Remember that academic writing is extremely formal. This advice may not be true for other types of writing.

Parentheses

• enclose material that is of minor or secondary importance to the sentence, use vary sparingly

"Since I am from Florida, I bought a winter coat before coming to Louisville (someone told me that they often have snow).

Dashes

• insert a comment or highlights material-use only in moderation

  "Learning Greek in J-term-who wouldn't remember that experience-was a challenge."

• mark a sudden change in tone

  "Mother's suggestions were unsolicited-although helpful."

Slashes separates alternatives

• The writer should try to circumvent the use of slashes as they are awkward to read and can be misleading.

  "We are going to the movies and/or to dinner."

• Shy away from the slash he/she when trying to avoid gender specific language. It is usually better to rewrite the sentence.

  "A student needs to study for many hours in order for him/her to earn an A." This construction is awkward. Usually the pronoun can be left out, or the sentence can be rewritten.