Parentheses | When To Use Parentheses In English Language?

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Parentheses: Before discussing the main topic, let’s know what parentheses are. From an early age, people know what a punctuation mark in English is. A punctuation mark is a symbol used to create, support and break the meaning of the sentence. There are many types of punctuation marks. The real purpose of punctuation marks is to read a sentence that makes a clear expression in people’s minds.

There are fourteen punctuation marks, and one of them is a Parentheses which is always used in a pair and is used for adding extra information into a sentence. If you remove it from a sentence, it does not make any difference in the meaning of a sentence. We have detailed discussions on when to use parentheses. Just go through the article, and you guys will have clear cut information regarding Parentheses. Apart from this, much more information is added to parentheses, which clarifies your understanding of parentheses.

Let’s know everything about parentheses. What are parentheses? How and when to use parentheses?

An explanatory or qualifying word, clause, or sentence inserted into a passage is parentheses or Parenthetical phrases. This definition is given based on rhetoric (the art of persuasion, grammar, and logic). If you remove parentheses from a sentence, it remains grammatically correct as removing parenthetical material would not affect the sentence grammatically, and there will be no change in the meaning of a sentence.

What are Parentheses?

Parentheses is a punctuation mark. It is always seen in a pair, and it has very low chances that you see only one parenthesis in a sentence. If one needs to give details about the topic, then parentheses are used. It is also used when there is a natural flow of a sentence and to indicate an interruption of a phrase into it.

What is a Parenthesis Symbol?

Parentheses are punctuation marks in English, but they are also used in many languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, etc. Apart from this, it is also used in Mathematics. Similar to brackets, parentheses are also used to enclose information. So the opening of parentheses looks like”(” and the closing of parentheses looks like “)” Like this, both can also be called the opening text of parenthesis and a closing text of parentheses. Outside of the United States, parentheses are termed curved brackets.

What is a Parenthesis Example?

If you want to add extra information or an afterthought using a phrase, clause, word or sentence, you can use parentheses. And for this, punctuation marks like brackets, commas or dashes are used too. For example: ‘her favourite businesswoman- who she had followed from teenage- was Kylie Jenner’.

Is It Grammatically Correct To Use Parentheses?

It is usually used so that a writer can add additional information using the pair of parentheses. It could be just a word, a sentence or a phrase inside a parenthetical material. And if the usage of parentheses is grammatically correct, then parentheses are acceptable according to English grammar. And if it is grammatically incorrect, then try to change it and make it grammatically correct.

Why Is Parenthesis Used?

Parentheses are used for communicating with the readers. Parentheses are mainly used for offering extra information. And the material inside the parentheses is not the main sentence, and it is not necessary to read parentheses material for understanding the whole sentence.

How To Type Parentheses

On a United States keyboard, for open Parentheses, people hold down the Shift and press 9 at the top of the keyboard the same way when they want to close parentheses. People hold Shift and press 0 (zero).

To write Parentheses on a smartphone or a tablet, first, open the touch keyboard, then switch to the numbers (123) or symbols (sym) section, and touch the “(” or “)” symbol.

When To Use Parentheses

  • When you want to add extra information into a sentence, then parentheses are used. But you have to keep in mind the grammatical structure of the sentence. If you remove parentheses from your sentence, it will remain grammatically correct, and after eliminating parentheses, there will be no change in the meaning of a sentence.
  • While using parentheses, keep in mind which these parentheses surround punctuation marks. If parentheses are used at the end of the sentence, whichever punctuation mark will surround the parentheses must be after the parentheses. For example: Whenever she was Angry, she started to draw (and she drew all the time). If a sentence in parentheses can stand on its own, then the surrounding punctuation mark can be placed inside the parentheses.
  • When parentheses appear in the middle of the sentence, then the surrounding punctuation marks will never go inside the parentheses. If you are using parentheses, then the comma will stay out of parentheses, but if there are no parentheses in a sentence, the comma will be at the place where it should be. Punctuation marks, namely question marks, should be inside the parentheses if the parenthetical material is in the form of a question. The whole other sentence is just a statement. And in the same case, if there is a full stop, it will be placed at the end of the sentence.
  • To provide a full form or a full term of an acronym or an abbreviation, we can also use parentheses. For example, Narendra Modi is the current PM (Prime Minister) of India. Also, an acronym or an abbreviation can go inside the parentheses the same way the full form is written inside the parentheses. For example, Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister (PM) of India.
  • When you want to indicate or specify the birth year or a death year, you can use parentheses for this purpose too. For example, Mahatma Gandhi, The National father of India (1869-1948).
  • You can also use parentheses in unquoted texts so that you can give a short Translation.

Parentheses Within Parentheses

According to APA style, it could be possible that you have to use parentheses within Parentheses. This can be done using brackets inside of parentheses.

In mathematics, the two levels of the enclosure are also used for mathematical equations, but these parentheses go inside the brackets. And when three levels of the enclosure are used, then curly brackets can be added outside.

Special Uses Of Parentheses

If there is a list several of letters, we can use a pair of Parentheses to enclose the number of letters. Example: when you come back, bring these four things with you: (1) clothes (2) passport (3) debit card (4) gun.

Usually, time zones are also enclosed in the pair of parentheses following the time.

Example: The birthday party will start at midnight (EST).

Many times, Parentheses are also used for enclosing the area code. For example: whenever you are free, give a call on (212) 555-7875.

This is all regarding the parentheses. We added an extra-base of parentheses, too so, that’s easy to understand for our audience. And at last, This is all the information that can be provided in All about parentheses Hope you guys find it informative and exciting. And after reading this, you’ll have a clear idea about parenthesis.

FAQ’s on Parentheses

Question 1.
When should the use of parentheses be avoided?

Answer:
Whenever it is possible, avoid parentheses. If you are removing parentheses from a sentence and changing the meaning of the sentence, then keep in mind it is not a parenthesis. If the material inside the parentheses isn’t a sentence, then add a period outside of parentheses.

Question 2.
Can you use parentheses back to back? Is it okay to use parentheses in an essay?

Answer:
It will be wrong if you use back to back parentheses. In formal academic writing, we can use parentheses and dashes.

Question 3.
Can you use two sets of parentheses?

Answer:
Parentheses are referred to like two or more instances of parentheses. In immediate proximity to each other, you can’t use parentheses.

Question 4.
When should I use parentheses?

Answer:
To enclose incidental or supplemental information or comments, one can use parentheses. If you want to enclose a certain number of letters, then also you can use parentheses.

Question 5.
Do I overuse parentheses?

Answer:
Sometimes people overuse the parentheses without realising the mistakes. It is a sign of uncertainty because the writer isn’t sure the material he’s adding is essential or useless. Will it change the meaning of the sentence, or will it not change its meaning after removing it from the parenthesis. These are the common things that lead writers to oversee parentheses.

Final Words on Parentheses

There are a set of rules which need to be followed when using parentheses in the English language. Hence a proper knowledge of parentheses is essential for writing correctly in English. If you still have any more doubt you can write to us directly or comment in the comment box beneath. Your suggestions and recommendations are valuable for us!

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