How to use brackets & parentheses | and the moon?
Are they brackets or parentheses?
Both. The main difference is where you come from—in the UK we tend to call them all brackets. In the US, the round brackets are called parentheses. If you want to be really fancy, you might call them lunula—that’s what Erasmus called the round kind since they look like a crescent moon.
How to use parentheses ()
Round brackets
Parentheses, or round brackets, contain information for clarity, an aside to the main point, or additional info. A pair of commas may be used for this same purpose, but if the clause already contains commas it may be less confusing to use round brackets.
The use of brackets also indicates a more deliberate visual nod that it’s the writer making a personal note or opinion. Think of these as interruptions—when we see them, we know the author/editor is speaking directly to us as the reader.
Use parentheses to add an editorial or authorial aside
It was agreed: They would move to Silent Hill. (Why they thought that was a good idea, I don’t know.)
If parentheses contain a standalone sentence, use a full stop (period) inside the parentheses.
(This is the correct way to do it.)
If the sentence ends after the closing bracket, I prefer logical punctuation (because I’m British). Use the full stop after the closing bracket.
I prefer logical punctuation (because I’m British).
It does tend to look clunky though, so I would normally rephrase to avoid this—especially if the parentheses close with a question mark.
Ugly: He was so tired he sat down (or did he fall?).
Better: He was so tired he sat down. (Or did he fall?)
Avoid styling the parentheses after a comma.
No: Whenever she thought of horror films, (which was often) she thought of Alien.
Yes: Whenever she thought of horror films (which was often), she thought of Alien.
How to use brackets []
Square brackets
Square brackets are mainly used in journalism to insert explanatory material; indicate editorial comments; or to add or mark missing words, passages, and modifications of quotes.
Think of these as interruptions as well, only when we see these brackets, we know they are not from the original author.
Use square brackets to:
Add clarifications
Candyman said to Jason: “I’m actually really into her [Sadako] if I’m honest.”
Add information
They’re both the main protagonist in a fantasy film [Willow and Merlin].
Add missing words
“Don’t forget hide your skin from [the] sun, Dracula.”
Use (sparingly) to modify direct quotes
The Mummy told me he “like[s] to watch.” (The original quote was, “I like to watch.”)
This is to maintain journalistic integrity and indicate where modifications have been made to the original material.
Nest parenthetical asides inside parentheses
Square brackets can also be nested (using square brackets [like these] inside round brackets) to show asides.
