Parentheses and Brackets
Parentheses ( )
Also called “round brackets.”
Additional Information
- The meeting (scheduled for Monday) has been moved.
- She speaks three languages (English, French, and Spanish).
- The results (see Table 1) were surprising.
Clarification
- The CEO (Chief Executive Officer) announced the news.
- GDP (Gross Domestic Product) rose by 3%.
- The UN (United Nations) met today.
Dates and Numbers
- William Shakespeare (1564–1616) wrote many plays.
- The book costs twenty dollars ($20).
- Section 5**(a)** of the contract
Personal Comments
- The food was delicious (in my opinion).
- He’s a bit eccentric (to put it mildly).
- The movie was long (three hours!).
Punctuation with Parentheses
Period Outside
If the parenthetical is part of a larger sentence:
- I went to the store (the one on Main Street).
Period Inside
If the parenthetical is a complete sentence on its own:
- I went to the store. (It was closed.)
Commas
Put commas outside parentheses:
- After the meeting (which ran late), we had dinner.
Square Brackets [ ]
In Quotations - Adding Clarification
- “He [the president] made the announcement.”
- “She said it was [the company’s] fault.”
In Quotations - Changing Form
- ”**[T]**he project was successful.” (Original: “…the project was successful.”)
- “She work**[s]** here.” (Adjusting singular/plural)
Indicating Errors with [sic]
- “The restarant [sic] was excellent.” (original spelling error)
Nested Parentheses
When you need parentheses inside parentheses:
- (See the report [pages 10–15] for details)
Parentheses vs. Commas vs. Dashes
| Mark | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Parentheses | Downplays | The car (a red one) sped past. |
| Commas | Neutral | The car, a red one, sped past. |
| Dashes | Emphasizes | The car—a red one—sped past. |
Parentheses () enclose supplementary information. Square brackets [] are used inside quotations to add or change words for clarity: “She said she [the manager] had approved it.” Never confuse the two in academic writing.