Although we use parentheses (), also called round brackets, in daily in academic writing, most people do not know the language rules of using parentheses correctly. They help provide additional information to a sentence without disrupting the main idea. This article will cover everything you need to know about parentheses, when to use them and how to do so correctly.
Parentheses – In a Nutshell
Parentheses are punctuation marks that enclose additional information in a sentence (for example like this).
Definition: Parentheses
Parentheses are curved punctuation marks used to enclose additional information in writing. Their primary purpose is to allow the writer an opportunity to add text or comments that may serve to clarify or illustrate what they’ve written. These punctuation marks also create room for digressions or afterthoughts in writing.
Parentheses: Placement of punctuation
The use of parentheses in correlation with other punctuation in a sentence can be quite tricky. It is essential to know when to include the mark into the round brackets and when to leave it out.
- Periods (.) are generally placed outside the parentheses, whether the insertion is a complete sentence or not. Only if the parentheses enclose a complete sentence that follows the full stop of the last sentence, the period is placed inside the brackets.
Examples
- My son joined Harrington Academy (the best school in town at the time).
- The idea that you can leave school early without a proper reason is absurd. (But don’t tell that to my 5-year-old son.)
- If the parentheses are followed by a comma (,) that comma is always placed outside the round brackets.
Example
- We verified her accounting degree (Dublin, class of 1999), but his work experience still remains questionable.
- Question marks (?) and exclamation marks (!) can be inserted in parentheses if necessary. However, if the sentence that includes them ends with the same punctuation mark, you need to remove the mark inside the round brackets.
Examples
- We verified his accounting degree (why would this be an issue?) but not his work experience (how could he lie to us!).
- Would you like to come to the party (it is not too much trouble, right) and bring a few friends along?
How to use
Parentheses always include additional information. This is why the sentence must not lack anything if the parentheses are removed. In some cases, like the second example, this can lead to an odd sounding sentence and should thus be avoided, even though it is grammatically correct.
Examples
-
- She wanted (ice cream right now).
She wanted ice cream (right now).
-
- The boss (and his assistant) arrange a meeting for today.
The boss (and his assistant) arranges a meeting for today.
When to use
Parenthesis can be of use in many different situations. When writing a text, it is important to only use them, if necessary, as to not complicate the text gratuitously. The following examples show you when it is required or logical to use parentheses.
- Parentheses can be used to add nonessential information or additions that do not fit into the sentence normally.
Examples
- We go to New York every year (in April).
- Statistics prove that increased consumption of sugar leads to obesity. (For more information read the article on the website.)
- Use parentheses to further describe preceding words if needed.
Example
- The most favoured research subject for biologists is the fruit fly (also called Drosophila melanogaster).
- They are also widely used for references in documents.
Example
- The results of the study (see table 3) indicate, that a lack of sunlight exposure is able to cause depression.
- The most common use for parentheses is for abbreviations.
Example
- The North American Space Association (NASA) recently made some major discoveries.
- Parentheses can also be useful in horizontal lists to keep track of the bullet points.
Examples
- When I go to London, I want to see (1) Big Ben, (2) the Tower Bridge and (3) the Buckingham Palace.
- On the document you have to fill in (a) your name, (b) your date of birth and (c) your address.
- Furthermore, parentheses are used when numerals are put behind a spelled-out number or the other way round, for example in documents about money transfer.
Examples
- For the festival, we need to buy seventy (70) buns.
- The defendant is obliged to pay a sum of 568 (five hundred and sixty-eight) Dollars.
Side-by-side parentheses
Writers use side-by-side parentheses when they need to place two or more parenthetical elements in a single sentence. The rules for using these punctuation marks vary from one academic style to the other.
| APA Style | Example |
| Use a single set of parentheses and separate parenthetical elements with a colon. | The school visited the Wild Place Project (WPP; Bristol, 2015). |
| Chicago Style | Example |
| You can use a single set of parentheses, but allows two sets of parens if the parenthetical phrase/elements are unrelated. | The school visited the Wild Place Project (WPP), (Bristol 2015) |
Nested parentheses
Writers use nested parentheses to enclose a set of parens inside another set. This can happen:
- When inserting additional information about an in-text citation
- When naming an organization in brackets followed by its abbreviations
It is good practice to use square brackets for the inner element.
Example
- Several tourist attraction sites (e.g., Wild Place Project [WPP]) supported the move.
It is advisable to avoid using nested parens whenever possible since it can lead to confusion about where the elements start and stop. One of the best solutions is using square brackets for the inner element (as shown in the example above) to differentiate them from the original parens. You can also rephrase the sentences to eliminate one of the parenthetical elements.
Example
- Several tourist attraction sites (e.g., Wild Place Project, WPP) supported the move.
Parentheses vs. Brackets
Parentheses () are also called round brackets, while brackets [] are sometimes referred to as square brackets. Parentheses are used to place additional information in a sentence. Brackets, on the other hand, indicate elements in a quote that were not in the original version of it. They are mostly used to make a quote fit the grammar of a sentence, or to clarify meaning if necessary.
Examples
- Parentheses: She (in contrast to her best friend) did her homework in the morning.
- Brackets: “[He] wasn’t actually in love, but [he] felt a sort of tender curiosity.” (Fitzgerald, The great Gatsby)
FAQs
Parentheses are used when you want to add nonessential information to a sentence, that helps to clarify a point. You put that text inside the round brackets not to disturb the reader, as parentheses are easy to spot and can be skipped at first.
Yes, it is most often the case that a sentence with parentheses ends with them. However, you need to watch out to put the period outside the round brackets for correct grammar.
If only the text inside parentheses is a question, the question mark is put inside the round brackets. However, if the whole sentence is a question, even if the insertion adds to that, the only question mark is placed outside the parentheses at the end of the sentence.
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