|
Parentheses are used around text that adds extra information to what has gone before: She was suffering from rubella (German measles);The noun "dessert" (with a double "s") is pronounced the same as the verb "desert";a protest against GM (genetically modified) crops. The information within the parentheses can usually be omitted without affecting the structure of the sentence. Note that there should be no punctuation directly before the opening parenthesis in such cases. Parentheses are also used around optional or alternative material: Please write your forename(s) in full, or to separate something, e.g., a number or symbol, from the surrounding text: I disagree with the proposal, (a) because it is too expensive, and (b) because it is unlikely to be effective in the long term. See also bracket.
|
