Use Parentheses to Add
Information
Today we’re going to talk about
how to use parentheses in your
writing.
• Let’s start by
taking a close
look at this
short
narrative.
• What did you
notice about
this piece?
• Did you notice
the words are
set off by
parentheses?
• Why are these
words
important to
this story?
When you use parentheses, you
are making an explaining or
describing remark so the reader
doesn’t get confused.
• In this
example we
just read it
helps us to
know that
Anita is the
cheerleader,
and Jennifer is
the gymnast.
• It also helps
us know
exactly how
long the ride
is.
• You’ll notice
that when you
remove the
words inside
the
parentheses,
the sentence
is still correct,
even though it
is still
confusing for
the reader.
• Let’s read this
together,
leaving out the
words in
parentheses.
• Notice the
words in
parentheses
give
information not
only about the
people in the
car but also
about the
narrator and
how she’s
feeling.
• For example,
in this piece
when the
writer says,
“Anita (soooo
annoying!),”
she leaves no
doubt that
Anita was
really getting
on her nerves.
You can use parentheses to add
information about what’s going
on inside the narrator-this is a
great way to put voice into your
writing.
Today when you write, see if
you can find a place to use
parentheses to add information
so the reader doesn’t get
confused.
If you end up using this tool, I’ll
invite you to share it with the
class when we have our share
time.
Today’s Quiz:
1) Why would you use parentheses in your
writing?
Conference Question:
• As you reread your story, where might you
use parentheses to give the reader
important information?