Parentheses

There is a wide variety of punctuation in the English language we can use for many different purposes. Using a range of different punctuation marks allows you to organize your ideas and add meaning to your writing. One piece of punctuation you may want to use is parentheses.

This explanation will look at:

• The definition of parentheses

• The symbols used to represent parentheses

• How parentheses are used in sentences

• Examples of parentheses

• How other pieces of punctuation are used in and around parentheses

• How parentheses differ from brackets

Parentheses Definition

Parentheses are a type of punctuation that come in pairs (an opening and a closing). They are used to add extra information to a sentence or a section of writing. The extra content added using parentheses is referred to as parenthetical content. The parenthetical content can range from a single word to complete or multiple sentences.

The main rule to remember when using parentheses is that the main text (not in the parentheses) must make complete grammatical sense without the parenthetical content.

Parentheses Symbol

Parentheses are represented by two rounded brackets that enclose a section of text.

As parentheses come in pairs, you must use both halves of the symbol. The only times when you may use a single parenthesis is when you create a smiley face out of punctuation :) However, this, of course, is not a grammatically correct use of parentheses.

So, what can appear within parentheses?

Types of Parenthetical Content in a Sentence

Now let's look at the different types of parenthetical content that can be added to sentences. As we've mentioned, the main use of parentheses is to add extra information to a sentence; however, that extra information can be divided into more specific types of parenthetical content, which we'll go through here.

Using Parentheses to add Single Words, Phrases, or Complete Sentences

Within a sentence, parenthetical content may come in the form of single words, phrases, or as complete clauses or sentences. Here are some examples of each of these:

As well as adding extra information within sentences, parentheses can also be used to add information in separate sentences.

Using Parentheses to add a Separate Sentence

In this instance, the parentheses and parenthetical content appear in a separate sentence from the one it is adding information to. This means the parenthetical content is likely to be a complete sentence as it is not part of another sentence.

Let's have a look at an example.

Here parentheses are used to add extra information to the first sentence. The added information isn't necessary for the first sentence to make grammatical sense and is a complete sentence in its own right.

Parentheses Examples

We've covered the more common uses of parentheses in writing (adding single words, phrases, or sentences to a piece of text), but there are some other, more specific uses of parentheses as well.

These uses include:

• References or dates

• List numbers or letters

• Definitions

• Abbreviations or acronyms

• Translations

Let's look at some examples of these uses now.

References or Dates

You may see parentheses being used for references or dates, especially in textbooks or academic writing. This is done by putting information such as names, dates, years, or page numbers in parentheses directly after the person or text being discussed.

Parentheses may also be used to give a date on its own rather than as part of a reference, as you can see below.

Fig. 1 - Parentheses can be used to add references (authors, dates, and page numbers) to your writing.

List Numbers or Letters

You can also use parentheses to detail the items in a written list. To do this, you put the numbers or letters in parentheses.

Instead of numbers, you could instead use letters such as (A), (B), (C), and so on.

Definitions

Another good way to use parentheses is to give definitions of terms. This allows you to explain what a term means without having to break up the main body of text.

Abbreviations or Acronyms

Abbreviations or acronyms are a further type of information that can appear in parentheses. To do this, follow the abbreviation or acronym with the extended name or title or follow the full name/title with the abbreviation/acronym in parentheses. Once you have done this, you can assume that the reader now knows what the abbreviation or acronym stands for when you use it later in your writing.

Translations

A final common type of parenthetical content is translations. When you use phrases or words in other languages, you may need to give translations so that your reader can follow what you're discussing.

Now that we've had a look at a few different uses of parentheses, let's move on to see how other pieces of punctuation are used with parentheses.

Parentheses and Other Punctuation

When using parentheses, it can be confusing to remember where to put other pieces of punctuation. Does the period go inside or outside the parentheses? This depends on how the parentheses are used.

Fig. 2 - It's important to know when and where to use different pieces of punctuation with parentheses.

When you use parentheses in a sentence (whether it be in the middle with more text after, or at the end), always make sure to follow these rules:

• If the parentheses appear at the end of a sentence, use the period on the outside of the parentheses (example 1)

• If the parentheses appear within a sentence, use the correct punctuation (such as commas) after the parentheses to make the sentence grammatically correct (example 2)

• If the parentheses appear as a separate sentence, use all the relevant punctuation within the parentheses (example 3)

Brackets vs. Parentheses

Now then, you might have been wondering while reading this: How are parentheses different from brackets?

The terms brackets and parentheses are often used interchangeably to refer to the rounded punctuation marks we've been discussing - ( ). The two terms do, however, refer to separate pieces of punctuation. Let's have a look at the key differences.

In summary, we use brackets to add specific information to a quote that wasn't initially present but is needed to set the context and ensure the quote makes sense.