How to use parentheses?
Asked by: Jason Kaltwasser
Parentheses
- Use parentheses to enclose additional or supplemental information that clarifies or illustrates a point. …
- Use parentheses to offer a digression or afterthought. …
- Use parentheses to enclose numbers or letters introducing items in a list or outline.
How do you use parentheses correctly in a sentence?
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 is an example of a parenthesis?
Parenthesis is the use of a phrase, word or sentence that’s added into writing as extra information or an afterthought. It’s punctuated by brackets, commas or dashes. For example, ‘his favourite team – whom he had followed since the age of five – was Rockingham Rovers‘.
How do you use punctuation with parentheses?
Punctuation with parentheses is very similar to punctuation with quotation marks. If the information in the parentheses is a separate, complete sentence, the period at the end of the sentence goes inside the parentheses. We spent two hours at the zoo. (Most of us could have spent two hours watching the otters.)
What do you use parentheses for in writing?
Parentheses
- Parentheses are used to explain the statement or provide explanatory information in the sentence. …
- Correcting the Problem. …
- They can also be used to substitute for the word “or” in certain types of sentences.
How do you use parentheses in a paragraph?
Parentheses ( ) are used to enclose nonessential or supplemental information in a sentence. Parentheses are always used in pairs; you must have both an opening and a closing parenthesis. In formal academic writing, it is a good practice to use parentheses sparingly.
Do parentheses go before or after a period?
When a complete, independent sentence is entirely enclosed by parentheses, the period goes inside the closing parenthesis: Charlie scarfed up every Cheeto that fell out of the bag. (I wasn’t fast enough to stop him.)
How do you explain parentheses to a child?
Parenthesis is the use of a phrase, word or sentence that’s added into writing as extra information or an afterthought. It’s punctuated by brackets, commas or dashes. For example: ‘His favourite team – whom he had followed since the age of five – was Rockingham Rovers.
How does a parentheses look like?
A parenthesis is a punctuation mark used to enclose information, similar to a bracket. The open parenthesis, which looks like (, is used to begin parenthetical text. The close parenthesis, ), denotes the end of parenthetical text.
Can you use parentheses in a college essay?
Although our language is incorporating more and more acronyms and abbreviations, they have no place in your essay. For example, use “and others” instead of “et al.,” “Pennsylvania” instead of “PA.” Avoid exclamation points and parentheses.
Are parentheses brackets?
Generally, ‘parentheses’ refers to round brackets ( ) and ‘brackets’ to square brackets [ ]. However, we are more and more used to hearing these referred to simply as ’round brackets’ or ‘square brackets’. Usually we use square brackets – [ ] – for special purposes such as in technical manuals.
Can you put parentheses in a quote?
Use parentheses when inserting words into a quotation. Use brackets to enclose inserted words intended to provide a brief explanation within a quotation. Use parentheses to enclose a change in letter case or verb tense when integrating a quote into your paper.
What are dashes used for?
A dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off an idea within a sentence and may be used alone or in pairs. Dashes interrupt a thought in a more dramatic way than a phrase enclosed in commas, but less theatrically than parentheses.
What do brackets do?
Brackets: In a paper, use brackets to signify important information added to direct quotes. The brackets tell the reader that the information is added to further explain the quote.
How do you clarify something in a quote?
You can call them either brackets or square brackets, both are correct. Brackets are used very often in quotes since they’re meant to show that words have been added into a direct quote.
What do parentheses mean in a quote?
Parentheses within a quotation enclose material that is part of the quotation. Brackets are the only mark of punctuation that indicate that the enclosed material is not part of the quotation.
What does it mean when words are in parentheses?
Parentheses indicate an interrupting phrase, a word group (a statement, question, or exclamation) that interrupts the flow of a sentence and can also be set off with commas or dashes. The parenthesis is a type of bracket, which when paired with another bracket—[ ]—is used to interject text within other text.
How do you shorten a quote Harvard?
You can shorten quotes by removing words from the middle of the quote and adding ellipses to indicate that you have removed some words. Shortening quotes helps the reader focus on the key information.
How do you skip a quote Harvard?
Editing a quote
- If you omit parts of the quotation, use an ellipsis. …
- If you want to insert your own words, or different words, into a quotation, put them in square brackets [ ].
Can I leave out parts of a quote?
Ellipsis points are used to represent an omission from a direct quotation when it is cited by another writer. This series of three dots—with a space before, after, and between them ( . . . )—is inserted where a word, phrase, sentence (or more) is left out.
How do you skip a quote in APA?
Shortening a quote
If you want to omit some words, phrases, or sentences from the quote to save space, use an ellipsis (. . .) with a space before and after it to indicate that some material has been left out. If the part you removed includes a sentence break, add a period before the ellipsis to indicate this.
What format should you use for a quotation of 50 words?
According to the Bluebook rules, any quotation that is 50 words or longer must be formatted as a block quote. Because of the way block quotes are separated from the rest of the text, many readers do not read them. You may have noticed this in your own reading.
How do you quote without using the whole sentence?
Use an ellipsis in the middle of a quotation to indicate that you have omitted material from the original sentence, which you might do when it includes a digression not germane to your point. However, take care when omitting material to preserve the original meaning of the sentence.