When to use parentheses?

When should parentheses be used?

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.

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 the difference between dashes and parentheses?

Dashes and parentheses indicate an “aside” to the point you are making in your sentence. Although sometimes considered interchangeable, each serves a specific purpose in your writing. Dashes interrupt your writing to insert an interjection or pause, while parentheses gently add information to your point.

Can you put a whole 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).

How do you use double parentheses?

1 Answer Use brackets inside parentheses to create a double enclosure in the text. Avoid parentheses within parentheses, or nested parentheses. Separate citations from parenthetical text with either semicolons (for parenthetical-style citations) or commas around the year (for narrative citations).

How do you use brackets correctly?

Brackets ( parentheses ) are punctuation marks used within a sentence to include information that is not essential to the main point. Information within parentheses is usually supplementary; were it removed, the meaning of the sentence would remain unchanged.

Do you space before parentheses?

When writing in English (not a programming language or math), the rule is: put a space before the opening parenthesis, and either a space or a punctuation mark after the closing parenthesis. Do not put a space after the opening or before the closing parenthesis.

Should the period be inside the parentheses?

When a complete, independent sentence is entirely enclosed by parentheses, the period goes inside the closing parenthesis. But, if the parenthetical material is nested inside another sentence, the period should go on the outside.

Where does punctuation go with parentheses?

Rule # 1: If the information in the parentheses is not a complete sentence, place the terminal punctuation outside the parentheses. Rule # 2: If the information in the parenthesis is a complete sentence, then place the terminal punctuation inside the parentheses.

Why are parentheses used in this sentence?

Parentheses (always used in pairs) allow a writer to provide additional information. The parenthetical material might be a single word, a fragment, or multiple complete sentences. Whatever the material inside the parentheses, it must not be grammatically integral to the surrounding sentence.

Why are dashes rather than parentheses or commas used in this sentence?

Why are dashes, rather than parentheses or commas, used in this sentence? Dashes are being used to set off an aside that deserves emphasis. A dash is used to set off a relatively important aside in a way that grabs the reader’s attention.

How do you use a dash instead of a comma?

Use Dashes in Place of a Comma Em dashes can be used in pairs to replace commas when writing a parenthetical or interruptive phrase. The dashes have a slightly more emphatic feel, making the reader focus on this information that is set inside the special marks.