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Using Brackets And Parentheses In Your Writing
As much as possible, I try to refrain from using brackets and parentheses in anything I write. If you work hard enough, you can usually find a way of expressing a fact that’s a little more creative than having to enclose them in separators like those two.
If you’re trying to keep your writing to a certain word count, though, using separators, such as brackets and parentheses, may prove immensely useful. At the least, they allow you to insert a separate but related idea, without having to start a new sentence.
Parentheses. Use a parenthesis when expressing a secondary idea or a side comment that may not fit in well when expressed as a direct part of the sentence. For instance, this example:
The new machine we bought was overall efficient (compared to our old system), although not all different from other products that offer the same functionality.
In this sentence, the statement would have stood on its own even without the comment inside a parenthesis. However, that made it clear that the system was only efficient in comparison with old systems. It avoided possible ambiguity, without having to clarify further on.
Brackets. Brackets are quite disturbing and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Their main use is when expressing another additional idea inside the idea already in a parenthesis! For instance, this example:
The new machine we bought was overall efficient (compared to our old system [refer to last week's efficiency report]), although not all different from other products that offer the same functionality.
As you can see, using both can help shorten the overall text, although excessive use can turn the writing into a convoluted mess. If you enjoy using these separators in your sentences, make sure to run them through an English writing software to check their overall coherence. They’re meant to help your writing, after all. If they don’t, it may be time to find a different way to express the same ideas.
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