Similar to dashes, parentheses are used to set off material from a surrounding text in a manner that is stronger than simply using a comma.
My doctor’s appointment (which I was not looking forward to) was scheduled for Wednesday.Parentheses are used to insert relevant examples and additional information into a text.
He loved fruits (oranges, apples, bananas).
The different types of palm trees can be hard to name (see section on palm trees).
The new swim captain (lacking leadership skills) jumped into the pool.
The parentheses material need not be grammatically integral to the surrounding sentence, unlike with a comma.
Jeff loved colored hats (red, blue, green).
Jeff loved colored hats (red, blue, green).
Jeff loved colored hats--by the way, some are red, some are blue, and some are green.
With the exception of numbers and letters enclosed in parentheses ([1], [a]), a comma should not precede a parenthesis.
On Monday (when I was sick) I went to school. (No comma after Monday.)
Parentheses are used to set off numbers and letters in a list within a sentence.
Marilyn is (1) a scholar, (2) a scientist, and (3) a doctor.
Marilyn is (a) a scholar, (b) a scientist, and (c) a doctor.
Marilyn is (1) a scholar, (2) a scientist, and (3) a doctor.
Marilyn is (a) a scholar, (b) a scientist, and (c) a doctor.
In the above examples, a semicolon can be used instead of a comma.
Place punctuation marks (such as a period, an exclamation mark, a question mark, a quotation mark) outside the parentheses as long as that which is within the parentheses is not a sentence. Place a capital letter and a punctuation mark within the parentheses when that which is within the parentheses is a stand-alone sentence.
He had a prestigious law degree (Harvard, class of 1953), but his success as a lawyer has been mediocre at best.
(By 1953, Harvard was renowned for its law degrees.)
The judges examined the boxer's gloves. (No one suspected the boxer, but the judges had their doubts.)
Short translations within a text can be in parentheses.
Michelle’s favorite French words were amour (love) and beau (beautiful).
Parentheses can be used with dates.
George Washington (1732-1799) sacrificed his ambition for the good of the new nation by refusing to be a king.
Parentheses can be used with acronyms or abbreviations.
General Motors (GM) is a popular car company.
Martin Connelly is the CEO (the chief executive officer).
Martin Connelly is the chief executive officer (CEO).
Area codes are in parentheses.
(561) 375-9800
Parentheses are used with time zones: 7 p.m. (EST).
Place punctuation marks (such as a period, an exclamation mark, a question mark, a quotation mark) outside the parentheses as long as that which is within the parentheses is not a sentence. Place a capital letter and a punctuation mark within the parentheses when that which is within the parentheses is a stand-alone sentence.
He had a prestigious law degree (Harvard, class of 1953), but his success as a lawyer has been mediocre at best.
(By 1953, Harvard was renowned for its law degrees.)
The judges examined the boxer's gloves. (No one suspected the boxer, but the judges had their doubts.)
Short translations within a text can be in parentheses.
Michelle’s favorite French words were amour (love) and beau (beautiful).
Parentheses can be used with dates.
George Washington (1732-1799) sacrificed his ambition for the good of the new nation by refusing to be a king.
Parentheses can be used with acronyms or abbreviations.
General Motors (GM) is a popular car company.
Martin Connelly is the CEO (the chief executive officer).
Martin Connelly is the chief executive officer (CEO).
Area codes are in parentheses.
(561) 375-9800
Parentheses are used with time zones: 7 p.m. (EST).
