L.6.2: Commas, Parentheses and Dashes for Nonrestrictive Elements, Capitalization and Spelling
In plain English: L.6.2 is the Common Core grade 6 ELA standard that asks students to use standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when they write. Students set off nonrestrictive and parenthetical elements, extra information a sentence can do without, with commas, parentheses or dashes, and they spell correctly using spelling rules and a dictionary.
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a.Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.
b.Spell correctly.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Language Standards · Cluster: Conventions of Standard English · Official standard
Students learn to tell essential information from extra information in a sentence and to punctuate each one. A nonrestrictive (extra) element adds a detail about someone or something the reader can already identify, as in "Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in California, ..."; a restrictive (essential) element tells which one and takes no punctuation. A parenthetical element is a side comment, such as of course or by the way, that interrupts the sentence. Students set off both kinds with the three marks the standard names: commas for a light pause, parentheses for a quiet aside, and dashes for strong emphasis or a sudden break.
The main part of the standard also covers capitalization and spelling, so students practice capital letters for proper nouns, titles used as names and the first word of a sentence, and they learn four spelling rules and a dictionary habit for the words the rules miss. Students see these conventions in two classics, the opening of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and Alice's fall in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865), and they edit an invented club newsletter.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Tell nonrestrictive (extra) elements from restrictive (essential) ones with the removal test
Set off nonrestrictive and parenthetical elements with commas, parentheses or dashes, and explain the choice of mark
Place commas, parentheses and end punctuation correctly around an element in the middle or at the end of a sentence
Capitalize proper nouns, titles used as names and the first word of a sentence
Spell words with suffixes and common patterns correctly, and check uncertain words in a dictionary
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Commas after introductory elements and in a series L.5.2
Correct capitalization and spelling of grade-level words L.4.2
Relative pronouns such as who, which and that L.4.1
"Read the two sentences aloud. Do they mean the same thing? How many cousins does each writer have? (1) My cousin, who lives in Texas, is visiting this weekend. (2) My cousin who lives in Texas is visiting this weekend."
Let pairs argue for a minute, then reveal the difference: in sentence 1, the commas mark who lives in Texas as extra information, so the writer seems to have one cousin. In sentence 2, the clause is essential: it tells which cousin, so the writer may have several. Tell students that two small commas changed the meaning, and that today they will learn when to use commas, parentheses and dashes to set off extra words.
Direct Instruction15-20 minutes
Part 1: Essential or extra (standard a). Use Diagram 2. Read the sentence without the words in question. If the reader can still tell exactly which person or thing the sentence means, the words are nonrestrictive (extra) and are set off with punctuation. If the sentence loses that meaning, they are restrictive (essential) and take no punctuation. Common extra elements are appositives (a noun phrase that renames the noun beside it, such as our coach, a former swimmer,), clauses that begin with who or which after a named person or thing, and parenthetical expressions such as of course, for example and by the way. In American English, which usually introduces extra clauses and that introduces essential ones.
Part 2: Choosing the mark (standard a). Use Diagram 1. All three marks are correct for an extra element; the choice sets the tone. Commas are the usual choice. Parentheses make the words a quiet aside. Dashes make them stand out or show a sudden break. An element in the middle of a sentence needs a pair of marks, one before and one after. At the end of a sentence, use one comma or one dash before it, and parentheses still come in pairs. When a parenthetical element sits inside a sentence, the sentence's period goes after the closing parenthesis; a complete sentence standing alone in parentheses keeps its period inside.
Commas around an appositive
Denali the tallest mountain in North America is in Alaska.
Result: Revised: Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, is in Alaska. The name Denali already identifies the mountain, so the appositive is extra and needs a comma on each side.
Extra clause or essential clause
Ms. Lopez who sold the most raffle tickets won a gift card. The sixth graders who sold the most raffle tickets won a gift card.
Result: Revised: Ms. Lopez, who sold the most raffle tickets, won a gift card. The second sentence stays as it is. Ms. Lopez is named, so the clause adds a detail; "the sixth graders" could be anyone in the grade, so the clause tells which ones and is essential.
Parentheses and end punctuation
The science fair moved to the gym this year starts at 6:00. We brought our poster it took two weeks.
Result: Revised: The science fair (moved to the gym this year) starts at 6:00. We brought our poster (it took two weeks). Inside a sentence, the aside starts with a lowercase letter and the sentence's period comes after the closing parenthesis.
Same element, three marks
The fire drill started of course in the middle of the math test.
Result: Model sentences 1-3 below show three correct versions. Commas give a light pause, parentheses make of course a quiet aside, and dashes make it a sharp, annoyed interruption, which may suit a writer who wants to complain. Every version sets off of course because the sentence is complete without it.
Capital letters
on friday uncle ray drove us across the golden gate bridge to see the pacific ocean.
Result: Revised: On Friday Uncle Ray drove us across the Golden Gate Bridge to see the Pacific Ocean. Capitalize the first word of a sentence, days of the week, a title used as part of a name (Uncle Ray, but "my uncle"), and the names of particular places.
1. The fire drill started, of course, in the middle of the math test.
2. The fire drill started (of course) in the middle of the math test.
3. The fire drill started—of course—in the middle of the math test.
4. Our new neighbor—a chef from Lima, Peru—brought us a tray of empanadas.
5. The last runner crossed the finish line at sunset—almost three hours after the start.
Written for this page, Model sentences: commas, parentheses and dashes. Original passage written for this page.
Part 3: Spelling (standard b). Teach four rules and one habit. (1) Drop a silent final e before a suffix that starts with a vowel: hope becomes hoping, but keep it before a consonant: hopeful. (2) Change a final y to i after a consonant: happy becomes happiness, but keep the y before -ing: carrying. (3) Double the final consonant of a short one-syllable word that ends in one vowel and one consonant before a suffix that starts with a vowel: stop becomes stopping, but sad becomes sadness. (4) Write i before e except after c, when the sound is "ee": field, receipt (with exceptions such as weird and seize). The habit: when a word looks wrong, check a dictionary, because a spell checker does not catch a real word in the wrong place, such as form for from.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Read the opening of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz aloud. Words to know: prairie (flat, open grassland), garret (an attic), cyclone (here, a tornado), gaunt (very thin). In pairs, students work on paragraph 1: they highlight every element set off by commas or a dash, apply the removal test, and circle every capital letter that is not the first word of a sentence. Model the first row of the table together. Save paragraph 3 for the quiz.
1Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar—except a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.
2When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.
3When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child’s laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy’s merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at.
L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, chapter I, "The Cyclone" (opening) (1900). Public domain (published 1900). Source text.
Paragraph 1 organizer (teacher key in the second column)
Words from paragraph 1
What the punctuation or capital shows (teacher key)
with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em
Commas set off an extra who-clause; Uncle Henry is already named
a floor and a roof, which made one room;
A comma sets off an extra which-clause at the end of the clause
the dash after no cellar, before except a small hole dug in the ground
A dash sets off an added exception with emphasis
a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where
Commas set off an extra name for the hole
Kansas, Uncle Henry, Aunt Em
Capitals for a place name and for titles used as part of a name
Then look at paragraph 2 together: "When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side." Ask whether the comma sets off extra information. (It does not: it ends an introductory clause, a grade 5 comma rule.) Not every comma marks an extra element, which is why the removal test matters.
Independent Practice10-15 minutes
Students edit the invented club newsletter below for capitalization, punctuation around extra elements, and spelling. They mark each change and name the rule. Warn them that one sentence with a clause is already correct.
Last tuesday the green team our school's recycling club collected 212 pounds of paper. Ms. Rivera who started the club in september, weighed every bag herself. The bags that were full of cardboard went to the city recycling center. Our goal (the biggest in the club's history is 500 pounds by thanksgiving. Everyone beleives we can do it. Next, we are planing a contest between grades. If you want to help, come to the library after school on wensday. We realy need more volunteers.
Written for this page (an invented student draft), Draft for editing: Recycling Club News. Original passage written for this page.
Teacher key. (1) Last Tuesday the Green Team, our school's recycling club, collected: capitalize the day and the club's name, and set off the appositive with commas. (2) Ms. Rivera, who started the club in September, weighed: add the missing first comma of the pair and capitalize the month. (3) The bags that were full of cardboard is correct: the clause tells which bags. (4) Our goal (the biggest in the club's history) is 500 pounds by Thanksgiving: close the parentheses and capitalize the holiday. (5) believes: i before e. (6) planning: double the n before -ing. (7) Wednesday: check a dictionary, since no simple rule covers it. (8) really: add -ly to real, keeping both l's.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Write one sentence about a classmate or teacher with an appositive set off by commas. (2) Write the sentence again with dashes and explain how the tone changed.
Teacher note on the texts: Carroll was an English writer, so his book uses British spellings such as centre and learnt. Students should know these are not misspellings in his time and place, while standard American English uses different forms. "The Antipathies" is Alice's mix-up for "the Antipodes," a British name for the far side of the world, and Carroll uses dashes and parentheses heavily to show her thoughts interrupting her speech. Both excerpts are quoted exactly.
For the quiz: Questions 8-12 and 20 use the Alice excerpt below. Words to know: curtsey (a small bow made by bending the knees), Ma'am (a polite word for madam).
1“Well!” thought Alice to herself, “after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How brave they’ll all think me at home! Why, I wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house!” (Which was very likely true.)
2Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? “I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?” she said aloud. “I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think—” (for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) “—yes, that’s about the right distance—but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I’ve got to?” (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)
3Presently she began again. “I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it’ll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think—” (she was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn’t sound at all the right word) “—but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma’am, is this New Zealand or Australia?” (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke—fancy curtseying as you’re falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) “And what an ignorant little girl she’ll think me for asking! No, it’ll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, chapter I, "Down the Rabbit-Hole" (the long fall) (1865). Public domain (published 1865). Source text.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give students strips of paper with the extra element on its own strip, so they can physically remove it before deciding on punctuation
Start with appositives after names (Mr. Cruz, our coach,) before moving to who and which clauses
Provide a short personal spelling list with the rule written next to each word
For Advanced Students
Have students count the parentheses and dashes on one page of a novel they are reading and explain what the author's choices suggest about the narrator
Ask students to write a pair of sentences, like the Warm-Up, where commas change the meaning, and test them on a partner
Have students compare three British and American spellings (centre, colour, travelled) using a dictionary
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
Check that students can explain why an element is extra before they punctuate it; correct commas with no reason may be guesses. Look for complete pairs around elements in the middle of a sentence, since a missing second comma is a frequent slip, and for periods placed correctly around parentheses. For the choice of mark, accept any correct mark with a reason that matches its effect. For capitalization and spelling, look for rules named in the student's own words and for dictionary checks on words no rule covers.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Essential or Extra? Card Sort
15 minPairs
Each pair gets 10 sentence cards with the words in question printed in bold. Partners use the removal test to sort each card into an Extra pile or an Essential pile, then add commas to the Extra cards (standard a).
Sentence Cards
1. My best friend who lives next door is moving to Texas.
2. The students who sold the most tickets won a pizza party.
3. Mount Whitney the tallest peak in California is in the Sierra Nevada.
4. The book that you lent me is overdue.
5. Our principal Dr. Hayes gave a speech at the assembly.
6. The girl in the red jacket is my sister.
7. The Pacific Ocean which covers about a third of Earth's surface is the largest ocean.
8. Dogs that bark all night keep the neighbors awake.
9. Grandma Rosa who is 82 still swims every morning.
10. The movie we watched on Friday was too long.
Procedure
Partner A reads the card without the bold words; partner B says whether the reader can still tell exactly who or what the sentence means
Cards that pass go in the Extra pile and get a comma before and after the bold words; the rest go in the Essential pile with no commas
Pairs check their piles with another pair and explain any card they sorted differently
Teacher key: 1. Extra: My best friend, who lives next door, is moving to Texas. 2. Essential: no commas: the clause tells which students 3. Extra: Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in California, is in the Sierra Nevada. 4. Essential: no commas: the clause tells which book 5. Extra: Our principal, Dr. Hayes, gave a speech at the assembly. 6. Essential: no commas: the phrase tells which girl 7. Extra: The Pacific Ocean, which covers about a third of Earth's surface, is the largest ocean. 8. Essential: no commas: the clause tells which dogs 9. Extra: Grandma Rosa, who is 82, still swims every morning. 10. Essential: no commas: the clause tells which movie Each pile ends with five cards.
Discussion Questions
Card 1 says "My best friend." What would change if the writer had two best friends?
Which words at the start of the bold part (who, which, that) helped you sort the cards?
2
Three Ways to Interrupt
15 minGroups of 3
Groups add the same extra words to a sentence three ways, with commas, parentheses and dashes, read each version aloud, and choose the one that fits a purpose card (4 sentence sets; standard a).
Sentence Sets
1. Sentence: Our class pet escaped on Monday. Extra words: a bearded dragon named Spike. Purpose card: big emphasis.
2. Sentence: The science fair will be held in the gym. Extra words: if the roof repairs are finished. Purpose card: a quiet aside.
3. Sentence: Ms. Patel is retiring this year. Extra words: who has taught here for 30 years. Purpose card: a neutral, everyday tone.
4. Sentence: The final score was 42 to 40. Extra words: the closest game all season. Purpose card: big emphasis.
Procedure
Each student writes one version on a mini whiteboard: one with commas, one with parentheses and one with dashes
Students read their versions aloud: a short pause for commas, a softer voice for parentheses, and a stop and louder voice for dashes
The group picks the version that best fits the purpose card and explains why; in set 4, the extra words go at the end, so the group must decide how many marks are needed
Teacher note: any correct mark earns credit if the reason matches its effect; the purpose cards point toward dashes for sets 1 and 4, parentheses for set 2 and commas for set 3
Discussion Questions
Why might a writer avoid using dashes in every sentence?
How did your voice change when you read the parentheses version?
Modification for Distance Learning
Students type the three versions in a shared document and record a short voice clip of each; classmates vote on the version that fits the purpose card.
3
Capitals and Spelling Stations
15-20 minGroups of 4
Groups rotate through three stations that practice the capitalization and spelling parts of the standard (main standard and standard b).
Station 1: Spelling Rule Sort (12 cards)
make + ing
close + ing
use + able
funny + est
busy + ly
try + ed
shop + ing
hug + ed
swim + er
rec__ve
bel__ve
c__ling
Station 2: Flyer Repair
Copy the flyer with correct capital letters: join the lincoln middle school garden club every tuesday in april! meet ms. brooks in the art room. we'll plant tomatoes, learn about california native plants and celebrate earth day.
Station 3: Beat the Spell Checker
This sentence has no misspelled words, so a spell checker passes it, but five words are wrong for their meaning. Find and fix them: Their going too the park at ate o'clock, and there dog is coming two.
Procedure and Teacher Key
At Station 1, groups spell each word and sort the cards under four rule headings, three cards per rule
Station 1 key: making (drop the silent e before a suffix that starts with a vowel); closing (drop the silent e before a suffix that starts with a vowel); usable (drop the silent e before a suffix that starts with a vowel); funniest (change y to i after a consonant); busily (change y to i after a consonant); tried (change y to i after a consonant); shopping (double the final consonant of a short one-syllable word); hugged (double the final consonant of a short one-syllable word); swimmer (double the final consonant of a short one-syllable word); receive (i before e, except after c); believe (i before e, except after c); ceiling (i before e, except after c)
Station 2 key: Join the Lincoln Middle School Garden Club every Tuesday in April! Meet Ms. Brooks in the art room. We'll plant tomatoes, learn about California native plants and celebrate Earth Day.
Station 3 key: They're going to the park at eight o'clock, and their dog is coming too.
Challenge Variation
Groups write their own "beat the spell checker" sentence with four wrong-but-real words and trade it with another group.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: Commas, Parentheses and Dashes
The same extra element, an appositive that renames the coach, set off three ways. All three are correct. The squares show how much attention each mark draws to the extra words: parentheses the least, commas a medium amount, and dashes the most. Each mark comes in a pair because the element sits in the middle of the sentence.
Diagram 2: The Removal Test for Nonrestrictive Elements
Read the sentence without the words in question. If the reader can still tell exactly who or what is meant, the words are nonrestrictive (extra) and are set off with punctuation; if not, they are restrictive (essential) and stay unpunctuated.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
L.6.2 Homework: Punctuating Extra Information, Capitals and Spelling
Directions: Complete all six problems. Use Diagrams 1 and 2 for Problems 1-3. For Problem 6, use a piece of your own writing.
Part 1: Commas, Parentheses and Dashes (Problems 1-3)
Add commas wherever a sentence has an extra (nonrestrictive) element. If a sentence needs no commas, write "essential" and explain why: (a) Mr. Chen our band director plays five instruments. (b) The Nile which flows north is one of the longest rivers in the world. (c) The team that scores first often wins. (d) Aunt Maya who lives in Denver sends us postcards. (e) The bike with the flat tire is mine. (f) Chess by the way is harder than it looks.
Rewrite each sentence three ways, setting off the bold words with commas, then parentheses, then dashes. Then circle the version that fits the purpose in brackets and explain your choice in one sentence: (a) Our field trip a visit to the state capitol is next week. [neutral] (b) The pizza all six large pies disappeared in ten minutes. [big emphasis] (c) The meeting if you can make it starts at 4:00. [quiet aside]
Write a paragraph of five or six sentences about a place in your neighborhood. Include at least one extra element set off with commas, one with parentheses and one with dashes, and one sentence with an essential clause and no commas. Label each.
Part 2: Capitalization and Spelling (Problems 4-6)
Rewrite each sentence with correct capital letters and explain each change: (a) my family visited the grand canyon in arizona last summer. (b) on monday, aunt lucia made tamales for christmas eve. (c) our teacher, mrs. diaz, said, "practice every day." (d) we read the call of the wild in english class. (e) my uncle drove north to meet grandpa in portland.
Find and fix the seven misspelled words in this note, and name the rule or strategy for each: Dear Grandma, I recieved your package on Febuary 3. The sweater is beautyful, and it fits perfectly. I was so exited that I jumped up and down! Tomorow our class is takeing a trip to the libary. Love, Sam
Choose a paragraph of at least five sentences from your own writing this year. Edit it for capital letters, punctuation around extra elements and spelling. List every change and its rule, and look up at least two words in a dictionary. If you find no errors, add one extra element set off with the mark that fits your purpose, and explain the choice.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Essential or Extra
All six sentences punctuated or explained correctly
Four or five correct
Fewer than four
Choosing the Mark
All versions correct, with choices that match the purpose; paragraph includes all four labeled parts
Most correct, or one part missing
Marks unpaired or misplaced throughout
Capitalization
Every capital fixed and explained
Most fixed, or explanations missing
Few fixed
Spelling and Editing
Seven words fixed with rules; own paragraph edited with changes listed
Four to six fixed, or no list of changes
Fewer than four fixed
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
Questions 8-12 and 20 use the Alice excerpt in Closure, and Question 17 uses the Oz excerpt in Guided Practice; paragraph numbers are shown beside each passage. The other questions use new sentences. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence correctly uses commas to set off the extra information?
Answer: C
The appositive our science teacher renames Mr. Ortiz, who is already named, so it is extra, and an element in the middle of a sentence needs a comma on each side. A leaves out the first comma and B the second, so each marks only half of the pair. D adds a comma between the verb keeps and its object.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In which sentence should the bold words not be set off with commas?
Answer: A
In A, the clause is essential: without it, the sentence would say that all the students may read, so it tells which students and takes no commas. In B, C and D the person or river is already named, so the clause adds an extra detail and needs commas. Picking one of them treats every who or which clause as essential.
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: B
The park is named, so the which-clause is extra; at the end of a sentence it needs only one comma before it, and the period closes it. A leaves the extra clause unmarked. C adds a second comma where the period already ends the element. D puts commas around the park's name, which is the object the verb needs.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence uses parentheses correctly?
Answer: D
Parentheses come in pairs, and when they sit inside a sentence, the sentence's period goes after the closing parenthesis. A puts the period inside, as if the aside were a separate sentence. B leaves the parentheses unclosed. C opens with a closing parenthesis and has no opening one.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A writer wants the bold words to stand out with strong emphasis: The winner a sixth grader from our school received a trophy. Which punctuation fits best?
Answer: B
Dashes draw the most attention to an extra element, which is the writer's purpose. A is correct punctuation but gives only a light pause, not strong emphasis. C does the opposite of the purpose, since parentheses make the words a quiet aside. D is incorrect, because an element in the middle of a sentence needs a pair of marks.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which choice best sets off a side comment the reader could skip? The spelling bee ___ if the snow stops ___ will be held on Friday.
Answer: C
Parentheses mark an aside the reader could skip, which matches the purpose: "The spelling bee (if the snow stops) will be held on Friday." A would be correct punctuation but makes the comment stand out, the opposite of the purpose. B leaves the element half marked. D fails the removal test: the sentence still makes sense without the words, so they are extra, not essential.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Answer: A
The parenthetical clause sits inside the sentence, so it begins with a lowercase letter and the sentence's period comes after the closing parenthesis. B uses two periods. C puts the only period inside, as if the aside stood alone. D ends the sentence before the aside, which turns the aside into a separate sentence, but that sentence starts with a lowercase letter.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 1 of the Alice excerpt, why does the period come inside the closing parenthesis in "(Which was very likely true.)"?
Answer: D
The sentence before it ends with an exclamation point inside Alice's quotation, and the parenthetical comment is a separate sentence, so it starts with a capital and keeps its own period inside. A overgeneralizes: when the aside sits inside a sentence, the period goes after the parenthesis. B misses that the aside stands alone. C is wrong because the words end with a period, not a question mark.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 2 of the Alice excerpt, what job do the commas do in "(for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort"?
Answer: A
Remove you see and the sentence still says the same thing, so it is a parenthetical expression, the narrator's aside to the reader, and commas set it off. B is wrong because there is no list. C is wrong because you see is not a sentence. D confuses commas with quotation marks; these words are the narrator's, not Alice's.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 2 of the Alice excerpt, Carroll sets off the words yes, that's about the right distance with a pair of dashes. What do the dashes show?
Answer: C
Alice starts a sentence, stops, and suddenly decides the number sounds right, and the dashes show that sharp break and set the comment off with emphasis. A describes parentheses, which Carroll uses for the narrator's asides in the same paragraph. B has no support in the text. D confuses the dash with the much shorter hyphen, which joins words such as rabbit-hole.
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In paragraph 2 of the Alice excerpt, Carroll writes Latitude and Longitude with capital letters. How would they be written in standard American English today, and why?
Answer: B
Only proper nouns, the names of particular people, places and things, take capitals. Carroll capitalizes these words for effect, because Alice thinks they are "nice grand words to say." A invents a rule, since school subjects and science terms are lowercase unless they are names. C confuses capitals with shouting. D invents a rule about pairs.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Paragraph 2 of the Alice excerpt uses the British spellings centre and learnt. Which pair gives the standard American spellings?
Answer: D
American English writes center (-er, not -re) and usually learned as the past tense. A changes only one word. B and C misspell the American forms: senter and lernt are not words in any dictionary.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence has every word spelled correctly?
Answer: B
Definitely is built on definite (think of finite), separate has "a rat" in the middle, and library has two r's, as you hear in "li-brar-y." A and D misspell definitely; A and C misspell separate; C also drops the first r in library.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which word follows the spelling rules for adding a suffix?
Answer: C
Grab is a short one-syllable word ending in one vowel and one consonant, so the b doubles before -ed. A breaks the drop-the-e rule (writing). B and D break the y-to-i rule (cried, easily).
Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which list names every word that needs a capital letter? last summer my aunt drove us to lake tahoe on the fourth of july.
Answer: A
Capitalize the first word of the sentence, the full name of a particular lake and the name of a holiday, but not a season or a family word after my. B also capitalizes summer and aunt, which are common nouns here. C misses that Lake and Fourth are part of the names. D capitalizes the short word of inside the holiday's name, which stays lowercase.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Add the punctuation this sentence needs and explain your choice: Our town's library which was built in 1910 still has its original wooden shelves.
Model answer: "Our town's library, which was built in 1910, still has its original wooden shelves." The town has one library, so the reader already knows which one is meant; the which-clause is extra and needs a comma on each side. Parentheses or dashes are also correct if the student explains the effect (a quieter aside or more emphasis). Rubric line: 2 points for a complete pair of marks and the removal-test reason; 1 point for correct punctuation with no reason, or a reason with only one comma.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
In paragraph 3 of the Oz excerpt, Baum writes, "When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her." Explain why the words who was an orphan are set off with commas. What would the sentence suggest if the commas were removed?
Model answer: Dorothy is already named, so the reader knows who she is; who was an orphan adds an extra fact about her, so commas set it off. Without the commas, the clause would become essential, as if there were several Dorothys and this one is the Dorothy who was an orphan. Rubric line: 2 points for the extra-information reason and the changed meaning without commas; 1 point for one of the two.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
Which mark would you use to set off the bold words, and why? Our neighbor's beagle the loudest dog on our street barked all night. Write the sentence with your choice.
Model answer: "Our neighbor's beagle, the loudest dog on our street, barked all night." Commas are the usual choice for an appositive. A student who picks dashes to make the funny detail stand out, or parentheses to make it a quiet aside, is also correct, as long as the marks come in a pair and the reason matches the effect. Rubric line: 2 points for a correct pair of marks and a reason that matches the mark; 1 point for correct punctuation without a reason.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Fix the capitalization and spelling in this sentence and name the rule for each change: on saturday my freind and i visited the natural history musuem in chicago.
Model answer: "On Saturday my friend and I visited the natural history museum in Chicago." Capitalize the first word of a sentence (On), days of the week (Saturday), the pronoun I, and city names (Chicago); natural history museum stays lowercase here because it describes the museum rather than giving its official name. Spelling: friend follows i before e, and museum (u before e) is a word to check in a dictionary. Rubric line: 2 points for all four capitals and both spellings with rules; 1 point for most of them.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
In paragraph 3 of the Alice excerpt, find the parenthetical comment that begins "she was rather glad." Explain why Carroll puts it in parentheses instead of commas, and what it tells the reader.
Model answer: The comment is the narrator's aside about Alice's private feelings, and it interrupts Alice's spoken words. Parentheses separate it from her speech in quotation marks more clearly than commas could, and they mark it as a quiet side note. It tells the reader that Alice is embarrassed, because "Antipathies" is the wrong word and she is glad no one heard. Rubric line: 2 points for explaining the choice of parentheses and what the aside reveals; 1 point for one of the two.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does L.6.2 mean?
L.6.2 means that sixth graders use standard capital letters, punctuation and spelling when they write.
Part a focuses on commas, parentheses and dashes around nonrestrictive and parenthetical elements, and part b asks students to spell correctly.
What is a nonrestrictive element?
A nonrestrictive element is extra information that a sentence can lose without changing which person or thing it means.
In "My dentist, Dr. Park, is kind," the name is extra if you have one dentist. It is set off with commas, parentheses or dashes. A restrictive element, such as "who studied" in "Students who studied passed," is essential and takes no punctuation.
When should I use commas, parentheses or dashes?
Use commas most of the time, parentheses for a quiet aside and dashes for emphasis or a sudden break.
All three are correct for extra information; the choice changes how much attention the words get. Dashes lose their force when a writer uses them in every sentence.
What is the difference between a dash and a hyphen?
A hyphen joins words or parts of words, and a dash separates parts of a sentence.
The hyphen is the short mark in well-known. The dash is longer and sets off an interruption. On many keyboards, you type two hyphens and a word processor turns them into a dash.
Does the period go inside or outside the parentheses?
It goes outside when the parentheses sit inside a sentence and inside when the parentheses hold a whole sentence of their own.
"We left early (it was raining)." versus "We left early. (It was raining.)"
Is it "which" or "that"?
In American English, use which with commas for extra information and that without commas for essential information.
"The bike, which is red, is mine" adds a detail; "The bike that is red is mine" tells which bike. British writers use which more freely.
Which words should be capitalized?
Capitalize the first word of a sentence, the pronoun I, and proper nouns: the names of particular people, places, days, months, holidays, languages and organizations.
Seasons, directions such as north, and family words after my or our (my aunt) stay lowercase; a family title used as a name (Aunt Em, Grandpa) is capitalized.
How can my student get better at spelling?
Learn the few rules that cover many words, and keep a personal list for the rest.
The drop-the-e, y-to-i, doubling and i-before-e rules explain many suffix errors. For words such as February and rhythm, a dictionary check and a memory trick work better than a rule. Spell checkers miss real words used in the wrong place.
How is L.6.2 tested?
L.6.2 is usually tested with editing questions that ask students to choose the correctly punctuated or spelled version of a sentence.
Many state tests use this format. Classroom tests often add short writing tasks in which students punctuate an extra element and explain their choice.
What comes after L.6.2?
In grade 7, L.7.2 adds commas between coordinate adjectives, and in grade 8, L.8.2 adds commas, ellipses and dashes for pauses, breaks and omissions.
Spelling stays part of the standard in both grades.
07
Related Standards
6 standards
These standards connect to L.6.2: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
L.5.2Prerequisite
Use commas for series, introductory elements and direct address; spell correctly
Lesson coming soon
L.4.2Prerequisite
Use correct capitalization, commas and quotation marks; spell grade-level words
Lesson coming soon
Alongside
L.6.1Parallel
Use pronouns correctly: case, intensive pronouns, shifts and vague pronouns
