Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

English lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 30 minutes

Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis

Punctuation

CCSS L.5.2CCSS L.7.2.AEngland: Y5 GPS (parenthesis)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Commas after fronted adverbials and subordinate clauses

Leads to: Hyphens to avoid ambiguity; Colons; Dashes and ellipses for effect

Materials: Punctuation cards, A short unpunctuated text, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Commas after fronted adverbials and subordinate clauses). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which sentence has the comma in the right place? • After the storm the garden was, a mess. • After the storm the garden, was a mess. • After, the storm the garden was a mess. • After the storm, the garden was a mess. (After the storm the garden was, a mess. / After the storm the garden, was a mess. / After, the storm the garden was a mess. / After the storm, the garden was a mess.) → After the storm, the garden was a mess.Prompt: Find where the opening phrase or clause ends and the main clause begins.
  2. A: Ready, Mum? Let's go! B: Ready Mum? Let's go! Which sentence is punctuated correctly? (A / B) → APrompt: Read both sentences aloud, pausing at each comma.
  3. Which sentence has the comma in the right place? • Ella, please close the door. • Ella please close the, door. • Ella please close, the door. • Ella please, close the door. (Ella, please close the door. / Ella please close the, door. / Ella please close, the door. / Ella please, close the door.) → Ella, please close the door.Prompt: Find where the opening phrase or clause ends and the main clause begins.

Hook · 3 min

  • Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
  • Share the objective: Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The test thankfully – was easy –. • The – test thankfully – was easy. • The test – thankfully – was easy. • The test – thankfully was easy.
  • Step 1: Brackets, dashes or commas can enclose extra information. They come in pairs, around only the extra words.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: The test – thankfully – was easy.
  • Answer: The test – thankfully – was easy.
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees). • My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees. (My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees). / My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees. / My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees. / My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees.) → My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees.Prompt: Parenthesis is extra information. If you remove it, the sentence should still make sense.
  2. Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The Nile (over 6,600 km long flows north). • The Nile over (6,600 km long) flows north. • The (Nile over 6,600 km long) flows north. • The Nile (over 6,600 km long) flows north. (The Nile (over 6,600 km long flows north). / The Nile over (6,600 km long) flows north. / The (Nile over 6,600 km long) flows north. / The Nile (over 6,600 km long) flows north.) → The Nile (over 6,600 km long) flows north.Prompt: Parenthesis is extra information. If you remove it, the sentence should still make sense.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The – test thankfully – was easy. • The test thankfully – was easy –. • The test – thankfully was easy. • The test – thankfully – was easy. (The – test thankfully – was easy. / The test thankfully – was easy –. / The test – thankfully was easy. / The test – thankfully – was easy.) → The test – thankfully – was easy.Prompt: Parenthesis is extra information. If you remove it, the sentence should still make sense.
  2. Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • Mr Diaz our head teacher, plays the drums. • Mr Diaz, our head teacher plays the drums. • Mr Diaz, our head teacher, plays the drums. • Mr, Diaz our head teacher plays the drums. (Mr Diaz our head teacher, plays the drums. / Mr Diaz, our head teacher plays the drums. / Mr Diaz, our head teacher, plays the drums. / Mr, Diaz our head teacher plays the drums.) → Mr Diaz, our head teacher, plays the drums.Prompt: Parenthesis is extra information. If you remove it, the sentence should still make sense.

Watch out for

  • Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
  • Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Commas after fronted adverbials and subordinate clauses.
  • Use concrete materials: punctuation cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Hyphens to avoid ambiguity; Colons; Dashes and ellipses for effect.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-5.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

eurekami

Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The – test thankfully – was easy. • The test – thankfully was easy. • The test thankfully – was easy –. • The test – thankfully – was easy.

    • A. The – test thankfully – was easy.
    • B. The test – thankfully was easy.
    • C. The test thankfully – was easy –.
    • D. The test – thankfully – was easy.

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The test – thankfully was easy. • The test – thankfully – was easy. • The – test thankfully – was easy. • The test thankfully – was easy –.

    • A. The test – thankfully was easy.
    • B. The test – thankfully – was easy.
    • C. The – test thankfully – was easy.
    • D. The test thankfully – was easy –.

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The test – thankfully was easy. • The test – thankfully – was easy. • The test thankfully – was easy –. • The – test thankfully – was easy.

    • A. The test – thankfully was easy.
    • B. The test – thankfully – was easy.
    • C. The test thankfully – was easy –.
    • D. The – test thankfully – was easy.

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees).

    • A. My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees.
    • B. My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees.
    • C. My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees.
    • D. My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees).

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The test – thankfully – was easy. • The – test thankfully – was easy. • The test – thankfully was easy. • The test thankfully – was easy –.

    • A. The test – thankfully – was easy.
    • B. The – test thankfully – was easy.
    • C. The test – thankfully was easy.
    • D. The test thankfully – was easy –.

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees). • My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees.

    • A. My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees.
    • B. My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees).
    • C. My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees.
    • D. My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees.

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis

  1. 1. D. The test – thankfully – was easy.

  2. 2. B. The test – thankfully – was easy.

  3. 3. B. The test – thankfully – was easy.

  4. 4. B. My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees.

  5. 5. A. The test – thankfully – was easy.

  6. 6. D. My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees.