| Exemplary Prose: |
| Essential Writing Skills in Context |
Brackets
Brackets (which look like [this] ) are used when you can't use a parentheses. Although it is usually better to rewrite sentences that have too many parenthetical comments, it is left to the author's judgment. my advice is to do it once. Doing it more than that dilutes the strength that one bracket creates.
If you plan on using brackets, follow these two rules:
1. Use brackets to insert one parenthetical comment inside another parenthetical comment.
My dad (he's 66 years old [his twin sisters are 60 years old]) is the oldest kid in his family.
or
My dad is the oldest kid in his family; he is 66 and his twin sisters are 60 years old.
2. Use brackets to insert explanations or instructions that are not actually part of the sentence.
The correct way to write the sentence is this: Each [singular subject] of the boys is [singular verb] here.
3. Use brackets to insert your own editorial comments into quoted material.
The principal said, "Everybody in our school - all 50 [sic] of us - wants to see a big victory at Friday [sic] night's football game.
(The writer or editor knows that there are 500 - not 50 - students in the school and the ball game is on Saturday night, not Friday. The writer is quoting the principal correctly, using his or her exact words, but is also pointing the mistakes in what the principal said.)