Have you ever asked a novice reader to read and comprehend a sentence with 20 words or more? For them, comprehension can get foggy. Help them overcome.
What every teacher MUST teach: The dash (—) and commas (,) that interrupt words in a sentence.
The DASH (—)
There are many common comprehension mistakes novice readers make when reading a long sentence. One major oversight is not paying attention to the dash—a strategically placed horizontal line that signals a pause. The phrase that follows the dash is used to introduce an explanation, give a definition, or provide an example to the related idea that comes before it.
EX: There are many common comprehension mistakes novice readers make when reading a long sentence. One major oversight is not paying attention to the dash—a strategically placed horizontal line that indicates a pause.
In the example above, notice how I provide readers with a visual description of the word /dash/. I intentionally place the punctuation mark immediately after the word and follow it with the phrase “—a strategically placed little horizontal line that indicates a pause,” which gives more information about the word /dash/. Dashes are designed to interrupt a thought to add clarity or detail. While the added ideas are important, the abrupt break can create confusion for readers—So teach them to recognize and interpret it.
Commas that Interrupt (,)
Commas can also interrupt a sentence to add extra information. The general rule is that if the word(s) simply add information for the reader and is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence, use commas around it. Make sure you use two commas, one before and one after.
EX: My daughter Nia is visiting for Christmas.
My daughter, Nia, is visiting for Christmas.
Do you set off Nia with commas? It depends.
In the first sentence, Nia is necessary. You can’t leave it out because it identifies which daughter is visiting—this suggests there is more than one daughter.
But in the second sentence, Nia is set off with commas. Her name is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. This suggests there is only one daughter, so her name is simply additional information.