Using Brackets in Sentences

Hi, and welcome to this video on brackets!

Brackets can be thought of as the lesser-known cousin of the parentheses and are primarily used to clarify writing.

It’s important to note before we get started that, as with any type of punctuation, there are always exceptions to rules and, of course, other rules that may not be discussed here. When in doubt, look it up or ask your teacher for clarification. This last point is particularly important because, depending on the field of study and style guide being used, bracket rules can change.

Parentheses vs. Brackets

Now, there is often confusion between parentheses and brackets because they look so similar. However, they are not the same thing, so make sure to avoid using brackets and parentheses interchangeably. Parentheses are more common, and the two should rarely be substituted for each other (we’ll look at an exception to this rule later).

 
Parentheses are sometimes referred to as round brackets, while brackets are sometimes referred to as square brackets. If you just encounter the word “brackets,” it’s safe to assume that this is shorthand for “square brackets” as opposed to parentheses.

Rules for Using Brackets

Now let’s look at the rule for using brackets.

Rule 1: Clarification

This rule applies to quoted material. If a quotation is missing pertinent information or is quoted without context, an editor or writer can add brackets to clarify what the original text was referring to.

For example:

 
Note here that the quotations are missing crucial information that could lead to confused readers: the year 1985 in the first example and the “they” being referred to in the second. The bracketed portions clarify this information for the reader. Note that the bracketed material is an addition and not a substitution.

Rule 2: Translation

This rule serves as an extension of the first. In this case, use brackets to translate a phrase or word that readers may be unfamiliar with in a quotation. If the phrase or word being translated is not in a quotation, then use parentheses. Here’s an example:

 
Because the phrase “je ne sais pas” is foreign and inside a quote, the translation of the phrase has been placed in brackets.

Rule 3: Showing a Change in Capitalization

Quotations should make sense in terms of capitalization when they are integrated into your writing. Use brackets around the first letter in a quotation in order to show that the letter was in a different case in the original quotation.

For example:

 
In this quote, the word performance was originally capitalized. Since the quote is the continuation of a sentence outside of the quote, we placed the lowercase “p” in brackets.

Rule 4: Showing Errors in a Quotation

When using a quotation with a grammatical or spelling error, then include [sic] after the error. This tells readers that the mistake is not your own, but it’s from the original source. For example:

 
In this example, “ways” should be “was.”

If you want to avoid brackets in this particular situation, consider simply paraphrasing in order to avoid using [sic].

Rule 5: Emphasis

Sometimes you might want to italicize material in a quotation in order to emphasize that portion of the text. When doing so, be sure to include [emphasis added] to show readers that these italics were not in the original quotation. For example:

Rule 6: Parenthetical within a Parenthetical

When there are parentheses within a phrase already surrounded by parentheses, then use brackets to replace those parentheses. For example:

 
Since the parentheses around 2006 are inside another set of parentheses, we need to change them to brackets.

 
Note that this particular rule may not apply if you are using certain style guides, so be sure to double-check before using brackets in this way.

Review

Ok, now that we’ve gone over the rules, let’s test your knowledge with a review question:

When should brackets not be used?

1. When indicating clarification in a quotation
2. When indicating emphasis
3. When a parenthetical appears within a parenthetical
4. Interchangeably with parentheses

 
I hope this review was helpful! Thanks for watching, and happy studying!

• “Brackets | the Punctuation Guide.” n.d.