Brackets for Parenthesis - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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KS2 · Grammar

Y5.4 Brackets for Parenthesis

Calculators not allowed · about 40 minutes
Total Marks
Name: _______________________________    Date: ____ / ____ / ______
Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

The Astronomy Club

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Written specifically for this grammar worksheet pack; not derived from or based on any published work, past paper or copyrighted text.

On Thursday evening, the astronomy club (a small group who met after school every week) gathered on the school field to watch the meteor shower. Mr Patel, the science teacher who ran the club, set up two telescopes before the sky grew properly dark. Zara had brought her notebook (the same green one she used for every club meeting) so that she could sketch anything unusual. The first telescope - borrowed from the local observatory - needed careful adjusting before anyone could use it. Yusuf, who was usually the quietest member of the club, spotted the first shooting star and gasped in surprise. 'There are two more telescopes in the store cupboard,' said Mrs Ahmed, 'so everyone will get a turn before we pack up.' By nine o'clock the group had counted eleven meteors (a new club record, according to Mr Patel) and nobody wanted to go home. The sky, dark and perfectly clear, seemed to stretch on forever above the quiet field.

1
Parenthesis is extra information added to a sentence. It is often marked with a pair of brackets. Tick the words that sit inside the brackets (the parenthesis) in each sentence below.
(a)The lion (the largest of the big cats) can weigh up to 250 kilograms.(1)
  • A) the largest of the big cats
  • B) can weigh up to
  • C) 250 kilograms
(b)Our school trip (which had been planned since September) finally arrived.(1)
  • A) Our school trip
  • B) which had been planned since September
  • C) finally arrived
(c)The bridge (built in 1887) is still used by walkers today.(1)
  • A) The bridge
  • B) built in 1887
  • C) is still used
(d)Priya's costume (a bright yellow raincoat) was easy to spot in the crowd.(1)
  • A) Priya's costume
  • B) a bright yellow raincoat
  • C) was easy to spot
2
Underline the extra information enclosed in brackets in each sentence below.
(a)The recipe (which took almost two hours) produced a delicious cake.(1)
(b)Mount Everest (the tallest mountain in the world) attracts climbers from every country.(1)
(c)The museum's new exhibit (opening next Saturday) features dinosaur fossils.(1)
3
A true parenthesis can be lifted out of a sentence, leaving a sentence that still makes complete grammatical sense. Tick Yes or No to show whether each sentence below would still make sense if the bracketed words were removed.
(a)The dolphin (a highly intelligent mammal) leapt out of the water.(1)
  • Yes
  • No
(b)(Amara) plays the violin every evening after school.(1)
  • Yes
  • No
(c)Grandad's shed (which he built himself) is full of old tools.(1)
  • Yes
  • No
(d)The (recipe) needs flour, sugar and butter.(1)
  • Yes
  • No
4
Parenthesis can be shown using a pair of brackets, a pair of commas or a pair of dashes (shown here as hyphens). Sort the six sentences below into the table according to which punctuation is used for the parenthesis.

1. The eagle (a powerful bird of prey) soared overhead.
2. My aunt, who lives in Leeds, is training to be a doctor.
3. The bridge - the oldest one in the city - was closed for repairs.
4. The novel (first published in 1847) is considered a classic.
5. Our dog, a scruffy little terrier, loves chasing leaves.
6. The trophy - polished every single week - gleamed in the cabinet.
BracketsCommasDashes
(6)
5
Circle the sentence in each pair that uses brackets correctly to show parenthesis.
(a)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) The film (based on a true story) won several awards.
  • B) The film (based on a true) story won several awards.
(b)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) Our neighbour's dog (a huge Great Dane never barks.
  • B) Our neighbour's dog (a huge Great Dane) never barks.
(c)Which sentence is correct?(1)
  • A) The trophy, (won three years running) sat on the shelf.
  • B) The trophy (won three years running) sat on the shelf.
6
Each sentence below contains a piece of extra information with no punctuation around it. Insert a pair of brackets in the correct place.
(a)The Great Barrier Reef the largest coral reef system in the world stretches for over 2300 kilometres.(1)
(b)Our head teacher Mr Boyle has worked at the school for twenty years.(1)
(c)The recipe first tried by my grandmother in 1965 is still my family's favourite.(1)
(d)Sofia the fastest runner in Year 5 came first in the relay.(1)
7
Choose the correct extra fact from the box for each sentence, then rewrite the sentence with the fact added in brackets.
Word bank: which has over 400 rooms | now aged eleven | the school's oldest tree
(a)The oak tree in the playground has stood there for over a century.(1)
(b)Buckingham Palace is the King's official London home.(1)
(c)My cousin Freddie still collects football stickers.(1)
8
Combine each pair of sentences into one sentence, using brackets to turn the second sentence into parenthesis.
(a)The Amazon rainforest produces a huge amount of the world's oxygen. It covers parts of nine countries.(2)
(b)Our class hamster escaped from his cage on Tuesday. His name is Nibbles.(2)
(c)The Eiffel Tower is visited by millions of tourists every year. It was completed in 1889.(2)
9
Add a sensible piece of extra information of your own in brackets in each sentence below. Make sure the sentence would still make sense if your brackets were removed.
(a)The library was completely silent. Add extra information in brackets about 'the library'.(2)
(b)The parcel arrived just in time for the party. Add extra information in brackets about 'the parcel'.(2)
10
Each sentence below is missing its closing bracket. Rewrite each sentence with the closing bracket added in the correct place.
(a)The comet (visible only once every seventy-six years travelled across the night sky.(1)
(b)Jamie's bike (a bright red racer wouldn't fit in the shed.(1)
(c)The concert (the first one held at the new stadium finished after eleven o'clock.(1)
11
In each sentence below, the brackets wrongly enclose part of the subject as well as the extra information. Rewrite each sentence with the brackets placed around the extra information only.
(a)The (bridge built in 1920) is a famous local landmark.(1)
(b)Sam's (favourite jumper a woolly blue one) was hanging on the peg.(1)
(c)The (whole match, which lasted three hours) exhausted both teams.(1)
12
The paragraph below has three errors in how brackets are used to show parenthesis. Find and correct all three: a missing closing bracket in the first sentence, an unnecessary comma placed just before an opening bracket in the second sentence, and a missing closing bracket in the third sentence.

The comet (named after its discoverer was the highlight of the evening. Zara's notebook, (the same green one she used for every meeting) was already full of sketches. By the end of the evening, the group had spotted eleven meteors (a new club record but nobody wanted to leave.
(3)
13
Look at the sentence below.

The (winner) was presented with a shiny gold trophy.

Explain why it is incorrect to use brackets around 'winner' in this sentence.
(2)
14
Write two sentences of your own, each about a different person, place or thing. In each sentence, add a piece of extra information in brackets. Punctuate both sentences correctly.
(2)
15
Add a piece of extra information of your own in brackets about 'the windmill' in the sentence below. Make sure the sentence would still make sense if your brackets were removed.

The path led towards the old windmill.
(2)
16
Rewrite the sentence below three times, adding the same extra information about Grandma each time: once using a pair of commas, once using a pair of brackets and once using a pair of dashes (shown here as hyphens).

Extra information: who taught herself to paint
Sentence: Grandma finished the huge mural on the village hall wall.
(3)
17
In the passage above, the writer uses brackets in 'the astronomy club (a small group who met after school every week)'. Explain the effect of adding this information in brackets.
(2)
18
The writer also uses dashes in 'The first telescope - borrowed from the local observatory - needed careful adjusting' and commas in 'Mr Patel, the science teacher who ran the club, set up two telescopes'. Explain one difference between how brackets, dashes and commas each feel to the reader, using evidence from the passage.
(3)
Mark scheme · Y5.4 Brackets for Parenthesis

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question 8

Question 9

Question 10

Question 11

Question 12

Question 13

Question 14

Question 15

Question 16

Question 17

Question 18