Do you know what parentheses punctuation is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on parentheses punctuation, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Grammar Monster, we often think of parentheses as a type of punctuation mark, like commas, a question mark, where you might use brackets, a dash, and exclamation point, a colon, exclamation marks, a semicolon, an en dash, an ellipsis, an em dash, a terminal punctuation, and more. However, there is actually a lot more to understanding parenthesis and parentheses. While an opening parenthesis and a closing parenthesis can be used to add additional information to complete sentences at the beginning of a sentence, middle of a sentence, or end of a sentence, their usage requires clarifications. Parenthesis is also used to refer to the words inside the parentheses; this fragment can also be offset by commas, dashes, and more. A parenthetical comment can be used for area codes, to add supplemental information to a part of a sentence, on a cover letter or resume, for an acronym, with area codes or time zones, in formal academic writing for citations, for commentary, to show a break in a direct quotation, for an interjection, and more. You can also use a complete parenthetical sentence as the end of the sentence. The overuse of parenthesis or parenthetical material can make the surrounding text outside parentheses difficult to read.
What are examples of parentheses?
Parentheses can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or grammatical technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of parentheses that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Take a look at these parentheses examples from Your Dictionary, Soft Schools and Grammar Monster and see how many you can identify the parentheses in!
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has allocated funds to help people recover from the disaster. A FEMA representative will visit soon.
And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed) KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! – Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Dr. Seuss
Dave Bellamy (like his father, Peter Bellamy, last year) was victorious in this year’s regional pie-making finals.
This month’s sales figures are sure to wow you. (Chances are, you’ll be really impressed.)
I’m sure you’ll be there on time (won’t you?).
I will be visiting three different Alabama cities, in order from north to south: (1) Huntsville, (2) Birmingham and (2) Montgomery.
She always brings her dog (that yappy little mutt) when she comes to visit.
Marie (8 years-old) is a little girl who goes to school with my brother.
I got a great deal on a used camper (just $500).
We will get started very early (5:30 a.m.) so we can finish before it gets too hot.
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)
Each team needs to be represented at the safety meeting (not just your dept.).
I’ll do exactly what you have asked (or will I?).
For long quotes, American Psychological Association (APA) style requires the author’s name, the year and the page number (White, 2020, p. 45).
The University of Georgia (UGA) is where my mom went to school.
Did you leave your bag (red, black handles) in the classroom?
I don’t believe she’s telling the truth (she never does).
Andrew Jacklin (last year’s losing finalist) is expected to win this heat.
This recipe requires three ingredients: (1) cucumbers, (2) vinegar and (3) salt.
But what might you think, When I had seen this hot love on the wing – As I perceiv’d it (I must tell you that) Before my daughter told me-what might you, Or my dear Majesty your queen here, think…? – Hamlet, Shakespeare
I am making dinner (pot roast with potatoes and carrots) in the slow cooker.
We had a little accident (puddle, mud) on the way here and had to change our clothes.
Sure, I can meet you on Tuesday at 1 p.m. (I wonder if she’ll really show up this time.)
My family is getting a new dog from the shelter (we are going to name him Barney).
We have reviewed Department of Labor (DOL) guidance regarding how this job should be classified. Until the DOL rules change, this is how we’ll classify it.
In Modern Language Association (MLA) style, long quotes are treated differently. The author’s name and page number go in parentheses, with no comma (White 45).
We’re meeting at the park at 1PM (EST.)
She is bringing all of her friends (none) to see the otters.
The publishers read over the original source with uncertainty (they thought it was fraudulent.)
What are other literary techniques and devices?
There are many different literary and grammatical techniques and devices that you might see when you are reading prose or poetry. It is important to recognize these terms because they are always used for some purpose. Knowing these devices can help readers understand the author’s deeper meaning and why they are using such a device. Take a look at the below list of grammatical devices from OED and see how many you know! Then try researching ones that are unfamiliar to you.Â
genitive
 declarative
 demonstrative
 first person
 third-person
 filler
 clause
 prepositional phrase
 cognate object
 proper noun | proper name
 parasynthetic
 nominative
 main clause
 personal pronoun
 intransitive
 appositive
 dual
 definite article
 prepositional passive
 dative
 phrasal verb
 morpheme
 postmodify | postmodifier
 impersonal (impers.)
 mass noun
 present tense
 transitive
 inflection | inflected | inflectional
 compound | compounding
 interjection
 that-clause
 singular
 conditional
 stem
 gender
 number
 ellipsis | elliptical
 modal verb | modal auxiliary verb | modal auxiliary
 object | direct object | indirect object
 nominal relative | nominal relative clause
 present participle
 adjective
 verbal noun
 construction
 active
 participle | past participle | present participle
 preposition (prep.)
 prefix
 attributive
 possessive pronoun
 non-referential
 agent noun
 modify | modifier
 cataphoric
 unmarked genitive
 perfect
 prepositional object
 finite
 copular verb | copula
 indicative
 subjunctive
 past participle
 absolute (absol.)
 plural
 noun (n.)
 collocation | collocate
 simple
 special use
 quasi-
 main verb
 comparative
 pleonasm | pleonastic
 instrumental
 neuter
 conjunction (conj.)
 to-infinitive
 construed (const., constr.)
 indirect speech
 possessive
 parenthetical | parenthetically
 tense
 article
 complementary
 person
 auxiliary verb | auxiliary
 periphrasis | periphrastic
 anaphoric
 relative
 possessive adjective
 causative
 pronoun (pron.)
 case
 mood
 pro-form
 direct object
 part of speech
 infinitive
 progressive
 positive
 adverb (adv.)
 vocative
 participial adjective
 superlative
 antecedent
 subject
 gerund
 locative
 imperative (imper.)
 direct question
 phrase (phr.)
 objective
 similative
 optative
 indirect question
 verb (v.)
 subjective
 base form
 element
 non-finite
 sentence adverb |sentence adverbial
 accusative
 anticipatory
 masculine
 bare infinitive
 premodify | premodifier
 agree | agreement
 noun phrase
 predicative
 indefinite
 interrogative
 double object
 indirect passive
 protasis
 combination
 indirect object
 passive
 apposition
 reflexive
 determiner
 count noun
 passive infinitive
 apodosis and protasis
 zero
 feminine
 second person
 intensifier
 combining form (comb. form)
 abstract
 collective noun
 past tense
 concrete
 head
 common noun
 exclamation mark
 subordinate clause
 complement
 direct speech
 adverbial | adverbially
Overall, use parentheses to add additional information to a sentence, and more.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
December 12, 2021
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