Identify a parenthetical element

Supplied materials

• Paper and pencil, or a browser text area. All named people/events/records are fictional learning inputs.
• Worked case: Excerpt A: Jo and ___ arrived; blank refers to the single speaker. Excerpt B: I myself drew the diagram. Excerpt C: Jo, our guide, arrived early. Jo is already identified; analyze the marks around our guide. Excerpt D: Wheel : bicycle.
• Primary check: Excerpt A: Lee thanked Jo and ___; blank refers to the single speaker. Excerpt B: I reminded myself to check the date. Excerpt C: Jo (our guide) arrived early. Analyze the marks around our guide. Excerpt D: Rain : wet ground.

Learn the idea

Nonessential additions can be set off with matching commas, parentheses or dashes. Essential information identifying which person or thing is meant is not removed in the same way.

Use the punctuation form explicitly requested, or recognize essential identification. Make sure a removable middle addition has two boundaries.

Original worked input: Original excerpt C: Jo, our guide, arrived early. Jo is already identified; analyze the marks around our guide. The task is to identify a parenthetical element. The answer is “paired commas”. Evidence: Jo, our guide, arrived early. Jo is already identified; analyze the marks around our guide. Reasoning: paired commas is supported because a comma before and after the removable middle addition marks its two boundaries. One comma does not pair off a middle addition.

1. Read the supplied worked case and identify the part named in this lesson. An adult can model unfamiliar words.
2. Use the punctuation form explicitly requested, or recognize essential identification. Make sure a removable middle addition has two boundaries.
3. Check the worked solution: paired commas. Evidence: Jo, our guide, arrived early. Jo is already identified; analyze the marks around our guide. Reasoning: paired commas is supported because a comma before and after the removable middle addition marks its two boundaries. One comma does not pair off a middle addition.
4. Use the new primary and practice cases. Give a reason from the actual words before checking the feedback.

Check your reasoning

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Take it further

Changed-input task: Original excerpt C: The model—our first prototype—tore; analyze the marks around our first prototype. Give an evidence-based answer before looking at the model. Expected reasoning: Evidence: The model—our first prototype—tore; analyze the marks around our first prototype. Reasoning: paired dashes is supported because a matched pair of dashes encloses the removable addition. One comma does not pair off a middle addition. Then write a brief alternative sentence, paragraph, source note or scene that demonstrates the same operation; label new fictional details and preserve source limits.

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