Parentheses

Parentheses for supplemental material, interruptions, and afterthoughts

Example sentence: The intake nurse should first take vital signs (temperature, pulse, and blood pressure) and then establish with the patient the reasons for the office visit.

Example sentence: The weights James was first able to move (not lift, mind you) were measured in ounces.

Parentheses for series

Use parentheses to enclose letters or numbers labeling items in a series.

Example sentence: Regulations stipulated that only the following equipment could be used on the survival mission: (1) a knife, (2) thirty feet of parachute line, (3) a book of matches, (4) two ponchos, (5) an E tool, and (6) a signal flare.

An alternative is to use a numbered list. Generally, numbered lists do not use parentheses to enclose the numbers.

Overuse of parentheses

Do not overuse parentheses. Rough drafts in particular are likely to contain more afterthoughts than necessary. You may find yourself tucking additional details into parentheses as you write a draft. You should revise such sentences so that the additional details no longer seem to be afterthoughts.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: Researchers have said that thirteen million (estimates run as high as eighteen million) Americans have diabetes. Revised sentence: Researchers have said that from thirteen to eighteen million Americans have diabetes.

Numbered list

Style tip on punctuating parenthetical material

Exercises:

Other punctuation marks 1

Other punctuation marks 2

Related topics:

Lists

Commas with items in a series