Using Parentheses ( )

Do you know when to use parentheses in writing? Parentheses are marks (like this) that go around words and phrases. Although they have several uses, they are mainly used to show extra ideas, or show an afterthought. It's like saying, "Oh, by the way..."

Look at this example-

Ted picked up his new watch (which he loved) and put in on the table.

The words which he loved is extra information. They are not necessary to make the sentence whole.

Important: If you take out the words in the parentheses, the meaning of sentence should not change. For example, you could say-

Tom bought peas, carrots, and potatoes (all vegetables,) and nothing else.

If you take out the words in the parentheses, your sentence would still be complete.

Tom bought peas, carrots, and potatoes and nothing else.

But look at this sentence-

Georgia took her (son) to the beach.

If you take out the word son, the sentence would not be a complete sentence.

Georgia took her to the beach.

That's very confusing. What did she take to the beach???

Check Your Understanding

Using Parentheses ( )

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