Dashes and Parentheticals

Dashes and parentheticals can/cannot be used mostly interchangeably.

• Can

• Cannot

Dashes and commas can/cannot be used interchangeably.

• Can

• Cannot

Which of the following is NOT one of the uses of parentheticals?

• Remarks and Clarifications

• Citations

• Introductions

• Interruptions

Parentheticals, broadly, offer ____________.

• Nothing

• An alternative standpoint

• Very important qualifiers

• Non-essential information

The funny slang word word “jail”: hoosegow, was a garbled version of the Spanish word for “courtroom,” juzgado. 

• "Jail"--hoosgow,

• No change

• "Jail"--hoosegow--

• "Jail," hoosegow,

My mom, who is my biggest supporter-- came to my last soccer game.

• My mom, who is my biggest supporter,

• No change

• My mom--who is my biggest supporter--

• My mom (who is my biggest supporter)

My room--which is painted blue--gets really bright in the afternoon.

• No change

• , which is painted blue:

• --which is painted blue,

• : which is painted blue,

Which would I use when crafting a citation?

• Dash

• Colon

• Parentheses

• Comma

My dad who is a painter enjoys using the color red in his work.

• My dad, who is a painter enjoys...

• My dad who is a painter: enjoys...

• My dad--who is a painter--enjoys

• My dad (who is a painter) enjoys...

His handwriting it resembled my mother’s was almost indecipherable.

• No change
• handwriting it—resembled my mother’s—
• handwriting—it resembled my mother’s)
• handwriting—it resembled my mother’s—