Readers ask: When do you use parentheses?

What are the rules for using parentheses?

Parentheses

1. Use parentheses around nonessential information or abrupt changes in thought.
2. If the information in parentheses requires a question mark or an exclamation mark, use the mark inside the parentheses only if the sentence ends with a different mark.
3. Use parentheses to clarify preceding words.

How do you know when to use parentheses or brackets?

Use a bracket (sometimes called a square bracket) to indicate that the endpoint is included in the interval, a parenthesis (sometimes called a round bracket) to indicate that it is not. parentheses are like strict inequalities. (3,7) includes 3.1 and 3.007 and 3.00000000002, but it does not include 3.

What does it mean when you use parentheses?

Parentheses are used to enclose incidental or extra information, such as a passing comment, a minor example or addition, or a brief explanation. The writer may choose to put additional information within parentheses or to set off the text using dashes or commas.

What is a parenthesis in a sentence?

A parenthesis is a word, phrase, or sentence that is inserted into writing as extra information using brackets, commas or dashes. If the parenthesis is taken away, the passage would still be complete without it – it’s an afterthought or bonus.

Can you put a full sentence in parentheses?

(When a complete sentence is enclosed in parentheses, place punctuation in the sentence inside the parentheses, like this.) If only part of a sentence is enclosed in parentheses (like this), place punctuation outside the parentheses (like this).

Do you put commas around parentheses?

Commas may be placed after the closing parenthesis but not before either the opening or the closing parenthesis. If the sentence would not require any commas if the parentheses were removed, the sentence should not have any commas when the parentheses are present.

Does period go inside or outside parentheses?

The period is a strong punctuation mark—think of it as controlling the action in the sentence, which occurs outside the parentheses. 2. When a whole sentence falls inside parentheses, the period goes inside. Correct: (Several other courses were offered, but they were not as popular.)

What is a () called?

() are called round brackets or parentheses, {} called curly brackets or braces and [] are the square brackets. All of them perform the same function except that they are of different forms. We use these brackets when we want to enclose part of an expression already within brackets.

What is an example of a parenthesis?

Use parentheses to enclose information that clarifies or is used as an aside. Example: He finally answered (after taking five minutes to think) that he did not understand the question. If material in parentheses ends a sentence, the period goes after the parentheses. Example: He gave me a nice bonus ($500).

What are the words in parentheses called?

Common uses of parenthetical statements are equivalent to i.e. or e.g. appositives. This includes elaboration or examples that clarify but don’t change the meaning of the larger phrase or sentence they appear in. Many definitions of “parenthetical” or “parenthetical statement” include only this type of use.

What does a parentheses look like?

Brackets are symbols used in pairs to group things together. parentheses or “round brackets” ( ) “square brackets” or “box brackets” [ ] braces or “curly brackets” { }