Dashes and parentheses — Digital SAT Reading & Writing practice
Paired and single dashes and parentheses.
Key ideas to know
Paired dashes
Choose the correct punctuation: “The ancient library—founded in the third century BCE___ held over a million scrolls.” (A) — (B) , (C) ; (D) no punctuation
A. Paired dashes must both appear to set off extra information. Remove the phrase and the sentence is still complete.
Watch out: Closing a dash-opened phrase with a comma, a semicolon, or nothing breaks the paired structure.
Mixing Punctuation Marks
Fix the error: My brother, who lives in Chicago—visited us last weekend. A) Remove the comma after brother B) Replace the dash with a comma C) Remove both punctuation marks D) No change
B is correct. You cannot mix a comma and a dash for the same phrase. Use two commas, two dashes, or two parentheses consistently.
Watch out: Writers often open a parenthetical with a dash and close it with a comma, which violates the paired punctuation rule.
Single Dash for Emphasis
When is a single dash correct at the end of a line? A) Connecting two clauses B) Introducing an explanation after a complete clause C) Replacing a period D) Setting off a list
B is correct. A single dash works like a colon to introduce an explanation immediately after a complete independent clause.
Watch out: Using a single dash after an incomplete phrase creates an error because the preceding clause must stand alone grammatically.
Parentheses and End Punctuation
Which is correct? A) The report (see appendix B). B) The report (see appendix B.) C) The report. (see appendix B) D) The report (see appendix B);
A is correct. When parentheses are part of a larger sentence, the period goes outside them. The main sentence controls final punctuation.
Watch out: Placing the period inside the parentheses when they are only a phrase within a larger sentence violates standard rules.