rewrite the sentences using the word and signs in parenthesis

Parentheses: How to Use Them in English Writing

By: Author English Study Online

Posted on Last updated: November 13, 2023

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In this page, we will cover the rules for using parentheses, including when to use them and how to use them correctly. We will provide examples of their usage in different contexts, and offer tips for avoiding common mistakes. By the end of this article, you will have a solid understanding of how to use parentheses and brackets in your writing, and be able to communicate your ideas with clarity and precision.

Table of Contents

Understanding Parentheses

In English writing, parentheses are punctuation marks used to set apart certain words, phrases, or sentences . They are also known as round brackets and are represented by a pair of curved lines ( ).

Parentheses are used to add extra information in the text that is not essential to the sentence’s meaning but can provide additional context.

They can also be used to clarify a point or direct the reader’s attention to something specific in a sentence or a paragraph.

• For example, consider the following sentence: “ John (my neighbor) is a great cook .”

In this sentence, the phrase “my neighbor” is enclosed in parentheses, indicating that it is additional information that is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence.

Parentheses can also be used to include citations or references in a sentence .

• For instance, “ The study found that the majority of participants (n=50) preferred chocolate over vanilla ice cream. “

Here, the citation “n=50” is enclosed in parentheses, indicating that it is additional information that supports the sentence’s claim.

It is important to note that when using parentheses, the sentence should still make sense without the enclosed information. If the enclosed information is essential to the sentence’s meaning, it should be placed outside the parentheses.

Uses of Parentheses

Parentheses are punctuation marks that are commonly used in writing to enclose additional information that is not essential to the main sentence. In this section, we will explore some of the common uses of parentheses.

In Sentences

Parentheses can be used to add extra information to a sentence that is not essential to the main point. This information can be a word, phrase, or even a complete sentence. For example:

• The new restaurant (which opened last week) is already receiving rave reviews.
• Mary (who is my neighbor) is a great cook.

In both of these examples, the information in parentheses is not essential to the main sentence, but it provides additional context or clarification.

In Mathematics

In mathematics, parentheses are used to indicate the order of operations. For example, in the equation 2 + 3 x 4, the answer would be different depending on whether you add 2 and 3 first, or multiply 3 and 4 first. To avoid confusion, we use parentheses to indicate the order of operations:

• 2 + (3 x 4) = 14
• (2 + 3) x 4 = 20

In Computer Programming

In computer programming, parentheses are used in a variety of ways. One common use is to enclose arguments in a function call. For example, the following code calls a function named “print” and passes it the argument “Hello, world!”:

• print(“Hello, world!”)

Parentheses are also used to group expressions or to specify the order of operations. For example, the following code multiplies two numbers and then adds a third number:

• (2 * 3) + 4

Types of Parentheses

In English, there are four main types of parentheses that we use in writing. These are round brackets, square brackets, curly brackets, and angle brackets. Each type of bracket has its own specific use and purpose.

Round Brackets

Round brackets, also known as parentheses, are the most commonly used type of bracket in English writing. They are used to enclose information not essential to the main sentence. This information can be an explanation, clarification, or an aside.

• For example, “ We are going to the park (weather permitting). ” The information inside the parentheses is not necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct.

Square Brackets

Square brackets are used to enclose information that has been added to a quote or text but was not part of the original. They are often used in academic writing to make a quote more understandable or to clarify something that may be unclear.

• For example, “The author stated that ‘the study was conducted on a sample of [50] participants.’ “

Curly Brackets

Curly brackets, also known as braces, are used to group together related items or to indicate a set of choices. They are not commonly used in English writing, but they can be helpful in certain situations.

• For example, “The {red, green, and blue} cars are all on sale.”

Angle Brackets

Angle brackets , also known as chevrons , are used in certain technical contexts such as coding or mathematics. They are used to enclose code or to indicate a mathematical operation.

• For example, “

This is a paragraph

” is a common HTML code that is used to create a paragraph on a web page.

Rules of Using Parentheses

Parentheses are punctuation marks that are used to enclose words, phrases, or sentences that are not essential to the main idea of a sentence. Here are some general rules for using parentheses in English writing and mathematical expressions.

In English Writing

1. Use parentheses to enclose nonessential information that provides additional details or clarifications.

For example:

• The new restaurant (which just opened last week) is already getting great reviews.
• My sister (who is a doctor) recommended this medication.

2. Use parentheses to enclose numbers or letters in a series or list.

• The three main colors used in this painting are red, blue, and green (RGB).
• Please refer to section 3.2 (Data Analysis) for more information.

3. Use parentheses to indicate an abbreviation or acronym.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends getting vaccinated.
• The United States of America (USA) has a diverse population.

In Mathematical Expressions

1. Use parentheses to group operations together and clarify the order of operations. For example:

• 2 x (3 + 4) = 14

2. Use parentheses to indicate the domain or range of a function. For example:

• f(x) = x^2, where x ∈ (-∞, ∞)
• g(x) = 1/x, where x ∈ (0, ∞)

3. Use brackets to indicate the floor or ceiling function. For example:

• ⌊5.7⌋ = 5
• ⌈3.2⌉ = 4

Exercises for Practice

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of using parentheses and brackets, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test with some exercises. Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers for you too!

Add parentheses or brackets where necessary in the following sentences:

• The cat sat on the mat and licked its paws.
• My favorite colors are blue, green, and yellow.
• The concert, which was sold out, was amazing.
• The teacher gave us a pop quiz today.
• The cat sat on the mat (and licked its paws).
• My favorite colors are (blue, green, and yellow).
• The concert (which was sold out) was amazing.

Choose the correct punctuation mark to complete the sentence:

• The weather is nice (, / ; / -) we should go for a walk.
• He is a doctor (, / ; / -) he works at the hospital.
• The book, which was written by J.K. Rowling (, / ; / -) is one of my favorites.
• I need to buy milk, bread, and eggs (, / ; / -) I’m going to the grocery store.
• The weather is nice; we should go for a walk.
• He is a doctor; he works at the hospital.
• The book, which was written by J.K. Rowling, is one of my favorites.
• I need to buy milk, bread, and eggs; I’m going to the grocery store.

Rewrite the following sentences using parentheses or brackets to add extra information:

• The movie was good. It was directed by Steven Spielberg.
• The cake was delicious. It was made by my mom.
• The building is old. It was built in the 1800s.
• The movie (directed by Steven Spielberg ) was good.
• The cake (made by my mom) was delicious.
• The building (built in the 1800s) is old.

These exercises should help you become more comfortable using parentheses and brackets in your writing. Keep practicing and soon it will become second nature!

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Parentheses: When to Use Parentheses in Writing (Examples)

If you'd like to know more about parentheses and how to use them, you've come to the right place. This article will teach you everything you need to know to use them properly and when.

• Parentheses are punctuation marks you use for adding nonessential information to your text. 

This guide is part of our free online Grammar Book .

When to Use Parentheses

So, first of all, what are parentheses? They're a pair of punctuation marks - a single one called a parenthesis - that you can use to enclose a word or group of words to separate them from the rest of the text.

In that way, they're similar to quotation marks or dashes. But the difference is that the information contained within parentheses is nonessential. In other words, removing it wouldn't affect the overall meaning, and the reader could still understand your point. 

• You'll always place a parenthesis at the beginning of the nonessential text and another one at the end, so it's wrapped up nicely like a gift.

Here's an example:

My breakfast (eggs on toast) always sustains me until lunchtime.

The reader doesn't need to know what the writer eats for breakfast. It can be helpful for them to know, but that's not the main point of the sentence. The point is to say that it sustains them until lunchtime. For that reason, leaving out the information on the specific foods eaten wouldn't affect the meaning. That's why it's in parentheses.

• Don't confuse parentheses with brackets, which are like square parentheses. They look like this: [ ].

And before we dive in and learn when to use parentheses, there's one more thing you should know:

• Parentheses can contain a single word, a sentence fragment, a complete sentence, or even multiple sentences.

Now let's get started.

Give Additional Information

The first way parentheses come in handy is to provide additional information about the rest of the sentence. Again, this information will always be nonessential but could be something you think your readers might be interested in knowing. It could be to explain or illustrate a point.

Here are some examples:

Everything I set out to do today (clean the house, fix my car and eat a nourishing meal) was a complete and utter success. My brother (Ben) is coming for dinner .  Tonight's gala is a huge occasion. (Everyone who's somebody will be there.)

The information within parentheses could be removed in all the examples above, and the reader would still understand what you meant.

Notice how we have a mixture of content types within the parentheses. We have a dependent clause in the first example, a single word ( proper noun ) in the second, and an independent clause in the third.

You can also use parentheses to clarify what an acronym stands for:

I make a monthly donation to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund).

Or to show a word can be singular or plural:

Tick the box(es) below as appropriate.

Provide the Author's Commentary

Parentheses can also be used to add your own commentary to your text as the writer. This can be a great way to bring your text alive and add some humor and personality.

Tom announced that he was leaving the company (no surprise after the events of the last few weeks). Your submission to the contest (which caught everyone's eye by the way) has been recorded and we shall get back to you soon with the results. Alice showed up late (surprise surprise) and was rude to everyone. Typical!

Enclose Numbers or Letters

You can use parentheses to enclose numbers or letters when you're using them to show the order in your text.

For example:

To unlock the screen, (1) press the power button, (2) swipe the screen with your finger and (3) enter your pin code. I'm not going because (a) I don't want to, and (b) I'm too tired.

Note that it sometimes might be more appropriate to write a bulleted list, especially if there are more than four items in your list.

Cite Sources

Some style guides have you use parentheses for in-text citations. For example, the APA, Chicago, and MLA formats. This means that when you quote a journal or other reputable source in your academic paper, you must insert the author's name and year in parentheses at the end of the quote. Then, at the end of your paper, you'll have a reference list where all your citations are referenced to their broader source (this will also make use of parentheses).

Here's an example of what an in-text citation can look like:

Subjects in the study were found to be more relaxed after a warm cup of chamomile tea (Grant, 2004). 

Punctuation With Parentheses

Now that we've covered all our bases on when to use parentheses, let's see how we can make good use of punctuation in and around them. It's pretty straightforward as long as you understand a few rules.

Firstly, if the parenthetical text is a full, complete sentence that stands on its own, then you should punctuate it as usual, meaning the punctuation will be within the parentheses .

Understanding punctuation rules with parentheses is pretty simple. (But mistakes are easily made.)

Notice how the first word is capitalized, and there's a period at the end, contained within the parentheses. On the other hand, don't include any punctuation if the text contained within the parentheses isn't a complete sentence (i.e., it's a single word, phrase, or dependent clause). Punctuate the rest of the sentence as usual.

Learn the dos and don'ts of flower arrangement (and watering) in our upcoming workshop.

Notice how the first word isn't capitalized, and there's no punctuation—only the period at the end of the sentence itself.  There's one exception to this rule, and that's with exclamation points and question marks . If the parenthetical text is a question or an exclamation, you may include those punctuation marks, regardless of whether it's a complete sentence . For example:

It was then I spotted a (huge!) black spider crawling up my bedroom wall. His dog (Rex?) was excited to see us all.

Unlike with quotation marks, commas and full stops should be placed after the closing parenthesis, as such:

I approached him (reluctatntly), and asked if he was okay. She claimed that origami was more fun than Twister (but I'm not sure she really believed it). 

Some Additional Notes on Parentheses

We've covered most of what you need to know, but I want to address a few more points before I conclude this article.

Read on to find out what they are.

Subject-Verb Agreement

One of the most important things you'll ever learn - a rule that spans the entire grammar spectrum - is always ensuring subject-verb agreement.

• Subject-verb agreement is when the verb is conjugated correctly according to its subject .

For example, the following sentence does not have correct subject-verb agreement because the subject is 'boys,' which is third person plural, and the verb is 'loves,' which is the conjugation for third person singular only.

The boys loves spaghetti bolognese for dinner. 

For this sentence to have correct subject-verb agreement, we'd have to change the verb to ' love .'

Applying this to sentences with parentheses can be a little tricky because you must ignore the text within the parentheses.

My mum (and half the population) loves the new Elvis movie. 

At first glance, it might appear that this sentence doesn't have correct subject-verb agreement because 'mum' + 'half the population' = a plural subject. But this isn't the case since we must ignore the text within the parenthetical phrase ('half the population') and count only 'mum' as the subject. Therefore, the subject is singular, and 'loves' is appropriate.

Here are some more examples:

Tom (along with the rest of us) was very disappointed with the outcome. My daughter (and her cute pup) is joining us later. The country (and to some extend, the whole continent) is in crisis.

Use Parentheses Sparingly

Last but not least, use parentheses sparingly. This punctuation mark is often overused, which causes it to lose its effect. To avoid this, ensure you only use it when the information contained within it is something you'd be happy to remove. Look at your sentence and ask yourself , would the sentence still make sense without this information? If so, then you can put it in parentheses. If not, then don't.

Also, ask yourself whether a different punctuation mark would be better suited. Try dashes, for instance, or even commas , and see if that works better. Sometimes, more than one option is appropriate, so it's up to you to pick the best one.

Case in point:

My sister (whom I love dearly but who annoys me greatly) always steals all my clothes . My sister, whom I love dearly but who annoys me greatly, always steals all my clothes. My sister - whom I love dearly but who annoys me greatly - always steals all my clothes.

Concluding Thoughts

That concludes this article on parentheses; I hope you found it helpful and feel that you understand how and when to use them.

Let's summarize what we've learned:

• Parentheses are a form of punctuation.
• You can use them to provide additional, nonessential information or extra commentary, cite sources, or enclose letters or numbers in lists.
• Watch out for your punctuation in and around parentheses.
• Ignore the parenthetical text when checking subject-verb agreement.
• Use parentheses sparingly.

If you enjoyed this article, you'd love our Grammar Book , a free online database of grammar articles just like this one. Check it out!

Learn More:

• Periods: When to Use Periods in Writing (Examples)
• Exclamation Points: When to Use Exclamation Points in Writing (Examples)
• Semicolons: When to Use Semicolons in Writing (Examples)
• Question Marks: When to Use Question Marks in Writing (Examples)
• Commas: When to Use Commas in Writing (Examples)
• Colons: When to Use Colons in Writing (Examples)
• Homophones: What Is a Homophone? (Meaning and Examples)
• Parallelism: What Is Parallelism? Definition and Examples
• Imperative Sentences: What Are Imperative Sentences? Definition and Examples
• Language Register in English Writing: Definition, Meaning, and Examples
• What is a Plural Noun? Definition and Examples
• Regular vs Irregular Verbs: Definitions, Differences, Examples
• Auxiliary Verbs: What Are Auxiliary Verbs? Definitions and Examples
• Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: Definition and Examples
• Interrogative Sentences: What Are Interrogative Sentences? Definition and Examples

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• Writing Tips

Punctuation Tips: Parenthesis

8-minute read

• 3rd March 2023

Whether you’re writing an essay, email, or cover letter, you’ll likely use parentheses. Maybe you already know what a parenthesis is but aren’t sure when to use it. Did you know that there are different ways to use parentheses in writing? If you’re curious to know more about parentheses, including when to use them, then read on!

Here, we provide a comprehensive guide to using parentheses . By the end of this post, you’ll be able to define a parenthesis and know why and when to use it.

What Is a Parenthesis?

A parenthesis is a word, phrase, or clause inserted into a sentence as an explanation or afterthought. The information in parentheses is unnecessary but still related to the text. Here are a couple of examples with the parenthesis highlighted in green:

A parenthesis is usually offset with parenthetical punctuation marks, such as round brackets, commas, or dashes . A parenthesis often interrupts the flow of a text, earning it the nickname “The Interrupter”. 

The Purpose of Using Parentheses in Writing

We use parentheses to offset additional information in a sentence. For example, the parenthetical information can clarify the preceding writing or it might be a digression. This information can fit into one sentence, thus eliminating the need to write two sentences.

Examples of a Parenthesis

A parenthesis with brackets is the most common example, especially round ones. Let’s consider this example:

The parenthesis is clearly seen when parentheses (round brackets) are used to offset it. Round brackets are also used to introduce unfamiliar abbreviations when first used in writing. For example:

Square brackets or box brackets [ ] are used to alter words in a direct quotation in academic writing. These words clarify meaning, provide a brief explanation, or blend a writer’s words into the quote, making the quote more understandable for the reader. Consider this example:

Cyberbullying clarifies the meaning of the pronoun ‘it’ and is the word of the student writer rather than the original author (Taggert). In addition, you should know that square or box brackets must be used when altering words in a direct quotation. In other words, using round brackets would be incorrect.

You would also use square brackets when using sic in quotes . Sic is based on the Latin phrase sic erat scriptum (thus it was written), and is used to show that a quote has been reproduced exactly as it appears in the source text, complete with any errors:

Curly brackets or braces { } are rarely used in formal writing, but they serve a purpose. In this case, they denote a list within a list. Here’s an example:

The words in the braces illustrate a list within a list, in this case, the list of dairy products.

Commas are also commonly used for parentheses. They keep the focus on the surrounding text. For example:

Unfortunately, commas aren’t popular with readers for parenthetical emphasis. They have other roles, such as separating list items and offsetting adverbial phrases. Because of this, readers often become confused about where the parenthesis starts and ends. Therefore, writers should carefully consider using commas to offset parentheses. For instance, if a parenthesis contains commas, additional commas to offset it would potentially confuse the reader. Let’s look at an example:

Wow! Talk about a comma overload! It’s hard to know where the parenthetical offset is, and this would read better with round brackets. Let’s try this:

We can agree that the parenthetical offset is easier to see.

Parenthetical offset using dashes increases the focus on the parenthesis. We tend to find dashes in fiction writing; however, they can also be used in quotations. You would use either an en or em dash to offset a parenthesis. An en dash (–) uses a punctuation mark longer than a hyphen (-). An em dash (—) is a slightly longer punctuation mark than an en dash. Let’s look at examples of en and em dashes in action:

With the en dash, you add a space on either side of each dash. However, em dashes are left unspaced. So, if there are two types of dashes, which one should you use? This will depend on your audience. Dashes are used differently in U.S. English than in U.K. English . If your audience is using U.S. English, you will use the unspaced em dash; for U.K. English, it will be the spaced en dash.

You should know that using the hyphen (-) instead of dashes would be incorrect for parenthetical offset. In fact, many writers erroneously use hyphens to offset a parenthesis. They often aren’t aware of the dash rule or don’t know how to type an en or em dash .

When Should You Use a Parenthesis?

A parenthesis is good for adding extra information to a sentence. A text without a single parenthesis would be dull to read. You should also use one to interrupt a sentence with an afterthought or digression. Additionally, parentheses are needed to separate words or phrases for clarity. Moreover, you need parentheses when introducing unfamiliar abbreviations in academic writing.

Rules for Parentheses

Of course, there are rules for using parentheses, which you should be aware of.

Placement Within a Sentence

Parentheses can enclose a single word, a sentence fragment, a complete sentence, or multiple complete sentences.

·   Single word – Pauline is coming to my party (yay!), and she’s bringing a cake.

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·   Fragment – Pauline is coming to my party (or so she says), and she’s bringing a cake.

·   Full sentence – Pauline is coming to my party, and she’s bringing a cake. (Does she remember how to get to my place, though?)

·   Multiple sentences – Pauline is coming to my party, and she’s bringing a cake. (Does she remember how to get to my place, though? She forgot the last time.)

Punctuation Usage With Parentheses

Parentheses tend to end up with some extra punctuation, especially when they’re at the end of a sentence.

Periods, commas, exclamation points, and question marks that belong to the outside sentence always go outside the parenthesis. For example:

Formatting Parentheses in Academic Writing

Parenthetical information should not be necessary to the rest of the text. If you remove the text in parentheses, the sentence should still be complete and correct. Consider these examples:

If we remove the text in parentheses, the sentence isn’t clear. What do they need to be? However, with “before 6 p.m.” in parentheses, we know this individual needs to be back at their hotel before 6 p.m.

The subject-verb agreement should also ignore anything in parentheses. For example:

You will need to use the correct bracket style in academic writing. Round brackets, ( ), add extra information in a text, while square brackets, [ ], add extra information that wasn’t in the original quote. Additionally, round brackets are used when introducing abbreviations. Finally, you use square brackets when using sic in quotes.

So that’s it for parentheses. Here’s a summary of key points:

●  Parentheses are important for any text; without them, the text would be dull to read.

●  Brackets, commas, and dashes exemplify parentheses; however, commas can sometimes be confusing when used as parentheses.

●  Parentheses can enclose a single word, a sentence fragment, a complete sentence, or multiple complete sentences.

●  You will need to format parentheses correctly for academic writing.

●  Be careful with punctuation use with parentheses.

●  Brackets play a crucial role in academic writing (introducing abbreviations).

Parentheses make any text more interesting to read. The additional information, clarification, or afterthought provided by a parenthesis in a sentence is usually essential to keep readers informed, on track, or engaged with the author’s thinking. Therefore, writers should be comfortable using parentheses. You will use parentheses more in some contexts and less in others. No matter the context, if your parenthesis is short, consider not using any parenthetical punctuation.

Are you currently working on a cover letter, essay, or other writing and unsure of correctly using parentheses? How about letting the proofreading experts at Proofed review your writing? We can check for grammar and punctuation errors and ensure perfect spelling. We will also ensure the correct use of parentheses. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free today!

1.   What is the definition of parenthesis?

A parenthesis is a word, phrase, or clause inserted into a sentence as an explanation or afterthought. The information in parentheses is unnecessary but still related to the text.

2.   What are the uses of parenthesis in writing?

Parenthesis offsets additional information in a sentence instead of writing it in a separate sentence. For example, the parenthetical information clarifies or explains or might offer a digression.

3.   When should parenthesis be used instead of commas or dashes?

Parentheses are most useful to include short asides or background information such as dates, percentages, and financial information. Parentheses should be used for adding information to quotes or introducing unfamiliar abbreviations in academic writing. For more information on parentheses, commas, and dashes, check out this link .

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Parenthesis

What is parenthesis.

Table of Contents

Examples of Parenthesis

Parenthesis in apposition, why parenthesis is important.

• Andrew Jacklin (last year's losing finalist) is expected to win this heat.
• The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. (Journalist HL Mencken)

• Paul , on the other hand, is considered extremely trustworthy.
• House prices in Alton , which is only 25 minutes from London, are soaring.
• Mathematics , rightly viewed, possesses not only truth but supreme beauty. (Philosopher Bertrand Russell)
• Dave Bellamy, like his father, Peter Bellamy, last year, was victorious in this year's regional pie-making finals.
• Dave Bellamy (like his father, Peter Bellamy, last year) was victorious in this year's regional pie-making finals.

• They roasted the winning brisket — the size of a pillow — in a mighty clay oven.
• If mankind minus one were of one opinion, then mankind is no more justified in silencing the one than the one — if he had the power — would be justified in silencing mankind. (Philosopher John Stuart Mill)
• Peter , my mate from school, won the lottery.

(Point 1) Choose the right parenthetical punctuation.

(point 2) offset your parenthesis with two parenthetical punctuation marks..

(Point 3) You don't have to offset a short, obvious parenthesis.

• John on the other hand drinks like a fish.
• Control how your parenthesis looks by choosing the most appropriate parenthetical punctuation.
• Remember that parenthetical-punctuation marks come in pairs.
• If your parenthesis is short, consider not using any parenthetical punctuation.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Parentheses: How to Use ( ) Correctly

by Liz Bureman | 49 comments

People ask me all the time (and by all the time, I mean never), “Liz, what is your favorite grammatical/punctuational structure?” It's hard to narrow it down to just one (although you're probably already aware of my love for the Oxford comma ), but if I happened to be in a life-or-death of language situation, it would probably be parentheses, or to be more specific, the parenthetical statement.

I bet you already figured that out.

What Are Parenthetical Statements?

Parenthetical statements give additional information or explanation. They are like softer em dashes .

A parenthesis is like a close friend quietly whispering in your ear, but an em dash is more like your high school graduating class arriving drunk on your doorstep and announcing that you are hosting this year's reunion, and it's happening right now. Notice the difference:

Angela exhaled quietly (she didn't want Frank to hear anything) and felt her way along the wall to the door. Angela exhaled quietly—she didn't want Frank to hear anything—and felt her way along the wall to the door.

In the second sentence, the fact that Angela doesn't want Frank to hear anything has the same importance as her movement towards the door. If that's your goal, then em dashes are what you're looking for.

If you're primarily focused on Angela's progression towards the door, then use parentheses.

You can also use a parenthetical statement to give your reader information without adding emphasis to the aside:

Kevin yawned (he'd only had four hours of sleep) and stretched out on the floor at his sister's feet.

The parentheses allow your audience to continue reading through the paragraph without stopping and acknowledging that, oh, Kevin's lack of sleep is something that I need to pay attention to. Instead, they know that the action isn't leaving them behind.

The Perils of Punctuating Parentheticals

If the part in parentheses is  inside a sentence, the punctuation goes  outside the parentheses:

Sally felt queasy (maybe eating six cupcakes was a bad idea).

If the part in parentheses is a complete sentence but  not within another sentence, the punctuation goes  inside the parentheses:

Henry tracked mud across the floor as he came in from the rain. (Sorry, Mom.)

When the part in parentheses is several sentences long, or if it uses special punctuation, like a question mark or exclamation point, the punctuation goes  inside the parentheses:

Mark doubted it would rain today (but for the garden's sake, he hoped it would!). Emily looked forward to coloring at her grandmother's house this afternoon (although she didn't want to use crayons. Did her grandmother have markers? She wasn't sure).

Note in the second example that there is no period within the parentheses after “She wasn't sure.” If the final sentence within the parentheses would use a period, there's no extra punctuation—the period goes outside the parentheses.

Although it's possible to cram whole paragraphs into parentheses, it's generally a bad idea. For best effect, use parenthetical statements sparingly, for small asides. Don't overwhelm your readers with them!

A Note On Parentheses in Academic Writing

We've talked mostly about how parentheses show up in every day writing. In formal academic writing, parentheses can be used within the paper to explain or qualify information, but you're more likely to see them used as reference tools at the end of sentences.

These are called parenthetical citations, and they have their own specific guidelines that you will want to look up in the style guide assigned.

For example, the MLA style guide (used mostly for the humanities) uses parenthetical citations, AKA in-text citations, and a works cited page to tell readers where source information came from. At the end of a sentence with source information, writers will use the author's last name and the page number inside parentheses to indicate which source from the works cited was used.

Go Use Parentheticals (You Can Do It!)

Do you feel prepared to use parenthetical statements? (It's okay if you don't; it just takes practice.) Try using them in your writing, and keep an eye out for the ways other writers have used them.

Who knows? Maybe you'll find you love them as much as I do (and that's a lot of love!).

Are parentheticals important in your writing? Let us know in the comments .

Write for fifteen minutes on the following prompt. Use parenthetical statements to enhance your story, and be careful to punctuate them correctly. For extra practice, change your parenthetical statements into em dash asides when you're done, and take note of how the tone of the story changes.

Prompt: Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers.

Share your writing in the practice box below, and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

Liz Bureman

Liz Bureman has a more-than-healthy interest in proper grammatical structure, accurate spelling, and the underappreciated semicolon. When she's not diagramming sentences and reading blogs about how terribly written the Twilight series is, she edits for the Write Practice, causes trouble in Denver, and plays guitar very slowly and poorly. You can follow her on Twitter (@epbure), where she tweets more about music of the mid-90s than writing.

49 Comments

Maybe I’m mis-remembering Ms Galloway’s 9th grade English (it was 24 years ago, but she was my 9th grade teacher) but isn’t there also a parenthetical expression, set apart by commas rather than emm dashes or parenthesis, that can be used? What are your feelings on that one?

And for the record, I’m decidedly in your boat on the Oxford comma.

Liz is moving to Denver as we speak but she sent me this to send to you:

It depends how the comma phrase is used. It wouldn’t work in a sentence like this:

Cassie rolled her eyes (Kyle was always saying things that warranted it) and shoved her shoulder into the door.

You have to use parentheses or em dashes. If you used commas instead, that would be comma splicing, cardinal sin numero uno. Commas would work in a sentence like this:

Mark dug through his mother’s purse for the car keys, since she always left them in there, and raced out the door.

There’s a transitional word there (since), so no splice. Parentheses work here too; em dashes less so just because of the emphasis.

I tried to use a parenthetical expression with commas and the first one didn’t work. It seems to me that none of my English classes taught about parentheses or emm dashes at all in high school or college. Maybe it was just the classes I took.

I don’t remember learning any of this in school either. I feel like I picked a lot up beacuse I was a big reader as a kid.

I think that’s how most people learn. I was just talking to a friend of the family from Jamaica who was taught to write under the British school system. They do it much better in this arena. Most people don’t learn to write in school, they just learn good structure (the verb goes here, the noun here, the adverb… yada yada). Careful reading teaches you to write better than anything.

Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers(she was completely lost in her thoughts). Victor suddenly called out her name and on hearing that she jumped up in her chair throwing mug on the floor (for a moment she didn’t get what has happened, but later, with time as she came back to her senses) and she noticed that Victor is watching her very closely, she tucked her hair behind her ear (still feeling his gaze on her) and smiled at him .Victor asked,”What happened Kayla? Are you alright?”.(To him this was quite unusual, he had never seen her like that before).

“Well, what do you think?” he said. Letting out a sigh (but not looking up), Kayla said, “I don’t know. You seem so sure, but I’m not.” Victor leaned back in his chair. Why wouldn’t she agree. He collected his thoughts to try again (he’d only wanted this for years). Kayla watched him (she knew what he was thinking). “What’s the big deal anyway,” she said before she could stop herself. That gave Victor pause. “Doesn’t she know,” he thought. He stared at her (it had been many long seconds since he said anything), as more thoughts raced through his mind. With a glance, she knew everything he wasn’t saying. Victor got up and walked away. Kayla continued to sit (still tracing the rim of her mug).

Mmm… very subtle. I love the tension, Ryan.

Watch out for head hopping (which is when you switch perspectives midscene). You have to be in either Kayla’s head or Victor’s. Writing inner monologue / emotion from both in the same scene is a no no. I’m not sure if you technically do that in this scene, but you’re close.

It’s very good though.

“Kayla continued to sit (still tracing the rim of her mug).” Great image.

Thanks! I was going for tension.

I think I have trouble with head hopping when I’m just talking with people. I’ll have to work on better clarity and organization for this kind of situation.

Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers.

(Kayla always traced something with her fingers when she was under pressure. Or drunk. Victor knew something was up.)

“Aren’t you hungry?” he asked.

“No,” said Kayla timidly. (This was, victor thought, unusual, since Kayla was never timid.)

“I haven’t seen you eat a thing today,” he said.

“I ate,” said Kayla. “You just weren’t there. I had a huge lunch while you were at work.”

(Victor tried to make eye contact with her. No success.)

Victor decided to play nice. “Okay,” he said, “You had a huge lunch, and you’re not in the mood for cookies. Sure. Just remember,” he added (much more slowly and quietly), “to not eat such a – huge lunch next time.”

(There was never a “next time”. This had been going on for longer than victor could remember.)

Kayla huffed and continued to trace the rim of her mug of tea. She still hadn’t taken a single sip.

“Would you like some sugar?” asked Victor. (He hoped he sounded innocent.)

Kayla licked her lips (they were chapped). “Do you have lemon?”

“Going British, eh? Do I have lemon, yes I do have lemon,” said victor through clenched teeth.

He turned his back on her, and felt like Kayla had shrunk even more into herself throughout his long silence.

When he gave Kayla the lemon, she cut off only a quarter, and squeezed the juice into her mug. Just seeing the fruit made Victor shudder. (He and Kayla had always hated lemons, they couldn’t stand the sheer acidness. But now everything was changed, and Kayla drained life’s lemons to their stones for tea.)

I am impressed with your ability to take a scene about having a cup of tea (something I could never make interesting) and infusing it with tension and drama, creating a story out of it.

He opened his mouth. Then he closed it and sat back down.

She looked up from her mug(her hand not leaving the rim) and she titled her head.

He scratched the back of his head and looked away. “You think they’d let it through,” he said. “The construction plans, I mean.”

She looked up and her eyes scanned the ceiling. A plastic fan spun above them. “I don’t know,” she said. “They’d have to, right?”

“That’s not very convincing.”

She clenched her fingers around the rim(her nails scratched the inner ring). “I’m sorry,” she said. “The environmental groups are getting erratic.”

His eyes followed the way her fingers traced the pattern on the bottom of the mug. Then he turned to her face. “Those environ hippies are always ‘erratic’.”

She shrugged. She lifted the empty mug and sniffed it. “They’re just concerned-”

“Those tree-humpers and their animals rights ilk, all they do is whine and make excuses,” he said almost standing up. “Worse, they’d disrupt good honest businesmen.”

She snorted. She smiled at the rim of her mug.

“Hey,” He backed down in his seat and exhaled a deep breath. “What’s with the mug anyways.”

Her smile got directed at him. It was radiant smile.

“It’s a gift,” she said.

She wasn’t touching the rim anymore and she was looking away. On it her initials was scratched.: K L.

He blinked. “Oh.”

“I never liked ceramics that much,” she said. “This one; draws me in, I don’t know.” She smiled again.

A sad smile appeared on his face. “You’re married.”

Her smile dropped. “Were married.”

“Sorry,” he said.

“Yeah,” she said(she gripped the mug again). “My former husband never liked our business meetings too much. Said it was a mistake to get me through business school.” She traced the rim of her mug with her fingers. “I said to him: Can’t you see my mad business skills. And you just have to live with that.”

“Jury’s still out on that one.” He leaned forward and smiled.

She laughed(letting go of the mug) and he laughed as well.

I prefer not to use parenthesis. To use them in a draft is okay. But by the time something is submitted I edit them out. Okay, perhaps the occassional usage but otherwise avoid them. (Why yes, officer, I never drink & drive. Of course! Never. Well except for this one time and this one martini.) I avoid the clutter they introduce.

I was given the advice that the use of parenthesis most often is a flag , as a Writer, that the section needs more work. The parenthesis or even the em dashes are a signal that you (the Writer) are moving too quickly and need to revise. As in: go back and revise so that the dialog or narration draws out the point or points being made.

That’s a good philosophy, to see parentheticals as flags for sections that need more work. You’re right that in general, it’s best to avoid them unless you have a clear reason to use them. For example, the occasional parenthetical comment can create a conversational tone in a casual piece of writing (like this blog post and comment!). It’s easy to overuse them, though, and in many kinds of writing, maybe even most, it’s probably best to avoid them entirely.

Thanks Alice (really!).

I have a punctuation question. In this example, “Mark doubted it would rain today (but for the garden’s sake, he hoped it would!).” There is an exclamation point inside the parenthesis and a period outside to end the sentence. What if the parenthetical portion used a period – would it be correct to use two periods? “Mark doubted it would rain today (but for the garden’s sake, he hoped it would.).” Something tells me no.

You’re right! If the parenthetical portion used a period, there would not be two periods, just the one outside the parentheses.

Why is it OK with an exclamation point? Is this just another English anomaly?

I was taught to never use an exclamation point within parentheses. The reasoning was that parentheses de-emphasize information and and exclamation point emphasizes it. “If a sentence requires an exclamation point,” I was told, “it is too important to put inside parentheses.”

I’d flip your question around and say it’s NOT okay to use two periods. The period after the entire sentence also rounds out the thought in the parentheses, making a second period redundant.

In that sense, it IS okay to use an exclamation point or a question mark inside the parentheses because that’s a sentiment that won’t be conveyed by the period outside them.

Susan’s coat was warm (was it wool?). Without the question mark inside the parentheses, “was it wool” wouldn’t make sense.

The same goes for exclamation points:

Bill wondered whether his grandparents had arrived yet (he hoped they had!). Without that exclamation point inside the parentheses, you’d lose the sense of the comment.

That said, I’d say Bruce has it right when he says if something needs an exclamation point, that’s a good sign it shouldn’t be in parentheses at all. It’s easy to overuse parentheses, which becomes distracting and confusing for the reader. Use them with care!

I was told to use exclamation points sparingly. Using exclamation points (whether inside parenthesis or not), should be kept to a minimum. Exclamation points should only be used when a sentence has to show extreme emphasis. I do have a question about using ellipsis inside parenthesis though…

“Kinda gross,” Victor said.

“Fingering your mug like that. It’s sort of like sucking your thumb.”

(I sat back and reread what I had just typed. This wasn’t a scene. This was just terribly forced dialogue without anything resembling substance, character, or conflict.)

Kayla looked over her mug at him. “You’re just mad that my mother is coming to live with us.”

(Better for conflict, but not much of a scene. I never had a knack for these domestic scenes, anyway. Maybe a different approach….)

Kayla leaned forward in her chair and looked at Victor, who was tracing the pistol in his lap with his fingers.

(Is the conflict a bit too obvious? Sigh.)

Bruce sat at his computer and stared at the screen. He stared and stared, but no words magically appeared.

(Okay, that one at least rings true. It has conflict, but the whole writer’s block thing has been done before. Overdone, if you ask me.)

I love this use of parentheses! You’re basically integrating two scenes into one, using parentheses to differentiate between the two. And I thoroughly enjoyed that little behind-the-scenes look into the process of writing the piece. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Alice. I absolutely hated this piece until I read your kind words. You’ve made me see it in a new light.

I use parenthesis far to often when I blog (or comment on other blogs) 🙂

When it comes to fiction, I try to avoid them as much as possible, mostly because I don’t trust myself to use them properly. This post should help with that a bit. I’ll have to keep it for a reference point.

Ha, parentheses are easy to rely on, especially in less formal writing, like blogs and comments! I’d say you’re probably safer steering clear of them in fiction, though. Sprinkling in a couple here and there can communicate a point just the way you want it, as long as they’re used correctly. Too many, though, and you’ll be distracting your readers right when you want them to be immersed and engaged.

Question! Is it ok to use both em dashes (I just discovered that name, thanks!) AND parentheses in the same piece of writing, or do you think it is better to use only one of them for the sake of consistency? When I was in high school, I had a teacher who said you should choose only one of them to use throughout your text (since they have kind of the same use). That idea has kind of stuck with me since then, but your post made me wonder if that is one “rule” I should just leave behind — like I’ve done with most “rules” my high school teachers have taught me, if I’m being honest.

Hi Andressa! I haven’t heard of an official rule about using only em dashes or parentheses. I think you used both well in this comment—parentheses for softer asides, em dashes for firmer points. That said, I’d say the key for both is moderation. Overusing either will quickly become overwhelming and distracting for readers, and that danger is even greater if you’re constantly switching between them.

Hi, Alice! I see. I think you are right. I will keep that in mind from now on. Thank you for your kind reply! =)

Oh no, I’m sorry to hear you’re more confused! Do you have any particular questions? I’m happy to help un-muddy the waters.

Thank you. I think I was confused about where to put the periods with the parenthesis.

Hi Liz, I was wondering about dialog placed inside parentheses, for instance in my book my main character has a mind Melange with a Rukhorse, (an animal that only she can hear) so I chose to put their conversations in parentheses, so where would I place the period or other punctuation? An example: (Hurry up Molly) Ronda relays. Now do I place a comma after the parentheses like I would if it were dialog? Or a period? because if it were dialog I’d write “Hurry up, Molly,” Ronda says.

I always interpreted parenthetical statements as the sentence should be able to stand on its own as a complete thought if you yanked the parenthetical out. It’s a qualifier of the sentence its inside, but not necessary for the sentence to be complete.

I could give you one thing in life i would give you only then everyone To Think want to be become a Writer why make A story about my life and other people

Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers.(She had just returned from her class). She continued tracing the rim causing it to “ring”. The noise began to annoy Victor. ” You’re not a bloody Bhuddist.” he yelled. “Stop that stupid noise!” Kayla looked up slowly(and spoke gently). “Kevin, you are so stressed and angry with me. It doesn’t have to be like this between us. Maybe if you tried the meditation sessions as well, it might help you to be a bit calmer.” She was still tracing the rim of her mug. (It was bone china) She always found the clear ringing sound entrancing. She had discovered It was possible to create the same sound with a crystal glass or a small china bowl and a pestle. She began meditating on the variety of sound she was capable of producing – and Kevin (still angry with her), realizing he was not getting anywhere with her, stood up, stormed out of the room and banged the door as loudly as he could. Kayla continued with her tracing. Victor’s emotions were Victor’s responsibility she decided.

After reading the comments, I’ll save this page and use my parentheses sparingly. (Live and learn, is my motto.) “Hmm, did I get this right?”

great articles

http://www.emetechnologies.com/industrial-training-in-chandigarh/6-months-mechanical-engineering-training-in-chandigarh-&-mohali.php

Kahit anong mangyari, mamahalin kita. (Translation: Anything what happen, I’ll love you.)

I’m just trying to use parenthesis. 🙂

Please explain why there isn’t a period after, She wasn’t sure).

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by Kitty Nash

Module 14, Additional Punctuation, Lesson 7:

Parentheses and brackets, module {moduleid}, {moduletitle}.

Definition: Parentheses ( ) enclose information and separate it from the main idea of the sentence or paragraph. They should be used only when necessary. It's better in formal writing to rewrite sentences to avoid using parentheses and brackets.

Parenthetical Elements

Use parentheses to set off ideas that function as asides in a sentence or paragraph. Parenthetical information can be removed without altering the meaning of a sentence or paragraph. Parentheses are used in many situations:

Boudicca led the Iceni (an independent British people) against the Romans.

We had erdbeerkuchen (strawberry cake) for dessert.

My dog (an Akita) is the smallest of the giant breeds.

We set up our tent (we pretended we were in the wilderness) in the backyard.

Joshua served a souffle that he had made himself. It was awful (but don't tell him I said that) .

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.)

Notice how the first sentence ended before the parenthetical expression started. This means that the sentence inside the parentheses must start with a capital letter.

If you use a phrase (in other words, an incomplete sentence) in parentheses at the end of a sentence, the period goes outside the parentheses.

We ordered three pepperoni pizzas (my favorite) .

A complete parenthetical sentence in the middle of a sentence does not require a period. The first letter of the parenthetical sentence is not capitalized because it is in the middle of the main sentence, not after it.

Our two hour final (it was our longest exam) included a three page essay.

Commas generally go outside the parentheses.

The drought continued (64 days and counting), and many farmers' crops were destroyed.

If the parenthetical comment itself is an exclamation or question, the exclamation or question mark goes inside the parentheses.

Ana got a 100 (the only one in the class!) on her test. It was her 12th perfect score in a row. (Can you imagine?)

Conventions with Parentheses

Make sure you include (1) your cover sheet, (2) your essay, and (3) your bibliography.

Their hours are from 8 AM (EST) to 5 PM (EST) .

His phone number is (321) 555-5555.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote 38 plays. The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) actually lasted longer than one hundred years.

Definition: Brackets [ ] separate and enclose information. They are used less frequently than parentheses and are most often used in relation to quotations.

Brackets with Quotations

Use brackets to enclose words that you have added or changed in a quotation. Also use brackets for explanations within a quotation.

Danny's note read, "Thomas and Lucas left their homework at my house [italics added] ." The newspaper reported, "The enemies were captured, and [they] were imprisoned." The teacher explained, "This test [the one they had taken the day before] showed that you really understood the material."

In the third example, the author—not the teacher—is explaining that the test was the day before.

Using [ sic ] in a Quotation

Use [ sic ] to show that an error in a quotation is from the original source.

Jennifer wrote, "My pupy [ sic ] is named Joe."

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