ParenthesesParentheses are used to explain the statement or provide explanatory information in the sentence. Show
Rule to RememberParentheses are used to explain the statement or provide explanatory information in the sentence. Correcting the ProblemThe two sentences above require the use of parentheses to enclose additional or explanatory information in the sentence.
Parentheticals refer to parentheses, dashes, and brackets, each of which has different possible functions in a sentence. None of these are frequently used in formal writing. Parentheses ( ) usually indicate a full interruption in thought.
They can also be used to substitute for the word "or" in certain types of sentences. For instance:
Parentheses are frequently used to introduce abbreviations, especially in technical and scientific writing.
Rule to RememberParentheses are used to introduce abbreviations, in figure captions and with numbers of items in lists. There are many instances, especially in certain relative clauses, where commas, not parentheses, are appropriate.
It would be tempting to put the "which" clause in parentheses, but since it is a relative clause (see Relative Clauses), the commas are necessary instead. Parentheses are also used in figure captions and with numbers of items in lists.
DashesDashes -- are primarily used to indicate a pause in thought which offers more detail or emphasizes a point of information.
Or they can be used to separate an appositive phrase, usually a list, from the rest of the sentence.
Rule to RememberDashes indicate a pause in thought which offers more detail or emphasizes a point of information. BracketsBrackets [ ] have very specific uses in formal writing; they are used either to insert commentary, missing words, or ellipses within direct quotes.
In this sentence, the person quoting Jones is adding specific information that was not given by the author. Similarly: The word sic in brackets, meaning, "thus in the original," can also be used to indicate errors in the original text, though [sic] is much less frequently used than it once was in the past. Consider the following sentence:
In this sentence, the person is adding ellipses to a quote, indicating that he or she has cut out words between before and we. Dashes and parentheses should be used sparingly in formal academic writing. Parenthetical statements especially should be avoided because if something is important enough to be in the sentence, it should be fully part of that sentence. Rule to RememberBrackets are used either to insert commentary, missing words, or ellipses within direct quotes. 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'.
Where does parenthesis go in a sentence?A parenthetical usually comes at the end of the sentence or right before a comma. In this case, where the material within the parentheses isn't a complete sentence, the punctuation goes outside the parentheses.
What are () used for?Parentheses are punctuation marks that are used to set off information within a text or paragraph. Outside the realm of emoticons, parentheses always come in pairs. They can enclose a single word, a phrase, or even an entire sentence.
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