SAT Reading & Writing: Dashes and Parentheses
28+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
- 1
A pair of dashes, a pair of commas, and a pair of parentheses all serve the same function: isolating nonessential information.
- 2
You must use a matching pair. You cannot start a nonessential clause with a dash and end it with a comma.
- 3
A single dash can be used like a colon to introduce an explanation, a list, or an emphatic conclusion at the end of a sentence.
- 4
Parentheses are used for quiet asides; dashes are used for dramatic emphasis or shifts in tone. The SAT rarely tests the stylistic difference, only the grammatical matching.
- 5
If you see one dash later in a sentence, look to see if it's pairing with a dash earlier, or if it's acting alone to introduce the end of the sentence.
- ✗ Mixing punctuation marks for a nonessential pair (e.g., using a comma to open and a dash to close).
- ✗ Using a single dash when the nonessential information is in the middle of the sentence and needs to be closed before the sentence continues.
SAT-style practice
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
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