brackets for additional information.
  • Write 5 sentences using ellipses to show pauses or omissions.

Assessment Details

This week's assessment focuses on your ability to use dashes, brackets, and ellipses correctly and purposefully.

Assessment Questions

  1. Write three sentences using em dashes to add emphasis or explanation.
  2. Write three sentences using brackets for supplementary information.
  3. Write three sentences using ellipses to indicate pauses or omissions.
Download the dashes, brackets and ellipses worksheet Access on Google Drive Access on Google Classroom
Em dash (—): Creates emphasis or adds explanatory information (e.g., "The storm—the worst in years—finally broke.").
Brackets ( ): Enclose supplementary information (e.g., "Shakespeare (1564–1616) wrote many famous plays.").
Ellipses (...): Indicate pauses, omissions, or trailing thoughts (e.g., "I was thinking... maybe we should try again.").
If you have completed the assessment and would like to request solutions, please use this link: Solution Link.