Use of Brackets in Writing
Created by Ashley Massie
April 2012
•
Like parentheses, brackets
are enclosures.
•
Brackets have fewer and
more specialized uses
than parentheses.
•
Brackets and parentheses
are usually
not
interchangeable.
•
Use brackets to avoid the
confusion caused by one set
of parentheses falling within
another.
•
Turn the inner pair of
parentheses into brackets.
Example:
•
Johnny went to the store with
his list of items (bread, milk
[fat free]
[fat free]
, peanut butter, and
jelly) but came home with
only the bread.
1. As Parentheses Within Parentheses
•
In quoted material, use
square brackets to
indicate that a letter has
been changed from
uppercase to lowercase,
or vice versa.
•
To avoid awkwardness,
consider rewording the
sentence so that no
change in capitalization
is needed.
Example:
This unusual animal was once
believed to be a myth because
“
[s]keptics
[s]keptics
insisted that the duck-
billed platypus was simply a duck
bill sewn onto a beaver’s body”
(35). (“Skeptics” changed to
“skeptics”)
2. To Indicate Capitalization Changes in Quotes
•
Use brackets to show any
changes made to
quotations in order to
retain grammatical
correctness.
•
Use brackets in quotes to
add a word, prefix, or
suffix in order to fit the
quote into your sentence.
•
Use brackets to change the
tense of a verb in a quote
so that it will fit into your
sentence.
Examples:
•
I tried to make a dish mild enough
for everyone, but my idea of
"
add[ing]
add[ing]
Cayenne pepper to taste"
was not the same as my friend's
idea. (“add” changed to “adding”)
•
In Thomas Jefferson's time, there
was definitely a notion that "A little
rebellion now and then
[was]
[was]
a
good thing.“ (“is” changed to “was”)
3. To Indicate Other Changes to Quotations
•
Use brackets to insert necessary
information, comments, corrections,
opinions, clarifications, or
explanations of your own into direct
quotations.
•
Brackets are used within quotations
to tell readers that the words
enclosed are yours and not those of
your source.
•
Don’t overdo it!
Readers will resent
the explanation of obvious details.
•
Do not use brackets when inserting
additional information into your own
writing. Use parentheses or dashes.
Examples:
•
“He
[George Lucas]
[George Lucas]
reminded me a little
of Walt Disney’s version of a mad
scientist.”
•
“Dues are being raised $1.00 per week
[to $5.00]
[to $5.00]
,” the treasurer announced.
•
“The miles of excellent trails are perfect
for
[cross-country]
[cross-country]
skiing.”
4. To Add Additional Information to Quotations
•
Quotations must be copied
accurately, word by word, from
your source—errors and all. To
show that you have copied a
passage faithfully, place the
word
sic
(the Latin word for
“thus” or “so”) in brackets one
space after any mistake.
•
APA and Turabian handbooks
state that sic must be italicized
within the brackets, while the
MLA handbook does not specify.
•
If
sic
can be placed outside the
quotation itself, it appears
between parentheses, not
brackets.
•
Molly’s paper was titled “
King Leer
” (sic).
Examples:
•
Mr. Vincent’s letter went on: “I would
have preferred a younger bride, but I
decided to marry the old
window [sic]
window [sic]
anyway.”
•
The sign over the cash register read,
“We don’t
except [sic]
except [sic]
personal checks
for payment.”
5. To Acknowledge Errors in Quotations
•
The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers, 5
th
Edition
•
Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook, Thirteenth Edition
•
Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook, Sixteenth Edition
•
Writing: A College Handbook, 4
th
Edition
•
The Holt Handbook, Third Edition
•
MLA Handbook, 7
th
Edition
•
APA Handbook, 6
th
Edition
Brackets serve various functions in writing, such as clarifying quotations, indicating capitalization changes, avoiding confusion in nested parentheses, and adding additional information to direct quotes. They are distinct from parentheses in usage and play a crucial role in maintaining grammatical correctness and coherence in written language.
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Presentation Transcript
Brackets Created by Ashley Massie April 2012
Brackets vs. Parentheses Like parentheses, brackets are enclosures. Brackets have fewer and more specialized uses than parentheses. Brackets and parentheses are usually not interchangeable.
Use Brackets 1. As Parentheses Within Parentheses Use brackets to avoid the confusion caused by one set of parentheses falling within another. Turn the inner pair of parentheses into brackets. Example: Johnny went to the store with his list of items (bread, milk [fat free], peanut butter, and jelly) but came home with only the bread.
Use Brackets 2. To Indicate Capitalization Changes in Quotes In quoted material, use square brackets to indicate that a letter has been changed from uppercase to lowercase, or vice versa. To avoid awkwardness, consider rewording the sentence so that no change in capitalization is needed. Example: This unusual animal was once believed to be a myth because [s]keptics insisted that the duck- billed platypus was simply a duck bill sewn onto a beaver s body (35). ( Skeptics changed to skeptics )
Use Brackets 3. To Indicate Other Changes to Quotations Use brackets to show any changes made to quotations in order to retain grammatical correctness. Use brackets in quotes to add a word, prefix, or suffix in order to fit the quote into your sentence. Use brackets to change the tense of a verb in a quote so that it will fit into your sentence. Examples: I tried to make a dish mild enough for everyone, but my idea of "add[ing] Cayenne pepper to taste" was not the same as my friend's idea. ( add changed to adding ) In Thomas Jefferson's time, there was definitely a notion that "A little rebellion now and then [was] a good thing. ( is changed to was )
Use Brackets 4. To Add Additional Information to Quotations Use brackets to insert necessary information, comments, corrections, opinions, clarifications, or explanations of your own into direct quotations. Brackets are used within quotations to tell readers that the words enclosed are yours and not those of your source. Don t overdo it! Readers will resent the explanation of obvious details. Do not use brackets when inserting additional information into your own writing. Use parentheses or dashes. Examples: He [George Lucas] reminded me a little of Walt Disney s version of a mad scientist. Dues are being raised $1.00 per week [to $5.00], the treasurer announced. The miles of excellent trails are perfect for [cross-country] skiing.
Use Brackets 5. To Acknowledge Errors in Quotations Quotations must be copied accurately, word by word, from your source errors and all. To show that you have copied a passage faithfully, place the word sic (the Latin word for thus or so ) in brackets one space after any mistake. APA and Turabian handbooks state that sic must be italicized within the brackets, while the MLA handbook does not specify. If sic can be placed outside the quotation itself, it appears between parentheses, not brackets. Molly s paper was titled King Leer (sic). Examples: Mr. Vincent s letter went on: I would have preferred a younger bride, but I decided to marry the old window [sic] anyway. The sign over the cash register read, We don t except [sic] personal checks for payment.
Information gathered from The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers, 5th Edition Hodges Harbrace Handbook, Thirteenth Edition Hodges Harbrace Handbook, Sixteenth Edition Writing: A College Handbook, 4th Edition The Holt Handbook, Third Edition MLA Handbook, 7th Edition APA Handbook, 6th Edition
