Dashes & Brackets: Emphasis Analysis

English
Year 9
8 questions
~16 mins
1 views0 downloads

About This Worksheet

A worksheet designed to develop students' understanding of the use of dashes and brackets for emphasis through analysis and annotation tasks.

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Dashes & Brackets: Emphasis Analysis

Subject: EnglishGrade: Year 9
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Grade Year 9
A

Analyzing Emphasis with Dashes and Brackets

It was — quite unexpectedly — that she realised the importance of her decision. The moment was tense — silent, waiting — a pause that spoke volumes. His reply was brief, contained in brackets: (if he had known, he might have hesitated). The choice seemed clear — yet ambiguous — leaving everyone in doubt. The author frequently employs dashes — to break the flow, to add emphasis. Brackets, on the other hand, serve to insert additional information — subtly shifting the focus. The narrative’s rhythm is shaped by these punctuation marks, creating pauses and highlights that guide the reader’s understanding.
1.
Identify two instances where dashes are used for emphasis in the passage.
[2 marks]
2.
What effect do the dashes have on the rhythm of the passage? Provide a brief explanation.
[3 marks]
3.
How are brackets used to insert additional information in the passage? Provide an example.
[2 marks]
4.
Analyse how the use of brackets affects the tone of the sentence they are part of.
[4 marks]
5.
Identify and explain the stylistic effect of the sentence: 'The choice seemed clear — yet ambiguous — leaving everyone in doubt.'
[3 marks]
6.
Choose the correct punctuation to replace the brackets in the sentence: 'His reply was brief, contained in brackets: (if he had known, he might have hesitated).'
Aa) { }
Bb) [ ]
Cc) ( )
Dd) / /
7.
Explain how the stylistic use of dashes differs from that of brackets in creating emphasis.
[3 marks]
8.
How might the passage change if all dashes were replaced with commas? Provide a brief explanation.
[3 marks]

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Details

Created
1/1/2026
Updated
1/1/2026
Type
worksheet