Friday, December 4, 2009

Dash and Parenthesis

Share the sentences from your essay where you use a dash and a parenthesis. Submit the two sentences as a comment here for us to see in class next Wednesday.

Making the Dash Work for You (includes sample writing to illustrate)

Definition and Examples of Parenthesis (about.com)

Uses of Parenthesis (Cliff Notes)

11 comments:

Brad said...

Dash:

The second day was harder than the first—and hotter. (to emphasize the phrase "and hotter")

Parenthesis:

Wind at my back, I continued, heading for the Manitoba border, all downhill (except for the occasional coulee). (used to add a joking reference to "coulee," a steep-sided river valley created beneath a glacier.)

Qin said...

Parenthesis:

He found three microscopic dark spots (about 0.3 millimeters) in the CT picture and pointed them out to me. (used to illustrate a detail)

Dash:
He proudly said, “This confirms my diagnosis. You have the spinal disease-common but serious.” (used to emphasize the disease state, it is a common disease; however, it is serious)

Ali said...

DASH:
The trip itself was terrible - long and tiring.

PARENTHESIS:
As I had never seen an Indian person dressed in a very bright, dress-like sheet and a turban (except on TV or pictures), I couldn’t help myself but stop and stare.

Rita said...

Dash:
Someone brought a small radio; then we got to know that we were in the epicenter of this earthquake—the Kobe Earthquake—a magnitude of 7.3. (to add information)

Parentheses:
There were no running buses and trains for half way to the next big city (Osaka); we had to walk. (to give the name of the city, which be used later.)

Anonymous said...

Dash:
It was a topic no one wanted to talk about, nor do I think many even cared much about – I sure never did .

Parenthesis:

Remember, I was just there unwillingly (I had no story to share).

Kulvinder said...

Dash:
He hit the puck so hard it could go through a wall- too bad he missed the net.

Parenthesis:
I've never been sky diving(though i have seen pictures and video) so i want to try it.

JessiKa said...

Dash:
I started crying in the dark-alone in s silence.

Parenthesis:

We decided to leave for two months and a half,without consulting with our parents (very mature, I know.)

Jatinder said...

PARENTHESIS:
Monsoon of 1995 in Sohana (my village) was my first hand experience of a real flood. [Used for adding description to name of a place.]

DASH:
That late afternoon, Raj - my school friend asked me to join his school group to collect food, clothes, medicines, and donations to help the poor people. [Used to join two sentences.]

PARENTHESIS:
However, we wanted to collect more (like an always-thirsty fish) that day aiming to carry back all four full bags back to our school proudly. [Used to emphasize the need and greed of collecting more.]

Eve Yan said...

Dash:

The moment my feet touched the soil underneath the dying grass, I realized there is no such a place called a better place. This place is called Earth - this inescapable Earth.

Parenthesis:

"If you like you can have it." Both of them smiled grimly (it made me feel there were mllion buds crawling on the bed.)

Zarmina said...

Parenthesis:

1. I was a person who was quite far from the media (News and magazine).

2. He said, “I want you to report the news as from next week in either Dari or Pashto”, (Afghanistan’s official languages).

Dash:

I used to get information from families and friends on what’s going on in the world, but I was never interested myself — I just liked to watch movies and listening to music.

Maryann said...

Dash:

Two weeks later, Joan, Henry’s wife, told us that they went to see the oncologist and were waiting for the result--her voice was very shaky and quavering. We became worry about our brother, Henry.

Parenthesis:
On a bright early autumn day, I took Henry (on his wheel chair) outside from his hospital room so that he can enjoy the fresh air.