Parentheses
Essential Question
How can we use (but not overuse) parentheses in a sentence?
Grammar in the World
If there is one punctuation mark that I use, perhaps, too much, it is likely parentheses. I like to explain (okay, maybe over-explain) things, and parentheses help with this over-explaining (although, admittedly, readers may get lost by the end of my paragraphs). While parentheses can be overused by people like me, they also have their place in the punctuation mark canon. In this lesson you will learn how to use (not overuse!) this helpful, clarifying punctuation mark.
image by Mizzou Academy
What Do I Know?
What do you already know about how to use parentheses in writing? Use this interactive to find out.
Think about where you would put parentheses in the following sentences. Then check your answers.
- An early form of pizza was eaten as far back as the 1500s, but pizza as we know it today or at least somewhat as we know it today was invented in Naples in the late 18th century. answer
- In 1889, the margherita pizza a pizza made with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella was named after Queen Margherita. answer
- Before Queen Margherita 1851-1926 made pizza popular by liking the pizza that was named after her, pizza was only eaten by very poor people and was scorned by people in the upper classes. answer
- When Italians immigrated to the United States, they brought pizza with them, and the first pizzeria Lombardi’s was opened in 1905 in New York City. answer
- Americans in the United States buy three billion pizzas every year that’s about 46 slices per person. answer
Building Blocks
Grammar is a complex system and structure of language. Mizzou Academy Grammar Lab spotlights one skill (or block) at a time, but it’s often helpful to see how a skill works together with other, related blocks to build the language structure as a whole. You may find the following resource topics helpful as context for this lesson:
Learn About Parentheses
Do I Get It?
What have you learned about using parentheses in your writing? Check your understanding with this interactive quiz.
Now, think about where you would put parentheses in the following sentences. Then check your answers.
1. Americans eat about 100 acres of pizza each day which is 350 slices per second.
2. In what must be the most expensive pizza delivery ever, Pizza Hut paid the Russian Space Agency over one million dollars that’s a lot of money! to deliver a pizza to the International Space Station.
3. My birthday is coming up in 6 days, and I think I want to eat pizza on my birthday.
4. If you go to a pizzeria in Italy, they may tell you, “Buon Appetito” enjoy your meal!
5. To make pizza dough, you should 1 mix your ingredients, 2 let the dough rise, 3 knead the dough, and 4 roll out the crust.
6. A documentary about the history of pizza will be on the Cooking Channel tonight at 7:00pm ET.
7. One of my favorite pizza toppings no restaurant ever seems to have it! is cream cheese.
8. I want to eat some pizza ASAP as soon as possible.