Tricky Punctuation: Parentheses
Welcome back to learning about tricky punctuation! Today we will be learning about parentheses.
Parentheses ( )
1. Parentheses are used for inserting additional text (or a side note). Examples,
Cream together the butter and sugar (see page 28).
I’ll be busy watching my favorite shows tonight (WandaVision and The Office).
I’ll be busy watching TV tonight. (My favorite shows are WandaVision and The Office.)
Whoa whoa whoa. Once again, this looks like a job that commas or em dashes can take care of. Yeah, you’re right. Em dashes, commas, and parentheses are often interchangeable grammatically. Choose which one you want to use based on the effect you’re hoping to achieve and the punctuation already in the sentence. (If the sentence already has a ton of commas, use something else when you can to aid comprehension.) When reading out loud, I feel the need to whisper whatever is in parentheses (I know that’s silly) and return to regular speaking volume for the rest of the text, so I use these sparingly because that’s a useful tactic that shouldn’t be overdone.
[Tip: Note that the period goes outside of the parentheses if the text in the parentheses is part of that sentence. If the parenthetical text is its own sentence, put the period inside—as shown in the third example.]
2. Other weird jobs for parentheses are phone numbers, mathematical equations, references, and lists. Examples,
(602)-555-5555
(9+2) / 4
“Oh, I’m Skippyjonjones, and I bounce on my bed” (Schachner, 2005).
Your chores for today include (a) taking out the trash, (b) doing the dishes, and (c) cleaning your room.
Now that you know how to use parentheses, practice, practice, practice. The more you use it, the more comfortable you get with using it properly. To learn about em dashes, semicolons, or colons, click on the words!
I hope you learned a lot! If you have more questions about any of these topics, feel free to email me! If you’re looking for more professional help on punctuation, you can hire me as an editor or proofreader! Contact me here! Happy writing!
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