how to use parentheses in an essay

How to Use (Not Abuse) Parentheses

Like some other punctuation marks, parentheses are used in prose to set apart some text in a sentence, such as an explanation, observation, aside, or digression. Text set off by parentheses is not necessarily grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence.

Nabokov is the author of novels (the best known are Lolita and Pale Fire ), short stories, drama, poetry, autobiography, and literary criticism. Puerto Rico’s cuisine is called cocina criolla (“creole cooking”) and was shaped by influences from native Taíno Indians, Spanish colonists, and African slaves. I dozed on and off, vaguely aware that my face was becoming flushed in the afternoon sun (in those days I never bothered with a sun hat).

Parentheses also set aside a whole sentence or several sentences in a text.

In eighteenth-century bourgeois life, the table and its manners were opportunities for social distinction. (For instance, the middle class heaped scorn on the lower orders for using the knife, rather than the fork, as a spear.)

Choosing Other Punctuation Marks

When I’m writing or editing and want to decide whether to use parentheses, I may ask myself how important an explanation or aside is to the sentence. If it is key to the main point of the sentence, I typically opt for a different punctuation mark. Consider the parentheses in the following:

In Pale Fire the poem by the fictional John Shade mentions Hurricane Lolita arriving on the American East Coast in 1958, and the narrator, Charles Kinbote (in the commentary later in Pale Fire ) questions the choice of the name for a hurricane.

The parentheses can be replaced with a pair of commas, because the phrase “in the commentary later in Pale Fire ” provides contextual information relevant to the sentence as a whole:

In Pale Fire the poem by the fictional John Shade mentions Hurricane Lolita arriving on the American East Coast in 1958, and the narrator, Charles Kinbote, in the commentary later in Pale Fire , questions the choice of the name for a hurricane.

For longer asides, commas may not be strong enough. And commas may not work when the sentence itself is long and contains several other commas or when the phrase or clause you need to set apart contains internal commas.

Vienna’s intellectuals (such as Sigmund Freud and Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, who studied sexual behavior) pioneered the study of sexuality, and Vienna was proud of its cabarets and prostitutes, among other contradictions that gave the city an atmosphere of secrecy and amorality.

Like parentheses, dashes are strong punctuation marks , but they are sometimes more effective than parentheses at integrating an explanation or an aside with the surrounding prose.

Vienna’s intellectuals—such as Sigmund Freud and Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, who studied sexual behavior—pioneered the study of sexuality, and Vienna was proud of its cabarets and prostitutes, among other contradictions that gave the city an atmosphere of secrecy and amorality.

You can even use a colon in place of parentheses to provide an elaboration.

Pies can be made with nearly any summer fruit (peaches, cherries, plums, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all make excellent pies). Pies can be made with nearly any summer fruit: peaches, cherries, plums, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries all make excellent pies.

Too Many Parentheses?

Sometimes writers overuse parentheses without realizing it. Overuse of parentheses may be a sign of hedging or uncertainty: the writer isn’t confident that the material belongs in the text so tucks it away in parentheses. 

After a traumatic event, a person may have an elevated baseline of arousal (their bodies always on the lookout for danger). Even normally safe environments can feel dangerous (because the person cannot be assured that some reminder of the trauma will not be encountered).

As strong punctuation marks, parentheses tend to slow down the experience of reading prose. They also momentarily take the reader outside the main point and grammatical coherence of the sentence. For these reasons, a text that relies heavily on parentheses can feel like a path filled with distractions that shift the reader off course. Consider the following paragraph:

Nabokov reflects his idea that there must be something beyond time (in both the texture of Speak, Memory ’s individual sentences and the structure of the autobiography as a whole). Midway between the individual sentence and the work as a whole stands the chapter. At this level too he finds ways to resist the linearity of time (time as mere succession, time as implacable cause and effect). In exploring chapter 2 of the autobiography (originally titled “Portrait of My Mother”), one can turn away from the role of men in his family (fathers and sons as, respectively, standard and stand-in) to the role of women (his mother as source and stimulus, prefiguring the role his wife will one day play as a kind of second self) and observe how Nabokov shapes a single chapter to acknowledge and yet transcend time.

To revise, evaluate each set of parentheses and determine, first, whether the text they enclose is truly an aside, and second, whether another punctuation mark would be more fitting. Let’s look sentence by sentence at the revision that follows.

Nabokov reflects his idea that there must be something beyond time in both the texture of Speak, Memory ’s individual sentences and the structure of the autobiography as a whole. The parentheses in the original have simply been removed, and no punctuation is needed to replace them: the phrase that begins “in both the texture” is an important elaboration of the first idea in the sentence.

At this level too he finds ways to resist the linearity of time, time as mere succession, time as implacable cause and effect. Related points are better presented as a series separated by commas. In exploring chapter 2 of the autobiography, originally titled “Portrait of My Mother,” one can turn away from the role of men in his family—fathers and sons as, respectively, standard and stand-in—to the role of women, specifically his mother as source and stimulus (prefiguring the role his wife will one day play as a kind of second self), and observe how Nabokov shapes a single chapter to acknowledge and yet transcend time. This long sentence was encumbered by multiple sets of parentheses. The parentheses are most appropriate around the phrase beginning with “prefiguring” because the phrase makes a point tangential to the main idea of the sentence. The parentheses around the short phrase “originally titled . . .” can be replaced with a pair of commas, and the parentheses around the longer phrase “fathers and sons . . .” can be replaced with a pair of dashes.

Putting it all together, we get a paragraph whose punctuation clarifies what information is more and less important to the main point. With fewer parentheses than the cluttered original had, it is also more readable.

Nabokov reflects his idea that there must be something beyond time in both the texture of Speak, Memory ’s individual sentences and the structure of the autobiography as a whole. Midway between the individual sentence and the work as a whole stands the chapter. At this level too he finds ways to resist the linearity of time, time as mere succession, time as implacable cause and effect. In exploring chapter 2 of the autobiography, originally titled “Portrait of My Mother,” one can turn away from the role of men in his family—fathers and sons as, respectively, standard and stand-in—to the role of women, specifically his mother as source and stimulus (prefiguring the role his wife will one day play as a kind of second self), and observe how Nabokov shapes a single chapter to acknowledge and yet transcend time.

If you tend to rely on parentheses to set off clauses or phrases, replacing some of them with other kinds of punctuation will lend variety to your prose. But don’t overcompensate by replacing all your parentheses with the same punctuation mark; overuse of dashes, for example, is hardly an improvement on overuse of parentheses.

Albert E. Krahn 08 July 2020 AT 11:07 AM

Sounds like good advice. However, it would be nice if you avoided that four-letter word punctuation "mxxk." The use of it leaves out some punctuation. It would be better to use just "punctuation" or "punctuation feature."

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Lynda Henderson 29 April 2021 AT 02:04 PM

Was a comma ever required after the author's name in the parenthesis?

Ammar Sarwar 22 May 2023 AT 04:05 AM

How can we use consecutive parentheses if we need to? For example: we need to cite a figure followed by in-text citation, such as, ".......... (Fig. 1) (Smith, 2023).

Readergirl 03 March 2024 AT 11:03 AM

I find it is a rare novel author that doesn't overuse parenthetical asides...even one per paragraph at times or 3 per page. I find it so annoying and overdone that I declare the novel unreadable and stop reading. In every case I can't see why the aside can't be worked into the sentence or tossed. At first I mentally skip over them and find nothing lacking but then I get too annoyed and interrupted and have to stop. Thanks for letting me vent :)

Dustin 02 July 2024 AT 05:07 AM

Just a quick inquiry.. I’ve recently encountered someone using parentheses around a single letter in a word, and I can’t for the life of me remember a use like that, and couldn’t find an explanation. Example: “I (d)on’t understand why they did this. I (c)an’t figure it out for the life of me.”

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Parentheses: When to Use Parentheses in Writing (Examples)

If you'd like to know more about parentheses and how to use them, you've come to the right place. This article will teach you everything you need to know to use them properly and when.

• Parentheses are punctuation marks you use for adding nonessential information to your text. 

This guide is part of our free online Grammar Book .

When to Use Parentheses

So, first of all, what are parentheses? They're a pair of punctuation marks - a single one called a parenthesis - that you can use to enclose a word or group of words to separate them from the rest of the text.

In that way, they're similar to quotation marks or dashes. But the difference is that the information contained within parentheses is nonessential. In other words, removing it wouldn't affect the overall meaning, and the reader could still understand your point. 

• You'll always place a parenthesis at the beginning of the nonessential text and another one at the end, so it's wrapped up nicely like a gift.

Here's an example:

My breakfast (eggs on toast) always sustains me until lunchtime.

The reader doesn't need to know what the writer eats for breakfast. It can be helpful for them to know, but that's not the main point of the sentence. The point is to say that it sustains them until lunchtime. For that reason, leaving out the information on the specific foods eaten wouldn't affect the meaning. That's why it's in parentheses.

• Don't confuse parentheses with brackets, which are like square parentheses. They look like this: [ ].

And before we dive in and learn when to use parentheses, there's one more thing you should know:

• Parentheses can contain a single word, a sentence fragment, a complete sentence, or even multiple sentences.

Now let's get started.

Give Additional Information

The first way parentheses come in handy is to provide additional information about the rest of the sentence. Again, this information will always be nonessential but could be something you think your readers might be interested in knowing. It could be to explain or illustrate a point.

Here are some examples:

Everything I set out to do today (clean the house, fix my car and eat a nourishing meal) was a complete and utter success. My brother (Ben) is coming for dinner .  Tonight's gala is a huge occasion. (Everyone who's somebody will be there.)

The information within parentheses could be removed in all the examples above, and the reader would still understand what you meant.

Notice how we have a mixture of content types within the parentheses. We have a dependent clause in the first example, a single word ( proper noun ) in the second, and an independent clause in the third.

You can also use parentheses to clarify what an acronym stands for:

I make a monthly donation to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund).

Or to show a word can be singular or plural:

Tick the box(es) below as appropriate.

Provide the Author's Commentary

Parentheses can also be used to add your own commentary to your text as the writer. This can be a great way to bring your text alive and add some humor and personality.

Tom announced that he was leaving the company (no surprise after the events of the last few weeks). Your submission to the contest (which caught everyone's eye by the way) has been recorded and we shall get back to you soon with the results. Alice showed up late (surprise surprise) and was rude to everyone. Typical!

Enclose Numbers or Letters

You can use parentheses to enclose numbers or letters when you're using them to show the order in your text.

For example:

To unlock the screen, (1) press the power button, (2) swipe the screen with your finger and (3) enter your pin code. I'm not going because (a) I don't want to, and (b) I'm too tired.

Note that it sometimes might be more appropriate to write a bulleted list, especially if there are more than four items in your list.

Cite Sources

Some style guides have you use parentheses for in-text citations. For example, the APA, Chicago, and MLA formats. This means that when you quote a journal or other reputable source in your academic paper, you must insert the author's name and year in parentheses at the end of the quote. Then, at the end of your paper, you'll have a reference list where all your citations are referenced to their broader source (this will also make use of parentheses).

Here's an example of what an in-text citation can look like:

Subjects in the study were found to be more relaxed after a warm cup of chamomile tea (Grant, 2004). 

Punctuation With Parentheses

Now that we've covered all our bases on when to use parentheses, let's see how we can make good use of punctuation in and around them. It's pretty straightforward as long as you understand a few rules.

Firstly, if the parenthetical text is a full, complete sentence that stands on its own, then you should punctuate it as usual, meaning the punctuation will be within the parentheses .

Understanding punctuation rules with parentheses is pretty simple. (But mistakes are easily made.)

Notice how the first word is capitalized, and there's a period at the end, contained within the parentheses. On the other hand, don't include any punctuation if the text contained within the parentheses isn't a complete sentence (i.e., it's a single word, phrase, or dependent clause). Punctuate the rest of the sentence as usual.

Learn the dos and don'ts of flower arrangement (and watering) in our upcoming workshop.

Notice how the first word isn't capitalized, and there's no punctuation—only the period at the end of the sentence itself.  There's one exception to this rule, and that's with exclamation points and question marks . If the parenthetical text is a question or an exclamation, you may include those punctuation marks, regardless of whether it's a complete sentence . For example:

It was then I spotted a (huge!) black spider crawling up my bedroom wall. His dog (Rex?) was excited to see us all.

Unlike with quotation marks, commas and full stops should be placed after the closing parenthesis, as such:

I approached him (reluctatntly), and asked if he was okay. She claimed that origami was more fun than Twister (but I'm not sure she really believed it). 

Some Additional Notes on Parentheses

We've covered most of what you need to know, but I want to address a few more points before I conclude this article.

Read on to find out what they are.

Subject-Verb Agreement

One of the most important things you'll ever learn - a rule that spans the entire grammar spectrum - is always ensuring subject-verb agreement.

• Subject-verb agreement is when the verb is conjugated correctly according to its subject .

For example, the following sentence does not have correct subject-verb agreement because the subject is 'boys,' which is third person plural, and the verb is 'loves,' which is the conjugation for third person singular only.

The boys loves spaghetti bolognese for dinner. 

For this sentence to have correct subject-verb agreement, we'd have to change the verb to ' love .'

Applying this to sentences with parentheses can be a little tricky because you must ignore the text within the parentheses.

My mum (and half the population) loves the new Elvis movie. 

At first glance, it might appear that this sentence doesn't have correct subject-verb agreement because 'mum' + 'half the population' = a plural subject. But this isn't the case since we must ignore the text within the parenthetical phrase ('half the population') and count only 'mum' as the subject. Therefore, the subject is singular, and 'loves' is appropriate.

Here are some more examples:

Tom (along with the rest of us) was very disappointed with the outcome. My daughter (and her cute pup) is joining us later. The country (and to some extend, the whole continent) is in crisis.

Use Parentheses Sparingly

Last but not least, use parentheses sparingly. This punctuation mark is often overused, which causes it to lose its effect. To avoid this, ensure you only use it when the information contained within it is something you'd be happy to remove. Look at your sentence and ask yourself , would the sentence still make sense without this information? If so, then you can put it in parentheses. If not, then don't.

Also, ask yourself whether a different punctuation mark would be better suited. Try dashes, for instance, or even commas , and see if that works better. Sometimes, more than one option is appropriate, so it's up to you to pick the best one.

Case in point:

My sister (whom I love dearly but who annoys me greatly) always steals all my clothes . My sister, whom I love dearly but who annoys me greatly, always steals all my clothes. My sister - whom I love dearly but who annoys me greatly - always steals all my clothes.

Concluding Thoughts

That concludes this article on parentheses; I hope you found it helpful and feel that you understand how and when to use them.

Let's summarize what we've learned:

• Parentheses are a form of punctuation.
• You can use them to provide additional, nonessential information or extra commentary, cite sources, or enclose letters or numbers in lists.
• Watch out for your punctuation in and around parentheses.
• Ignore the parenthetical text when checking subject-verb agreement.
• Use parentheses sparingly.

If you enjoyed this article, you'd love our Grammar Book , a free online database of grammar articles just like this one. Check it out!

Learn More:

• Periods: When to Use Periods in Writing (Examples)
• Exclamation Points: When to Use Exclamation Points in Writing (Examples)
• Semicolons: When to Use Semicolons in Writing (Examples)
• Question Marks: When to Use Question Marks in Writing (Examples)
• Commas: When to Use Commas in Writing (Examples)
• Colons: When to Use Colons in Writing (Examples)
• Homophones: What Is a Homophone? (Meaning and Examples)
• Parallelism: What Is Parallelism? Definition and Examples
• Imperative Sentences: What Are Imperative Sentences? Definition and Examples
• Language Register in English Writing: Definition, Meaning, and Examples
• What is a Plural Noun? Definition and Examples
• Regular vs Irregular Verbs: Definitions, Differences, Examples
• Auxiliary Verbs: What Are Auxiliary Verbs? Definitions and Examples
• Transitive and Intransitive Verbs: Definition and Examples
• Interrogative Sentences: What Are Interrogative Sentences? Definition and Examples

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How to Use Parentheses

by Liz Bureman | 50 comments

People ask me all the time (and by all the time, I mean never), “Liz, what is your favorite grammatical/punctuational structure?” It's hard to narrow it down to just one (although you're probably already aware of my love for the Oxford comma ), but if I happened to be in a life-or-death of language situation, it would probably be parentheses, or to be more specific, the parenthetical statement.

What Are Parentheses?

Parentheses are punctuation marks that look like curly brackets. They are used in pairs and can contain phrases, clauses, or even complete sentences. Let's look at some ways to use them more specifically in parenthetical statements.

What Are Parenthetical Statements?

Parenthetical statements give additional information or explanation. They are like softer em dashes .

A parenthesis is like a close friend quietly whispering in your ear, but an em dash is more like your high school graduating class arriving drunk on your doorstep and announcing that you are hosting this year's reunion, and it's happening right now. Notice the difference:

Angela exhaled quietly (she didn't want Frank to hear anything) and felt her way along the wall to the door. Angela exhaled quietly—she didn't want Frank to hear anything—and felt her way along the wall to the door.

In the second sentence, the fact that Angela doesn't want Frank to hear anything has the same importance as her movement towards the door. If that's your goal, then em dashes are what you're looking for.

If you're primarily focused on Angela's progression towards the door, then use parentheses.

You can also use a parenthetical statement to give your reader information without adding emphasis to the aside:

Kevin yawned (he'd only had four hours of sleep) and stretched out on the floor at his sister's feet.

The parentheses allow your audience to continue reading through the paragraph without stopping and acknowledging that, oh, Kevin's lack of sleep is something that I need to pay attention to. Instead, they know that the action isn't leaving them behind.

The Perils of Punctuating Parentheticals

This is all well and good, but let's talk about the things that really trip people up: using parentheses and other punctuation. Does the period go inside or outside the parentheses? An exclamation mark? How about the comma? Let's clear up this confusion once and for all.

If the part in parentheses is  inside a sentence, the punctuation goes  outside the parentheses:

Sally felt queasy (maybe eating six cupcakes was a bad idea).

If the part in parentheses is a complete sentence but  not within another sentence, the punctuation goes  inside the parentheses:

Henry tracked mud across the floor as he came in from the rain. (Sorry, Mom.)

When the part in parentheses is several sentences long, or if it uses special punctuation, like a question mark or exclamation point, the punctuation goes  inside the parentheses:

Mark doubted it would rain today (but for the garden's sake, he hoped it would!). Emily looked forward to coloring at her grandmother's house this afternoon (although she didn't want to use crayons. Did her grandmother have markers? She wasn't sure).

Note in the second example that there is no period within the parentheses after “She wasn't sure.” If the final sentence within the parentheses would use a period, there's no extra punctuation—the period goes outside the parentheses.

Although it's possible to cram whole paragraphs into parentheses, it's generally a bad idea. For best effect, use parenthetical statements sparingly, for small asides. Don't overwhelm your readers with them!

A Note On Parentheses in Academic Writing

We've talked mostly about how parentheses show up in every day writing. In formal academic writing, parentheses can be used within the paper to explain or qualify information, but you're more likely to see them used as reference tools at the end of sentences.

These are called parenthetical citations, and they have their own specific guidelines that you will want to look up in the style guide assigned.

For example, the MLA style guide (used mostly for the humanities) uses parenthetical citations, AKA in-text citations, and a works cited page to tell readers where source information came from. At the end of a sentence with source information, writers will use the author's last name and the page number inside parentheses to indicate which source from the works cited was used.

Go Use Parentheticals (You Can Do It!)

Do you feel prepared to use parenthetical statements? (It's okay if you don't; it just takes practice.) Try using them in your writing, and keep an eye out for the ways other writers have used them.

Who knows? Maybe you'll find you love them as much as I do (and that's a lot of love!).

Are parentheticals important in your writing? Let us know in the comments .

Write for fifteen minutes on the following prompt. Use parenthetical statements to enhance your story, and be careful to punctuate them correctly. For extra practice, change your parenthetical statements into em dash asides when you're done, and take note of how the tone of the story changes.

Prompt: Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers.

Share your writing in the Pro Practice Workshop , and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

Liz Bureman

Liz Bureman has a more-than-healthy interest in proper grammatical structure, accurate spelling, and the underappreciated semicolon. When she's not diagramming sentences and reading blogs about how terribly written the Twilight series is, she edits for the Write Practice, causes trouble in Denver, and plays guitar very slowly and poorly. You can follow her on Twitter (@epbure), where she tweets more about music of the mid-90s than writing.

50 Comments

Maybe I’m mis-remembering Ms Galloway’s 9th grade English (it was 24 years ago, but she was my 9th grade teacher) but isn’t there also a parenthetical expression, set apart by commas rather than emm dashes or parenthesis, that can be used? What are your feelings on that one?

And for the record, I’m decidedly in your boat on the Oxford comma.

Liz is moving to Denver as we speak but she sent me this to send to you:

It depends how the comma phrase is used. It wouldn’t work in a sentence like this:

Cassie rolled her eyes (Kyle was always saying things that warranted it) and shoved her shoulder into the door.

You have to use parentheses or em dashes. If you used commas instead, that would be comma splicing, cardinal sin numero uno. Commas would work in a sentence like this:

Mark dug through his mother’s purse for the car keys, since she always left them in there, and raced out the door.

There’s a transitional word there (since), so no splice. Parentheses work here too; em dashes less so just because of the emphasis.

I tried to use a parenthetical expression with commas and the first one didn’t work. It seems to me that none of my English classes taught about parentheses or emm dashes at all in high school or college. Maybe it was just the classes I took.

I don’t remember learning any of this in school either. I feel like I picked a lot up beacuse I was a big reader as a kid.

I think that’s how most people learn. I was just talking to a friend of the family from Jamaica who was taught to write under the British school system. They do it much better in this arena. Most people don’t learn to write in school, they just learn good structure (the verb goes here, the noun here, the adverb… yada yada). Careful reading teaches you to write better than anything.

Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers(she was completely lost in her thoughts). Victor suddenly called out her name and on hearing that she jumped up in her chair throwing mug on the floor (for a moment she didn’t get what has happened, but later, with time as she came back to her senses) and she noticed that Victor is watching her very closely, she tucked her hair behind her ear (still feeling his gaze on her) and smiled at him .Victor asked,”What happened Kayla? Are you alright?”.(To him this was quite unusual, he had never seen her like that before).

“Well, what do you think?” he said. Letting out a sigh (but not looking up), Kayla said, “I don’t know. You seem so sure, but I’m not.” Victor leaned back in his chair. Why wouldn’t she agree. He collected his thoughts to try again (he’d only wanted this for years). Kayla watched him (she knew what he was thinking). “What’s the big deal anyway,” she said before she could stop herself. That gave Victor pause. “Doesn’t she know,” he thought. He stared at her (it had been many long seconds since he said anything), as more thoughts raced through his mind. With a glance, she knew everything he wasn’t saying. Victor got up and walked away. Kayla continued to sit (still tracing the rim of her mug).

Mmm… very subtle. I love the tension, Ryan.

Watch out for head hopping (which is when you switch perspectives midscene). You have to be in either Kayla’s head or Victor’s. Writing inner monologue / emotion from both in the same scene is a no no. I’m not sure if you technically do that in this scene, but you’re close.

It’s very good though.

“Kayla continued to sit (still tracing the rim of her mug).” Great image.

Thanks! I was going for tension.

I think I have trouble with head hopping when I’m just talking with people. I’ll have to work on better clarity and organization for this kind of situation.

Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers.

(Kayla always traced something with her fingers when she was under pressure. Or drunk. Victor knew something was up.)

“Aren’t you hungry?” he asked.

“No,” said Kayla timidly. (This was, victor thought, unusual, since Kayla was never timid.)

“I haven’t seen you eat a thing today,” he said.

“I ate,” said Kayla. “You just weren’t there. I had a huge lunch while you were at work.”

(Victor tried to make eye contact with her. No success.)

Victor decided to play nice. “Okay,” he said, “You had a huge lunch, and you’re not in the mood for cookies. Sure. Just remember,” he added (much more slowly and quietly), “to not eat such a – huge lunch next time.”

(There was never a “next time”. This had been going on for longer than victor could remember.)

Kayla huffed and continued to trace the rim of her mug of tea. She still hadn’t taken a single sip.

“Would you like some sugar?” asked Victor. (He hoped he sounded innocent.)

Kayla licked her lips (they were chapped). “Do you have lemon?”

“Going British, eh? Do I have lemon, yes I do have lemon,” said victor through clenched teeth.

He turned his back on her, and felt like Kayla had shrunk even more into herself throughout his long silence.

When he gave Kayla the lemon, she cut off only a quarter, and squeezed the juice into her mug. Just seeing the fruit made Victor shudder. (He and Kayla had always hated lemons, they couldn’t stand the sheer acidness. But now everything was changed, and Kayla drained life’s lemons to their stones for tea.)

I am impressed with your ability to take a scene about having a cup of tea (something I could never make interesting) and infusing it with tension and drama, creating a story out of it.

He opened his mouth. Then he closed it and sat back down.

She looked up from her mug(her hand not leaving the rim) and she titled her head.

He scratched the back of his head and looked away. “You think they’d let it through,” he said. “The construction plans, I mean.”

She looked up and her eyes scanned the ceiling. A plastic fan spun above them. “I don’t know,” she said. “They’d have to, right?”

“That’s not very convincing.”

She clenched her fingers around the rim(her nails scratched the inner ring). “I’m sorry,” she said. “The environmental groups are getting erratic.”

His eyes followed the way her fingers traced the pattern on the bottom of the mug. Then he turned to her face. “Those environ hippies are always ‘erratic’.”

She shrugged. She lifted the empty mug and sniffed it. “They’re just concerned-”

“Those tree-humpers and their animals rights ilk, all they do is whine and make excuses,” he said almost standing up. “Worse, they’d disrupt good honest businesmen.”

She snorted. She smiled at the rim of her mug.

“Hey,” He backed down in his seat and exhaled a deep breath. “What’s with the mug anyways.”

Her smile got directed at him. It was radiant smile.

“It’s a gift,” she said.

She wasn’t touching the rim anymore and she was looking away. On it her initials was scratched.: K L.

He blinked. “Oh.”

“I never liked ceramics that much,” she said. “This one; draws me in, I don’t know.” She smiled again.

A sad smile appeared on his face. “You’re married.”

Her smile dropped. “Were married.”

“Sorry,” he said.

“Yeah,” she said(she gripped the mug again). “My former husband never liked our business meetings too much. Said it was a mistake to get me through business school.” She traced the rim of her mug with her fingers. “I said to him: Can’t you see my mad business skills. And you just have to live with that.”

“Jury’s still out on that one.” He leaned forward and smiled.

She laughed(letting go of the mug) and he laughed as well.

I prefer not to use parenthesis. To use them in a draft is okay. But by the time something is submitted I edit them out. Okay, perhaps the occassional usage but otherwise avoid them. (Why yes, officer, I never drink & drive. Of course! Never. Well except for this one time and this one martini.) I avoid the clutter they introduce.

I was given the advice that the use of parenthesis most often is a flag , as a Writer, that the section needs more work. The parenthesis or even the em dashes are a signal that you (the Writer) are moving too quickly and need to revise. As in: go back and revise so that the dialog or narration draws out the point or points being made.

That’s a good philosophy, to see parentheticals as flags for sections that need more work. You’re right that in general, it’s best to avoid them unless you have a clear reason to use them. For example, the occasional parenthetical comment can create a conversational tone in a casual piece of writing (like this blog post and comment!). It’s easy to overuse them, though, and in many kinds of writing, maybe even most, it’s probably best to avoid them entirely.

Thanks Alice (really!).

I have a punctuation question. In this example, “Mark doubted it would rain today (but for the garden’s sake, he hoped it would!).” There is an exclamation point inside the parenthesis and a period outside to end the sentence. What if the parenthetical portion used a period – would it be correct to use two periods? “Mark doubted it would rain today (but for the garden’s sake, he hoped it would.).” Something tells me no.

You’re right! If the parenthetical portion used a period, there would not be two periods, just the one outside the parentheses.

Why is it OK with an exclamation point? Is this just another English anomaly?

I was taught to never use an exclamation point within parentheses. The reasoning was that parentheses de-emphasize information and and exclamation point emphasizes it. “If a sentence requires an exclamation point,” I was told, “it is too important to put inside parentheses.”

I’d flip your question around and say it’s NOT okay to use two periods. The period after the entire sentence also rounds out the thought in the parentheses, making a second period redundant.

In that sense, it IS okay to use an exclamation point or a question mark inside the parentheses because that’s a sentiment that won’t be conveyed by the period outside them.

Susan’s coat was warm (was it wool?). Without the question mark inside the parentheses, “was it wool” wouldn’t make sense.

The same goes for exclamation points:

Bill wondered whether his grandparents had arrived yet (he hoped they had!). Without that exclamation point inside the parentheses, you’d lose the sense of the comment.

That said, I’d say Bruce has it right when he says if something needs an exclamation point, that’s a good sign it shouldn’t be in parentheses at all. It’s easy to overuse parentheses, which becomes distracting and confusing for the reader. Use them with care!

I was told to use exclamation points sparingly. Using exclamation points (whether inside parenthesis or not), should be kept to a minimum. Exclamation points should only be used when a sentence has to show extreme emphasis. I do have a question about using ellipsis inside parenthesis though…

“Kinda gross,” Victor said.

“Fingering your mug like that. It’s sort of like sucking your thumb.”

(I sat back and reread what I had just typed. This wasn’t a scene. This was just terribly forced dialogue without anything resembling substance, character, or conflict.)

Kayla looked over her mug at him. “You’re just mad that my mother is coming to live with us.”

(Better for conflict, but not much of a scene. I never had a knack for these domestic scenes, anyway. Maybe a different approach….)

Kayla leaned forward in her chair and looked at Victor, who was tracing the pistol in his lap with his fingers.

(Is the conflict a bit too obvious? Sigh.)

Bruce sat at his computer and stared at the screen. He stared and stared, but no words magically appeared.

(Okay, that one at least rings true. It has conflict, but the whole writer’s block thing has been done before. Overdone, if you ask me.)

I love this use of parentheses! You’re basically integrating two scenes into one, using parentheses to differentiate between the two. And I thoroughly enjoyed that little behind-the-scenes look into the process of writing the piece. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Alice. I absolutely hated this piece until I read your kind words. You’ve made me see it in a new light.

I use parenthesis far to often when I blog (or comment on other blogs) 🙂

When it comes to fiction, I try to avoid them as much as possible, mostly because I don’t trust myself to use them properly. This post should help with that a bit. I’ll have to keep it for a reference point.

Ha, parentheses are easy to rely on, especially in less formal writing, like blogs and comments! I’d say you’re probably safer steering clear of them in fiction, though. Sprinkling in a couple here and there can communicate a point just the way you want it, as long as they’re used correctly. Too many, though, and you’ll be distracting your readers right when you want them to be immersed and engaged.

Question! Is it ok to use both em dashes (I just discovered that name, thanks!) AND parentheses in the same piece of writing, or do you think it is better to use only one of them for the sake of consistency? When I was in high school, I had a teacher who said you should choose only one of them to use throughout your text (since they have kind of the same use). That idea has kind of stuck with me since then, but your post made me wonder if that is one “rule” I should just leave behind — like I’ve done with most “rules” my high school teachers have taught me, if I’m being honest.

Hi Andressa! I haven’t heard of an official rule about using only em dashes or parentheses. I think you used both well in this comment—parentheses for softer asides, em dashes for firmer points. That said, I’d say the key for both is moderation. Overusing either will quickly become overwhelming and distracting for readers, and that danger is even greater if you’re constantly switching between them.

Hi, Alice! I see. I think you are right. I will keep that in mind from now on. Thank you for your kind reply! =)

Oh no, I’m sorry to hear you’re more confused! Do you have any particular questions? I’m happy to help un-muddy the waters.

Thank you. I think I was confused about where to put the periods with the parenthesis.

Hi Liz, I was wondering about dialog placed inside parentheses, for instance in my book my main character has a mind Melange with a Rukhorse, (an animal that only she can hear) so I chose to put their conversations in parentheses, so where would I place the period or other punctuation? An example: (Hurry up Molly) Ronda relays. Now do I place a comma after the parentheses like I would if it were dialog? Or a period? because if it were dialog I’d write “Hurry up, Molly,” Ronda says.

I always interpreted parenthetical statements as the sentence should be able to stand on its own as a complete thought if you yanked the parenthetical out. It’s a qualifier of the sentence its inside, but not necessary for the sentence to be complete.

I could give you one thing in life i would give you only then everyone To Think want to be become a Writer why make A story about my life and other people

Victor leaned forward in his chair and looked at Kayla, who was tracing the rim of her mug with her fingers.(She had just returned from her class). She continued tracing the rim causing it to “ring”. The noise began to annoy Victor. ” You’re not a bloody Bhuddist.” he yelled. “Stop that stupid noise!” Kayla looked up slowly(and spoke gently). “Kevin, you are so stressed and angry with me. It doesn’t have to be like this between us. Maybe if you tried the meditation sessions as well, it might help you to be a bit calmer.” She was still tracing the rim of her mug. (It was bone china) She always found the clear ringing sound entrancing. She had discovered It was possible to create the same sound with a crystal glass or a small china bowl and a pestle. She began meditating on the variety of sound she was capable of producing – and Kevin (still angry with her), realizing he was not getting anywhere with her, stood up, stormed out of the room and banged the door as loudly as he could. Kayla continued with her tracing. Victor’s emotions were Victor’s responsibility she decided.

After reading the comments, I’ll save this page and use my parentheses sparingly. (Live and learn, is my motto.) “Hmm, did I get this right?”

great articles

http://www.emetechnologies.com/industrial-training-in-chandigarh/6-months-mechanical-engineering-training-in-chandigarh-&-mohali.php

Kahit anong mangyari, mamahalin kita. (Translation: Anything what happen, I’ll love you.)

I’m just trying to use parenthesis. 🙂

Please explain why there isn’t a period after, She wasn’t sure).

This is a wonderful article! Thank you for posting it!

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• Parentheses

Parentheses are used to explain the statement or provide explanatory information in the sentence.

Rule to Remember

Correcting the problem.

The two sentences above require the use of parentheses to enclose additional or explanatory information in the sentence.

Parentheticals refer to parentheses, dashes, and brackets , each of which has different possible functions in a sentence. None of these are frequently used in formal writing.

Parentheses ( ) usually indicate a full interruption in thought.

They can also be used to substitute for the word "or" in certain types of sentences. For instance:

Parentheses are frequently used to introduce abbreviations , especially in technical and scientific writing.

Parentheses are used to introduce abbreviations, in figure captions and with numbers of items in lists.

There are many instances, especially in certain relative clauses, where commas, not parentheses, are appropriate.

It would be tempting to put the "which" clause in parentheses, but since it is a relative clause (see Relative Clauses ), the commas are necessary instead.

Parentheses are also used in figure captions and with numbers of items in lists .

Dashes -- are primarily used to indicate a pause in thought which offers more detail or emphasizes a point of information.

Or they can be used to separate an appositive phrase, usually a list, from the rest of the sentence.

Dashes indicate a pause in thought which offers more detail or emphasizes a point of information.

Brackets [ ] have very specific uses in formal writing; they are used either to insert commentary, missing words, or ellipses within direct quotes.

In this sentence, the person quoting Jones is adding specific information that was not given by the author. Similarly:

The word sic in brackets, meaning, "thus in the original," can also be used to indicate errors in the original text, though [sic] is much less frequently used than it once was in the past.

Consider the following sentence:

In this sentence, the person is adding ellipses to a quote, indicating that he or she has cut out words between before and we .

Dashes and parentheses should be used sparingly in formal academic writing. Parenthetical statements especially should be avoided because if something is important enough to be in the sentence, it should be fully part of that sentence.

Brackets are used either to insert commentary, missing words, or ellipses within direct quotes.

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Punctuation Tips: Parenthesis

8-minute read

• 3rd March 2023

Whether you’re writing an essay, email, or cover letter, you’ll likely use parentheses. Maybe you already know what a parenthesis is but aren’t sure when to use it. Did you know that there are different ways to use parentheses in writing? If you’re curious to know more about parentheses, including when to use them, then read on!

Here, we provide a comprehensive guide to using parentheses . By the end of this post, you’ll be able to define a parenthesis and know why and when to use it.

What Is a Parenthesis?

A parenthesis is a word, phrase, or clause inserted into a sentence as an explanation or afterthought. The information in parentheses is unnecessary but still related to the text. Here are a couple of examples with the parenthesis highlighted in green:

A parenthesis is usually offset with parenthetical punctuation marks, such as round brackets, commas, or dashes . A parenthesis often interrupts the flow of a text, earning it the nickname “The Interrupter”. 

The Purpose of Using Parentheses in Writing

We use parentheses to offset additional information in a sentence. For example, the parenthetical information can clarify the preceding writing or it might be a digression. This information can fit into one sentence, thus eliminating the need to write two sentences.

Examples of a Parenthesis

A parenthesis with brackets is the most common example, especially round ones. Let’s consider this example:

The parenthesis is clearly seen when parentheses (round brackets) are used to offset it. Round brackets are also used to introduce unfamiliar abbreviations when first used in writing. For example:

Square brackets or box brackets [ ] are used to alter words in a direct quotation in academic writing. These words clarify meaning, provide a brief explanation, or blend a writer’s words into the quote, making the quote more understandable for the reader. Consider this example:

Cyberbullying clarifies the meaning of the pronoun ‘it’ and is the word of the student writer rather than the original author (Taggert). In addition, you should know that square or box brackets must be used when altering words in a direct quotation. In other words, using round brackets would be incorrect.

You would also use square brackets when using sic in quotes . Sic is based on the Latin phrase sic erat scriptum (thus it was written), and is used to show that a quote has been reproduced exactly as it appears in the source text, complete with any errors:

Curly brackets or braces { } are rarely used in formal writing, but they serve a purpose. In this case, they denote a list within a list. Here’s an example:

The words in the braces illustrate a list within a list, in this case, the list of dairy products.

Commas are also commonly used for parentheses. They keep the focus on the surrounding text. For example:

Unfortunately, commas aren’t popular with readers for parenthetical emphasis. They have other roles, such as separating list items and offsetting adverbial phrases. Because of this, readers often become confused about where the parenthesis starts and ends. Therefore, writers should carefully consider using commas to offset parentheses. For instance, if a parenthesis contains commas, additional commas to offset it would potentially confuse the reader. Let’s look at an example:

Wow! Talk about a comma overload! It’s hard to know where the parenthetical offset is, and this would read better with round brackets. Let’s try this:

We can agree that the parenthetical offset is easier to see.

Parenthetical offset using dashes increases the focus on the parenthesis. We tend to find dashes in fiction writing; however, they can also be used in quotations. You would use either an en or em dash to offset a parenthesis. An en dash (–) uses a punctuation mark longer than a hyphen (-). An em dash (—) is a slightly longer punctuation mark than an en dash. Let’s look at examples of en and em dashes in action:

With the en dash, you add a space on either side of each dash. However, em dashes are left unspaced. So, if there are two types of dashes, which one should you use? This will depend on your audience. Dashes are used differently in U.S. English than in U.K. English . If your audience is using U.S. English, you will use the unspaced em dash; for U.K. English, it will be the spaced en dash.

You should know that using the hyphen (-) instead of dashes would be incorrect for parenthetical offset. In fact, many writers erroneously use hyphens to offset a parenthesis. They often aren’t aware of the dash rule or don’t know how to type an en or em dash .

When Should You Use a Parenthesis?

A parenthesis is good for adding extra information to a sentence. A text without a single parenthesis would be dull to read. You should also use one to interrupt a sentence with an afterthought or digression. Additionally, parentheses are needed to separate words or phrases for clarity. Moreover, you need parentheses when introducing unfamiliar abbreviations in academic writing.

Rules for Parentheses

Of course, there are rules for using parentheses, which you should be aware of.

Placement Within a Sentence

Parentheses can enclose a single word, a sentence fragment, a complete sentence, or multiple complete sentences.

·   Single word – Pauline is coming to my party (yay!), and she’s bringing a cake.

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·   Fragment – Pauline is coming to my party (or so she says), and she’s bringing a cake.

·   Full sentence – Pauline is coming to my party, and she’s bringing a cake. (Does she remember how to get to my place, though?)

·   Multiple sentences – Pauline is coming to my party, and she’s bringing a cake. (Does she remember how to get to my place, though? She forgot the last time.)

Punctuation Usage With Parentheses

Parentheses tend to end up with some extra punctuation, especially when they’re at the end of a sentence.

Periods, commas, exclamation points, and question marks that belong to the outside sentence always go outside the parenthesis. For example:

Formatting Parentheses in Academic Writing

Parenthetical information should not be necessary to the rest of the text. If you remove the text in parentheses, the sentence should still be complete and correct. Consider these examples:

If we remove the text in parentheses, the sentence isn’t clear. What do they need to be? However, with “before 6 p.m.” in parentheses, we know this individual needs to be back at their hotel before 6 p.m.

The subject-verb agreement should also ignore anything in parentheses. For example:

You will need to use the correct bracket style in academic writing. Round brackets, ( ), add extra information in a text, while square brackets, [ ], add extra information that wasn’t in the original quote. Additionally, round brackets are used when introducing abbreviations. Finally, you use square brackets when using sic in quotes.

So that’s it for parentheses. Here’s a summary of key points:

●  Parentheses are important for any text; without them, the text would be dull to read.

●  Brackets, commas, and dashes exemplify parentheses; however, commas can sometimes be confusing when used as parentheses.

●  Parentheses can enclose a single word, a sentence fragment, a complete sentence, or multiple complete sentences.

●  You will need to format parentheses correctly for academic writing.

●  Be careful with punctuation use with parentheses.

●  Brackets play a crucial role in academic writing (introducing abbreviations).

Parentheses make any text more interesting to read. The additional information, clarification, or afterthought provided by a parenthesis in a sentence is usually essential to keep readers informed, on track, or engaged with the author’s thinking. Therefore, writers should be comfortable using parentheses. You will use parentheses more in some contexts and less in others. No matter the context, if your parenthesis is short, consider not using any parenthetical punctuation.

Are you currently working on a cover letter, essay, or other writing and unsure of correctly using parentheses? How about letting the proofreading experts at Proofed review your writing? We can check for grammar and punctuation errors and ensure perfect spelling. We will also ensure the correct use of parentheses. Consider submitting a 500-word document for free today!

1.   What is the definition of parenthesis?

A parenthesis is a word, phrase, or clause inserted into a sentence as an explanation or afterthought. The information in parentheses is unnecessary but still related to the text.

2.   What are the uses of parenthesis in writing?

Parenthesis offsets additional information in a sentence instead of writing it in a separate sentence. For example, the parenthetical information clarifies or explains or might offer a digression.

3.   When should parenthesis be used instead of commas or dashes?

Parentheses are most useful to include short asides or background information such as dates, percentages, and financial information. Parentheses should be used for adding information to quotes or introducing unfamiliar abbreviations in academic writing. For more information on parentheses, commas, and dashes, check out this link .

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Writing with artificial intelligence, parentheses.

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Julia L. McMillan

Parentheses (also called  brackets  in British English) are a punctuation mark used to contain text that is not part of the main sentence, but that is too important to either leave out entirely or to put in a footnote or an endnote. Since there are many reasons to use parentheses, be sure that the function of parentheses is always made clear to your readers.

Reasons to Use Parentheses

1. To include extra information The first function of parentheses is to offer extra information. Parentheses communicate to readers that the material inside the parentheses is not necessary to understand the main sentence, nor is it part of the grammar of the main sentence, but is pertinent enough to be included. In the example sentences below, the parenthetical text is not necessary for either the grammatical or the logical completeness of the sentence, but offers some extra, closely related information that the writer felt the reader should have.

This information may be a scientific fact: “The liquid was brought to 212° F (the boiling point of water) and then poured into molds.”

A birth date, death date, or range of dates: “The anarcho-feminist Emma Goldman (b. 1869) was largely forgotten after her death, but experienced a huge resurgence of notoriety in the 1970s.”

A political party affiliation or title: “Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his candidacy for president in Burlington, Vermont, on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.”

Or simply non-essential information: “My sister (according to Emily, who considers herself almost another parent) has always been the smartest person in the family.”

Simple non-essential information can also be formatted using long dashes, known as em-dashes . Please note that there are no spaces before or after em-dashes: “My sister—according to Emily, who considers herself almost another parent—has always been the smartest person in the family.”

Parenthetical text can, in addition to being set off with em-dashes or parentheses, be denoted using commas. However, if there are other commas in the sentence, this method of punctuation can become ambiguous, as in the following example: “My sister, according to Emily, who considers herself almost another parent, has always been the smartest person in the family.”

Here, the use of commas as the sole punctuation mark makes it unclear who “considers herself almost another parent”: “my sister” or Emily.

2. To cite authors There are many different formats for citing authors and sources within a scholarly text. Many of these formats request that information such as authors’ names and year of publication be given in a parenthetical citation.

When providing citations, be sure that it is clear to your readers what exactly the citation pertains to. For example:

“The proportional carbon content of this component, 20%, is very similar to that found in pine trees (Winston et al. 2010),” implies that the present study has replicated Winston et al.’s prior finding regarding the carbon content of pine trees.

In contrast: “The proportional carbon content of this component, 20%, is very similar to that found in pine trees (See Winston et al. 2010 for a detailed description of the analyses)” clarifies that Winston et al. established the method by which this analysis was carried out, but may not have necessarily had the same findings.

3. To introduce abbreviations The first time that an abbreviation appears in the main text, it should appear within parentheses next to its full form:

“Interest rates at First Regional Bank (FRB) have risen steadily over the past 20 years, despite FRB’s official corporate policy of offering affordable rates to the community.”

If you offer an abbreviation of a translated term, please specify its original-language form in a parenthetical citation, in italics. This prevents confusion around abbreviations that don’t seem to be logically related to the words they stand for. For example:

“The unexpected closure of the National Development Bank (BND; Banco Nacional de Desarrollo ) wreaked havoc on the economy.”

4. To translate words or short phrases Use parentheses to translate a word or a short phrase into English. For example:

“The Japanese title of Sensei (teacher) conveys the honor and respect accorded to older and wiser members of society.”

Note that Sensei is italicized to clearly denote the non-English word or words being defined.

“Germans wish each other a ‘Guten Rutsch’ (good slide) into the new year.”

Note that, in this second example, the words being defined are a direct, spoken quotation, indicated by quotation marks. Since the quotation marks clearly denote what text is being translated, italics are not needed.

5. To give examples Use parentheses to offer examples. When using parentheses for this purpose, always preface your list with “e.g.” or other clarifying text.

“While my doctor was glad to hear that I regularly engage in plenty of strength-building physical activities (e.g., yoga, Pilates, and rock climbing), she was concerned that I don’t do anything very aerobic.”

6. To define or restate a word Use parentheses when you think that readers may benefit from a brief definition or restatement of a word. Such parenthetical text can be a good idea when a word has many possible different definitions, or when you are using a discipline-specific word with an audience who may not be familiar with it. The following example illustrates not only a word that has many alternative meanings, but one that is being used in a way that is likely not familiar to most readers:

“Sports gamblers can spend hours debating the spread (i.e., the number of points between the winner and the loser) of a big upcoming game.”

7. To introduce terms Use parentheses to introduce terms; i.e., words or phrases that have a clearly defined meaning or scope. Terms presented parenthetically are italicized. For example, in the sentence, “Patients were asked to give examples of bad experiences ( trauma ) they had experienced as children,” trauma is situationally defined as referring to “bad experiences.” In a paper discussing trauma, a precise and consistent definition of this term ensures that readers do not apply one of the many other logical definitions of the word “trauma.”

Note that “i.e.” can also be used instead of parentheses to denote explanations of terms:

“Patients were asked to give examples of bad experiences, i.e., trauma , they had experienced as children.”

8. To interrupt The final reason to use parenthetical text is to convey an interruption or an aside. This is common in literature, when reproducing spoken words: “Now, just as the princess was beginning to think that all was lost—yes, Hattie, the princess’s name was Jenny, just like your dolly—she heard a thunderous knock at the front door.”

Interruptions may also be appropriate in very informal scholarly writing: “English is a difficult language to learn (although, according to a number of prominent linguists, it is not even among the top ten hardest, globally), especially for those who have neither a Romance nor a Germanic native tongue.”

However, too many interruptions make it hard for readers to follow your paper’s logic or grammar, and may indicate organizational problems. If you really think that it would be helpful to readers to insert such an unrelated piece of information, a footnote or endnote may be less distracting.

Tips on Parentheses Usage

Whatever the function of your parenthetical text, be sure to place it as close as possible to the word or words that it is supplementing, citing, abbreviating, translating, exemplifying, defining, or restating.

Parenthetical text must stand completely outside of the grammar of the main sentence. To test this, simply remove or insert the parenthetical text. If the sentence’s grammar becomes incorrect or its meaning changes, your parenthetical text is not truly parenthetical.

Sometimes the grammatical and logical separateness of parenthetical text can be deceptive. For example, the sentence “High heels are (particularly) dangerous in wintery weather” really makes two separate statements:

• High heels are dangerous in wintery weather.
• High heels are always dangerous, but particularly so in wintery weather.

While these two meanings are similar, they are different: the first argues for the dangers of high heels in a specific weather condition, while the second implies that high heels are always dangerous. The writer of this sentence needs to review the point that they are arguing: Is the argument that high heels are dangerous in the winter, or that high heels are always dangerous? Failing to correct fuzzy distinctions like these can contribute to muddy logic and hard-to-follow papers.

Using parentheses to compress multiple ideas into a single sentence is also discouraged. For example, a writer might want to compress “We were interested in the advantages of a long-format interview, as well as the disadvantages of a short-format interview” into the more succinct “We were interested in the advantages (disadvantages) of a long (short)-format interview.” Although such a shorthand version may be clear to insiders or appropriate for informal contexts, its logical ambiguity and nonstandard grammar preclude it from use in formal scholarly writing.

Finally, when writing a paper or other scholarly text, parentheses should not be used to indicate sarcasm, or to snidely editorialize. Take the following sentence: “While the Stop and Frisk policy has been (barely) effective in reducing crime, it does so at a great social cost.” Here, the author indirectly grumbles about this policy, but adopts an unprofessional tone and does not fully explain their reasoning, reducing the impact of the argument. A more effective tactic is to say exactly what you mean: “The Stop and Frisk policy has been estimated to reduce crime, at most, by less than one percent, and at the social cost of thousands of humiliating and unnecessary public searches.”

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Dashes and Parentheses

Dashes and parentheses indicate an “aside” to the point you are making in your sentence. Although sometimes considered interchangeable, each serves a specific purpose in your writing. Dashes interrupt your writing to insert an interjection or pause, while parentheses gently add information to your point. A word of caution: although parentheses can be used throughout all writing genres, dashes are rarely used in formal academic research. Dashes are more common in fiction writing and in more casual texts. Another word of caution: make sure that you are introducing relevant additional information with your dashes or parentheses and that it is not just added for fluff. Strive to be clean and clear in your writing.

In this handout, we have provided some guidelines for using each punctuation mark.

An em dash—inserted by typing Control+Alt+Minus between the words it separates—signals an abrupt break in thought. It can be seen as “surprising” the reader with information. If used judiciously it can mark a longer, more dramatic pause and provide more emphasis than a comma can. If overused, it creates an impression of haste and carelessness and can diminish cohesion in your paragraphs. Em dashes are useful in early drafts to capture thoughts and afterthoughts, but in revising you may need to delete them in favor of punctuation marks that better express your ideas, such as commas (see our handout on  Commas  for more information). Think carefully before peppering your papers with them.

Tip:  When using the em dash in a sentence, you do not place spaces on either side of the punctuation mark, except in some journalistic styles of writing.

If you wish to use dashes effectively here are some guidelines:

If the main sentence resumes, a second dash is needed. Don’t allow a comma to substitute for the second dash, and be sure that your sentence would make sense if the part without the dashes were omitted:

Example : The actors bowed—except for the horse—knowing they blew everyone away!

Don’t combine dashes with other punctuation marks:

Inappropriate : They acquired several horses at the fair, —a winner, a loser, and a beer-drinking mare.

Appropriate:  They acquired several horses at the fair—a winner, a loser, and a beer drinking mare.

Use dashes to mark the beginning and end of a series, which might otherwise get confused, with the rest of the sentence:

Example : The three female characters—the wife, the nun, and the jockey—are the incarnation of excellence.

Dashes are also used to mark the interruption of a sentence in dialogue:

Example : “Help! This horse is going too fast,” the actor yelled. “I think I am fall—.”

NOTE:  Colons are preferred when introducing a list. See our  Colons  handout for more information.

The Parentheses

Parentheses also signify a break in thought, but they mark an addition of information rather than an interruption like dashes do. Rather than a surprise (like dashes), parentheses are a gentler insertion in your sentence. Also like dashes, parentheses should be used sparingly. Too many can break the clarity and flow of your ideas. Another thing to keep in mind is that they are often seen as casual in tone, so make sure they are appropriate for the style of writing you are using. If not, punctuation marks such as commas are often more academically appropriate.

If you wish to use parentheses effectively here are some guidelines:

Parentheses can be used to set off incidental information such as numbers, dates, examples, and references:

Example : The show will run for a staggering seventeen (17) weekends.

Example : A recent study examined wellness practices among Kentucky Derby winning jockeys (Calamine, 2012).

Example : The use of “human” as a noun (“Humans are sentient beings”) has been criticized.

No mark of punctuation should ever precede a parentheses, but you can use punctuation after the closing parentheses if necessary. The rule is that the parentheses shouldn’t affect the punctuation of the main statement:

Example : After several weeks of exercises (memory and voice), he finally began to feel competent.

If the enclosed matter is the last part of the sentence, the period comes after the parentheses, as in the next example:

Example : Horses should be regarded as assets (but only the working kind).

Like dashes, parentheses can be overused, as in:

Example : Though making a production about a winning horse has its dilemmas (having the space and the janitors necessary) and the normal problems expected in any play (big egos, emotional cast, and a low budget), it is an immense satisfaction to make it happen.

NOTE:   Dashes and parentheses are great tools to use when you need to add additional information in your sentences. However, keep in mind that they must be used judiciously, and sparingly. If used too often they can complicate the flow of your sentences, which can confuse your reader. Almost any instance of a dash or parentheses is going to be “fluff” or unnecessary, so it is up to you to decide whether the information you want to add is worth the risk of cluttering up your sentences.

🌟 New Update: As of JAN 30, 2024, Experience enhanced grammar and punctuation detection! 🚀

Parentheses in Writing: What They Are and How to Use Them

There are a lot of things you need to cover if you want to improve your writing skills. Grammar and syntax are important parts of the equation, as is vocabulary, but there is another equally essential aspect of your improvement journey that you must focus on: punctuation. Parentheses in writing are an essential form of punctuation, so in this article, we’ll break them down and tell you all you need to know.

What are parentheses used for in writing?

Parentheses have a bunch of different uses in fields like math and science, but they also play an important role in writing. You can use them to add additional context to a sentence like in this example:

The bakery (which was just down the street) had great croissants.

They’re also useful for adding citations or references in academic writing.

What does the parentheses punctuation symbol look like?

The parenthesis symbol looks kind of like the letter C, but with a less pronounced curve. Here’s an example: “( )”

This is a set of closed parentheses.

Where is the parentheses punctuation mark on the American keyboard?

You can find the parentheses symbols in the number row. If you press the number 9 while holding down the SHIFT key, you’ll create the left parenthesis “(“. For the right parenthesis, you need to press 0 while holding down the SHIFT key.

What are the different types of parentheses?

There are quite a few different kinds of parentheses, starting with the traditional and widely used round parentheses that look like this “( )”. There are other kinds of parentheses as well, such as square brackets “[ ]”, curly braces “{ }”, and angle brackets “< >”. You can use square brackets to incorporate additional context or edits in your work, but curly braces and angle brackets generally aren’t as useful in writing.

When is it appropriate to use parentheses when writing?

Parentheses can allow you to add some context to your text. They can help clarify what you mean in a sentence, or provide additional information that the reader may not have otherwise received. That’s not all that they can help with, though – you can also use them in academic writing to enclose the date of a particular citation, or the citation itself.

What types of information should be enclosed in parentheses?

In the context of prose writing, parentheses should contain information that adds context to the preceding text. Here’s an example:

When we went to the store (early in the morning) they were out of pasta.

In the realm of academic writing, parentheses can contain citations or sources that the text is drawing from. What’s more, when you’re sending out official emails, you can use parentheses to mark clarifications or corrections. For example:

I’ll be there at 5 PM (not 3 PM as I mentioned yesterday).

Are there instances where you should avoid parentheses?

You should only use them to include extra context or information. If the information is essential to the text, it’s best to include it outside of parentheses. Also, try to avoid overusing them, since this can clutter up your text and make it a bit harder for people to read. A good rule of thumb is to only add information in parentheses if it clears confusion instead of adding to it..

How to know when to use parentheses in writing

Perhaps the best way to do this is by putting yourself in your reader’s shoes! Would you benefit from some extra information provided in parentheses, or would you prefer it if the information was part of the regular text? It’s best to do some reading to figure it out so that you can internalize how to use it.

Should I place punctuation marks inside or outside parentheses?

It depends on whether the parentheses contain a complete sentence or not. If they do, that sentence should end with a period followed by the closed parentheses. However, if the parentheses contain a fragment, any further punctuation marks such as periods and commas should come after the closed parentheses. Of course, you should place commas and colons as usual within the parentheses for complete sentences.

How to use parentheses according to the Chicago, APA, and MLA style guides

There are slight variations in how you should use parentheses based on these three major style guides. 

• According to the Chicago Manual of Style, you can use parentheses to include citations, corrections, and context in a sentence. They can also include dates, and citations should feature the author’s last name, the date they were published, and the page number.
• The APA Style generally doesn’t allow for context adding information within parentheses. They’re reserved for citations, which should include the author’s name and year of publication.
• Parentheses are crucial for adding citations in the MLM format. They can also include corrections or clarifications for the text, which is an essential part of the scientific method.

Should parentheses be used in titles or headings?

According to most style guides, parentheses generally don’t belong in a title or a heading. They’re meant to provide extra information, and they might make your heading or title look slightly unprofessional.

What is the difference between parentheses, brackets, and braces, and when should I use each of them?

Each of these types of punctuation serve an important role in your writing. Here’s what they are and how you can use them:

• Parentheses: 

These curved punctuation marks can enclose information, add corrections for previous errors, or give the readers a bit of context. They can help you include information that’s related to the main point, but not exactly essential.

Square brackets can indicate that you changed a part of a quote for enhanced readability. Here are two sample sentences:

Barbara forgot it at home.

Barbara forgot [her phone] at home.

The first sentence is a direct quote, but the additional information in the square brackets can help readers understand the quote.

Sometimes called curly braces or curly brackets,  these punctuation marks serve an essential role in computer programming to enclose functions. They’re not particularly relevant for writing, but make sure you learn how to use them if you want to become a coder!

What tool can I use to check for proper use of parentheses in writing?

Grammarlookup is the best tool for checking your text for typos, grammatical errors, and improper uses of punctuation. If you think that you might’ve made a mistake with your parentheses, just paste your text in our tool and it’ll point all of the flaws out!

Free Grammar And Punctuation Check!

Grammarlookup uses artificial intelligence to check grammar and punctuation mistakes in your writing, eliminate spelling errors, and highlight 1000s of style issues to make your writing exceptional.

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

How To Use Parentheses: Your Go-To Guide

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: April 21, 2021

Part of being a good writer means knowing how to use parentheses. Parentheses are a great tool to use to add extra information to a sentence. There are several grammatical reasons why you’d use parentheses in your writing. Along with the rules, there are some special cases and exceptions.

Here, we will share all you should know about parentheses, from what they are to when to use parentheses.

What are Parentheses?

Parentheses are a grammatical symbol that holds extra information within them. While they look similar to brackets, they are rounded.

Take a look:

Parentheses: ( )

Brackets: [ ]

Inside parenthesis, you may have just one word, a fragment, or a complete sentence. A lot of people get confused about whether or not to add a period inside parentheses. This is another topic we will cover!

Parentheses are always used in pairs, so if you open them up, you have to close them with the other half.

When to Use Parentheses

You use parentheses when you want to add additional information into a sentence. To use them properly, the information inside the parentheses may not be necessary to the sentence standing alone as a grammatically complete thought. The best way to make sure your sentence is correct without the parentheses is to read the sentence and ignore the content in the parentheses. If the sentence makes sense, then it can stand as is.

For example, here’s a correct and incorrect usage of parentheses:

Correct: Mia had to take her dog (a grey pitbull) to the vet.

Incorrect: Mia (had to take) her dog, a grey pitbull, to the vet.

How to Punctuate with Parentheses

While the usage of parentheses is straightforward, knowing how to punctuate with parentheses is not always as clear. Here’s a look at the rules:

Stand Alone

If a sentence within a parenthetical can stand on its own as a complete sentence, place the period inside the closing parenthesis. For example: He went on a long vacation. (Don’t tell his parents, because it’s a secret.)

End of Sentence

If the parentheses adds extra information to the end of a sentence, but is not a complete sentence on its own, then you place the period outside of the closing parenthesis. For example: She went to the grocery store and bought a lot of items (sugar, bread, candy, beer, and vegetables).

Middle of Sentence

If you add the parentheses in the middle of a sentence and need to add any type of grammatical symbol, then you place it outside of the closing parenthesis. For example: He earned a lot of money working this summer ($50,000), but he spent it all quickly.

Complete Sentence

If you have a complete sentence in parentheses that stands inside another complete sentence, you can put an exclamation point or question mark inside the parentheses, but you still end the sentence with a period outside. For example: A lot of people had a boring summer because of the pandemic, but other people still took the opportunity to fly abroad (I still traveled!).

Exceptions and Special Cases

There are additional special cases in which people can include parentheses in their writing. Here’s a look at the common reasons to use them:

Numbered Lists

If you make a list and want to number the items within a sentence, you can use parentheses to distinguish the numbers from the items. For example: He told us to pack: (1) a shirt, (2) two pairs of jeans, (3) sneakers, and (4) phone chargers.

When writing phone numbers, the area code goes inside parentheses. For example: (516) 227-5867.

Many people will place time zones within parentheses, like: 10:30 a.m. (EST) or 7:30 a.m. (PST)

Translations in Text

Perhaps you’re writing something in English, but you incorporate a word in Spanish and want to define it. Then, you’ll put the translation in parentheses. To exemplify: When he was in Mexico, he kept screaming adios, amigos (goodbye, friends) before he left a room.

First Use of Acronym

When you first incorporate an acronym in your writing, you may put it in parentheses. Here’s an example: He is the CEO (chief executive officer) of Apple.

Abbreviations

You can do the same with abbreviations and acronyms appearing inside the parentheses instead. Then, in the remainder of the writing, you can continue to place the abbreviation instead of the whole word. To exemplify: In our Biology class, we learned about deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) today. DNA is a double-helix.

Grammar Rules are Made to be Followed

Knowing how to use parentheses helps to make your writing flow well. You can incorporate parentheses to add additional information into your sentences and provide the reader with more detail. When you use parentheses, you’ll have to consider where within the complete sentence the parentheses exist. This generally will help you know where to place grammatical symbols like commas, periods, exclamation marks, and question marks.

Along with providing you a way to add more color to your writing, parentheses are used for many other reasons, as listed above. From defining acronyms and abbreviations to separating area codes in phone numbers, you’re likely to come across parentheses often in writing.

In this article

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone.

How to Use Parentheses in Writing

The punctuation mark sets off thoughts from a sentence

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

The parenthesis is a  punctuation  mark, which is written or typed as an upright curved line. Two parentheses, ( ), are generally paired and used to mark off explanatory or qualifying remarks in writing. Parentheses indicate an  interrupting phrase , a word group (a statement,  question , or  exclamation ) that interrupts the flow of a sentence  and can also be set off with  commas  or  dashes .

The parenthesis is a type of  bracket , which when paired with another bracket—[ ] — is used to interject text within other text. Parentheses are prevalent in mathematics, too, where they are used to set off arithmetic symbols as well as numbers, operations, and equations. 

Origins of the Parenthesis

The symbols themselves first showed up in the late 14th century, with scribes using  virgulae convexae  (also called  half moons ) for a variety of purposes. By the end of the 16th century, the  parenthesis  (from the Latin for "insert beside") had begun to assume its modern role, as Richard Mulcaster explained in "Elementarie," which was published in 1582:

"Parenthesis is expressed by two half circles, which in writing enclose some perfit branch, as not mere impertinent, so not fullie concident to the sentence, which it breaketh, and in reading warneth us, that the words inclosed by them ar to be pronounced with a lower & quikker voice, then the words either before them or after them."

In her book "Quoting Speech in Early English," Colette Moore notes that parentheses, like other marks of punctuation, originally had both " elocutionary  and  grammatical " functions:

"[W]e see that whether through vocal or  syntactic  means, the parentheses are taken as a means to downplay the significance of the material enclosed within."

Spanning more than 400 years (Moore's book was published in 2011), both authors say essentially the same thing: Parentheses separate text that, while important in that it adds meaning, is less significant than the text that falls outside of these punctuation marks.

Parentheses allow for the insertion of some verbal unit that interrupts the normal syntactic flow of the sentence. These are called  parenthetical  elements, which may also be set off by dashes . An example of parentheses in use would be:

"The students (it must be acknowledged) are a foul-mouthed bunch."

The important information in this sentence is that the students are foul-mouthed. The aside adds texture to the sentence, but the statement would work fine and make sense without the parenthetical information. The Chicago Manual of Style Online explains that parentheses, which are stronger than commas or dashes, set off material from the surrounding text, adding that; "Like dashes but unlike commas, parentheses can set off text that has no grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence." The style guide gives these examples:

• Intelligence tests (e.g., the Stanford-Binet) are no longer widely used.
• Our final sample (collected under difficult conditions) contained an impurity.
• Wexford’s analysis (see chapter 3) is more to the point.
• The disagreement between Johns and Evans (its origins have been discussed elsewhere) ultimately destroyed the organization.

The style manual also notes that you can use parentheses as delimiters for letters or numbers in a list or outline, as well as in academic uses including parenthetical references to a list of works cited.

Using Parentheses Correctly

Parentheses (as with other punctuation marks) can be tricky to use until you understand a few simple rules:

Adding additional information:  June Casagrande, author of "The Best Punctuation Book, Period.", notes that you can use parentheses to convey additional information, such as:

• The new sedan is fast (it goes from zero to 60 in just six seconds).
• The boss (who had walked in just in time to see the accident) was furious.
• She strolled the third  arrondissement  (district).

In the first sentence, the statement,  The new sedan is fast, does not end with a period. Instead, you place the period after the parenthetical sentence (as well as the final parenthesis),  it goes from zero to 60 in just six seconds . You also start the parenthetical sentence with a lowercase letter ( i ) because it is still considered part of the overall sentence and not a separate statement.

In the second sentence, you might argue that the parenthetical information (the fact that the boss saw an accident) is key to understanding the sentence. In the third sentence, the parenthetical word district is an English translation of the French word  arrondissement . Though the word  district  is parenthetical, it might be important in helping a non-French-speaking reader understand the sentence.

Delimiters for letters or numbers in a list:  The Chicago Manual of Style says you should put parentheses around each number or letter in a list, as in these examples:

• Compose three sentences to illustrate analogous uses of (1) commas, (2) em dashes, and (3) parentheses.
• For the duration of the experiment, the dieters were instructed to avoid (a) meat, (b) bottled drinks, (c) packaged foods, and (d) nicotine.

In-text citations/reference information : The Chicago Manual calls them parenthetical citations, while the American Psychological Association (which sets  APA style ) calls them in-text citations. These are citations placed within the text in an academic paper, journal article, or book that points the reader to a more complete citation in the bibliography or references section. Examples, as noted by  Purdue OWL , are:

• According to Jones (2018), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199). 
• Jones (2018) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?
• The study participants showed no improvement in cholesterol levels (McLellan and Frost, 2012).

For these types of parenthetical citations, you generally include the year of the publication, the author(s)' names, and, if needed, the page number(s). Note also that in the previous sentence, you can use parentheses around a single letter, indicating that the word "number" may be singular referring to a single page number, or it may be plural, referring to two or more page numbers or that there may be only a single author or several authors.

Mathematical problems:  In  math , parentheses are used to group numbers or variables, or both. When you see a math problem containing parentheses, you need to use the  order of operations  to solve it. Take as an example the problem:  9 - 5 ÷ (8 - 3) x 2 + 6 . In this problem, you would calculate the operation within the parentheses first, even if it is an operation that would normally come after the other operations in the problem.

Parenthetical Observations

Neil Gaiman really likes parentheses. Biographer Hank Wagner quoted the British author in "Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman" explaining why he is a fan of these curved punctuation marks:

"I admired [C.S. Lewis's] use of parenthetical statements to the reader, where he would just go talk to you. Suddenly the author would address a private aside to you, the reader. It was just you and him. I'd think, 'Oh, my gosh, that is so cool! I want to do that! When I become an author, I want to be able to do things in parentheses.' "

Gaimen may feel blessed when the author offers him a "personal" aside, but other writers say that parentheses may be a clue that the sentence is becoming contorted. As author Sarah Vowell notes in her book, "Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World," with a touch of sarcasm:

"I have a similar affection for the parenthesis (but I always take most of my parentheses out, so as not to call undue attention to the glaring fact that I cannot think in complete sentences, that I think only in short  fragments  or long,  run-on  thought relays that the literati call  stream of consciousness  but I still like to think of as disdain for the finality of the period)."

So take the advice of "The Associated Press Stylebook." Be kind to your readers and use parentheses sparingly. Rewrite your sentence if you find you are including long asides or more than one set of parentheses. Use these punctuation marks only when you have a short, pithy, and interesting bit to convey to readers to heighten their interest—not confuse them.

• Common Keyboard Symbols: Names, Uses, and Styles
• Question Mark Definition and Examples
• Definition and Examples of Asterisks (*)
• Simplifying Expressions With the Distributive Property Law
• How to Use a Dash
• How to Use Footnotes in Research Papers
• What Is an Aside in Speech and Writing?
• What Is a Citation?
• How to Use Brackets Correctly in Writing
• Conciseness for Better Composition
• APA In-Text Citations
• Understanding Parenthetical Elements
• Ellipsis: Definition and Examples in Grammar
• How to Begin a Sentence With 'And' or 'But'
• Definition and Examples of Periods: Full Stop
• What is Copyediting?

This page has been archived and is no longer being updated regularly.

What is the correct way to use parentheses?

Go to 7th edition guidelines

Use parentheses

to set off structurally independent elements

• The patterns were significant (see Figure 5).
• (When a complete sentence is enclosed in parentheses, place punctuation in the sentence inside the parentheses, like this.)
• If only part of a sentence is enclosed in parentheses (like this), place punctuation outside the parentheses (like this).

to set off letters that identify items in a series within a sentence or paragraph (see also section 3.04 on seriation)

• Example: The subject areas included (a) synonyms associated with cultural interactions, (b) descriptors for ethnic group membership, and (c) psychological symptoms and outcomes associated with bicultural adaptation.

to group mathematical expressions (see also sections 4.09 and 4.48 in the Publication Manual )

• Example: ( k – 1)/( g – 2)

to enclose numbers that identify displayed formulas and equations

• Example: Mj = α Mj–1 + fj + gj * gj' (1)

to enclose statistical values

• Example: was statistically significant ( p = .031)

(adapted from the sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual , © 2010)

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

• How and When to Use Parentheses

Parentheses are most commonly seen these days as the lower half of emoticons. They're good for much more than just being the smile in a smiley face, though. Learning how to properly use the crescents atop your 9 and 0 keys can add a whole new dimension to your writing. The following is as comprehensive a list as of parenthetical uses as I could come up with. If I'm missing one, be sure to let me know!

Use Parentheses to Enclose Numbers or Letters in a Series

There is no hard-set rule for using parentheses to set off items in a series. That's good news for you because that means you have quite a few options from which to choose. Get creative and choose one of the following options that best represents your style. Notice I said ONE of the following. Consistency is best in that it makes your writing cohesive and doesn't confuse your readers. So even if you think mixing up all the different styles of setting off items with parentheses looks so cool, restrain yourself for your readers' sake.

• Three elements to a story include (1)characters, (2)setting, and (3)plot.
• Three elements to a story include 1)characters, 2)setting, and 3)plot.
• Three elements to a story include 1.)characters, 2.)setting, and 3.)plot
• Three elements to a story include (a)characters, (b)setting, and (c)plot.
• Three elements to a story include a)characters, b)setting, and c)plot.
• Three elements to a story include a.)characters, b.)setting, and c.)plot.

Use Parentheses to Enclose Supplemental Information

For the last five years (some say longer), the house on the hill has been haunted. We read Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" (one of my favorite stories) this semester in class.

Use Parentheses to Indicate the Plural of Nouns

If anyone has any information about the person(s) who committed this crime, please call the sheriff's office. In the following section of the exam, circle the grammatical error(s) in each of the sentences.

Use Parentheses to Indicate an Acronym

President Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is to stop drunk driving altogether.

Use Parentheses to Enclose Dates

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) is one of my favorite poets. Neil Gaiman (b. 1960) is an inspiration to aspiring authors everywhere.

Use Parentheses to Enclose Citations

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" is one of the most well-known quotes in literature, even among those who have never read A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens).

Photo credit: theilr

17 comments:

i like this post thanks for sharing info. Very thank for sharing all the information you offer here. There are so many people have replyed here,and i would like to take part in.

Does this work? We hiked up the mountain for one hour. We then hiked (in) for another quarter hour, until reaching the bowl.

Hi, Anonymous! I'm so sorry for taking this long to get back to you; Blogger just now showed me your comment. Your use of parentheses would be odd for a formal paper (I'd suggest writing an extra sentence to elaborate on the fact that you were hiking INTO the area instead of the assumed UP), but for informal writing (like a comment on Facebook or a blog post) it does work. I make little clarifications like that all the time when writing informally and know my audience won't hold it against me that I didn't take the time to write another sentence or paragraph to clarify. I actually prefer the brevity of being able to add a snippet of info in parentheses like that - like an info hit-and-run. Hope that helps!!

Thanks bro. This was really helpful, and I'm glad to see that some people remember that those weird symbols on keyboards have an actual use.

Acronyms and abbreviations are not the same. An acronym is the first letter of each word in a set that by themselves form a pronounceable word; Mothers Against Drunk Drivers,MADD. An abbreviation is the same, but does not form a word; Central Intelligence Agency, CIA. MADD is an acronym, CIA is an abbreviation.

Per MLA rules, is the following use of parentheses to enclose reference correct? Autopsy Report: On 04/05/12, the Department also received a copy of the investigator’s narrative from the County Coroner in regards to child, Baby Boy, and a confirmed positive toxicology screen for methamphetamine.  (See Exhibit A.)  

 Grammatically, your example is absolutely correct because "See" makes the sentence within the parentheses complete.  Unless the literature has a different trend, I'd include the directive to see the exhibit in the sentence, though. In medical publications, at least, you see the following more frequently: "Combined preoperative and postoperative data were available on 27 of the 57 patients who were receiving or had recently suspended clopidogrel (Table 2)."If it's common to see references to appendices, etc. in a separate parenthetical sentence, then by all means, use your example. There's nothing grammatically incorrect about it :),

It is, then, unnecessary to use an entire sentence in parentheses? "My idea (Do you think it is a good one?) was presented to the teacher earlier." One can write a small addition without adding punctuation or capitalization?

 Hi Atarii! Your conclusion is correct - the content inside the parentheses (if contained within a sentence, like this one) need not be a complete sentence and need not have capitalization or end punctuation (unless necessary to indicate emphasis ! or inquiry ? ).  Your example of (Do you think it is a good one?) is correct, but variations, such as (Is it a good one?), (a good one?), or (any good?) are perfectly acceptable as well.

I am writing my writing guarantee project and getting important points from different blogs and forums and This is my pleasure to being here on this blog..

your audience how many (if any) of the nouns are present. If the idea of not knowing in advance how many of a thing you are writing about (or intentionally trying to hide that number) confuses you, just look at the following examples.   rush essay writing

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Parentheses

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TIP Sheet PARENTHESES

Parentheses are used to enclose incidental or supplemental information or comments. The parenthetical information or comment may serve to clarify or illustrate, or it may just offer a digression or afterthought. Parentheses are also used to enclose certain numbers or letters in an outline or list.

1. Use parentheses to enclose additional or supplemental information that clarifies or illustrates a point.

In a business letter the salutation and body of the letter are flush left (against the left margin).

Everything that went wrong that day (the accident, the missed appointment, the argument) was eventually forgotten in the midst of the joyful celebration.

2. Use parentheses to offer a digression or afterthought.

The mayor should apologize for his angry outburst (so typical for someone caught in a lie) at the meeting last night.

Your use of citations in the last paper (which was beautifully written, by the way) offered a good example of how to avoid plagiarism.

3. Use parentheses to enclose numbers or letters introducing items in a list or outline.

There are five steps to cleaning an aquarium: (a) Put the fish somewhere else; (b) drain the water out; (c) scrub the inside of the glass; (d) add dechlorinated fresh water; and (e) return the fish.

4. Punctuate parenthetical material according to the following guidelines:

• A statement (as opposed to a question or exclamation) that is contained within parentheses inside another sentence does not begin with a capital letter or end with a period, even if it can stand alone as its own complete sentence.

His family's arrival (they had never called us) was a surprise.

• However, if the enclosed sentence forms a complete question or exclamation, then you may punctuate it as a complete sentence, beginning with a capital letter and ending with a question mark or exclamation point.

I am certain we saw a ghost (Have you ever seen one?) on the stairs that night. We were all frightened (My husband was terrified!) by the image we saw.

• Punctuation which applies to the surrounding sentence is placed outside the parentheses.

Should I invite him by telephone (very politely, of course)? When Frances sat down next to Ducky (her cat), she was very careful not to sit on her tail.

• If a parenthetical enclosure contains a complete sentence and it stands alone (not within another surrounding sentence, but between sentences), then punctuation appropriate to that sentence is placed inside the parentheses.

For years, his brother desperately wanted that car. (He finally gave it to him!) It was a 1948 Buick in mint condition.

Note: Refer to the TIP Sheets on "The Comma," "The Hyphen," and "The Dash, Slash, Brackets, and Ellipsis" to help you differentiate among the uses of parentheses and these other various punctuation marks.

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• The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples

The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples

Published on March 14, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on February 28, 2024.

An in-text citation is a short acknowledgement you include whenever you quote or take information from a source in academic writing. It points the reader to the source so they can see where you got your information.

In-text citations most commonly take the form of short parenthetical statements indicating the author and publication year of the source, as well as the page number if relevant.

We also offer a free citation generator and in-depth guides to the main citation styles.

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Table of contents

What are in-text citations for, when do you need an in-text citation, types of in-text citation, frequently asked questions about in-text citations.

The point of an in-text citation is to show your reader where your information comes from. Including citations:

• Avoids plagiarism by acknowledging the original author’s contribution
• Allows readers to verify your claims and do follow-up research
• Shows you are engaging with the literature of your field

Academic writing is seen as an ongoing conversation among scholars, both within and between fields of study. Showing exactly how your own research draws on and interacts with existing sources is essential to keeping this conversation going.

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An in-text citation should be included whenever you quote or paraphrase a source in your text.

Quoting means including the original author’s words directly in your text, usually introduced by a signal phrase . Quotes should always be cited (and indicated with quotation marks), and you should include a page number indicating where in the source the quote can be found.

Paraphrasing means putting information from a source into your own words. In-text citations are just as important here as with quotes, to avoid the impression you’re taking credit for someone else’s ideas. Include page numbers where possible, to show where the information can be found.

However, to avoid over-citation, bear in mind that some information is considered common knowledge and doesn’t need to be cited. For example, you don’t need a citation to prove that Paris is the capital city of France, and including one would be distracting.

Different types of in-text citation are used in different citation styles . They always direct the reader to a reference list giving more complete information on each source.

Author-date citations (used in APA , Harvard , and Chicago author-date ) include the author’s last name, the year of publication, and a page number when available. Author-page citations (used in MLA ) are the same except that the year is not included.

Both types are divided into parenthetical and narrative citations. In a parenthetical citation , the author’s name appears in parentheses along with the rest of the information. In a narrative citation , the author’s name appears as part of your sentence, not in parentheses.

Note: Footnote citations like those used in Chicago notes and bibliography are sometimes also referred to as in-text citations, but the citation itself appears in a note separate from the text.

An in-text citation is an acknowledgement you include in your text whenever you quote or paraphrase a source. It usually gives the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number of the relevant text. In-text citations allow the reader to look up the full source information in your reference list and see your sources for themselves.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.

• APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
• MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
• Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.

Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.

The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.

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Caulfield, J. (2024, February 28). The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/in-text-citation-styles/

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MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

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Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the  MLA Handbook  and in chapter 7 of the  MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.

Basic in-text citation rules

In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.

General Guidelines

• The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
• Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

In-text citations: Author-page style

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.

In-text citations for print sources with known author

For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.

These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:

Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.

In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author

When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.

In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems

If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:

The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).

Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.

In-text citations for print sources with no known author

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.

Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .

If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:

In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:

"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.

If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.

Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.

Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions

Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's  The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:

Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection

When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the  internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in  Nature  in 1921, you might write something like this:

See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .

Citing authors with same last names

Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:

Citing a work by multiple authors

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

Corresponding Works Cited entry:

Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR, doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1

For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.

Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.

Citing multiple works by the same author

If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

Citing two articles by the same author :

Citing two books by the same author :

Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):

Citing multivolume works

If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)

Citing the Bible

In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:

If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:

John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

Citing indirect sources

Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:

Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.

Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays

Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.

Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.

Here is an example from O'Neill's  The Iceman Cometh.

WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.

ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.

WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's  Evaluating Sources of Information  resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.

Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

• Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
• Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
• Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like  CNN.com  or  Forbes.com,  as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.

Miscellaneous non-print sources

Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:

In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:

Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.

Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.

Electronic sources

Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:

In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).

In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:

Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009. 

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.

Multiple citations

To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:

Time-based media sources

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

When a citation is not needed

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.

Other Sources

The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.

In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.

You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers⁠ —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.

Can You Put Parentheses Inside Parentheses?

| Candace Osmond

| Punctuation

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

Can you put parentheses inside parentheses? Maybe you can, but many grammarians will loathe you for it. Instead, you should use square brackets.

Keep reading as I show you how to insert square brackets within another set of parentheses. Learn what the APA and MLA say about enclosing another part of parenthetical material.

What Is a Parenthesis?

Parentheses (()) is a pair of punctuation marks that add additional information to a sentence. For example:

• Janice (my friend’s cousin) left her bag downstairs.
• The country’s economy declined during the pandemic. (See Table 6A.)

Parentheses Within Parentheses

Double parentheses in writing are a common issue I see all the time. For instance, within a parenthetical element that cites your source, you might want to include another parenthetical element like an abbreviation.

Fortunately, you can set off material from another parenthetical material using a different punctuation symbol. The square brackets ([]) exist to make your writing clearer. Both MLA and APA recommend this symbol to avoid overusing parentheses. For example:

• Incorrect: I asked for help with my library card (I went to the City Library Center (CLC)) and then saw Jenna.
• Correct: I asked for help with my library card (I went to the City Library Center [CLC]) and then saw Jenna.
• Incorrect: The museum (Museum of Fine Arts (Lier)) will open next year.
• Correct: The museum (Museum of Fine Arts [Lier]) will open next year.

MLA states that if a title in parentheses requires a parenthetical citation, use square brackets. APA also suggests creating a double enclosure in the text. For example:

• Incorrect: (True generosity includes fighting to destroy the reasons behind false charity (Freire, 1921) and creating more realistic solutions.)
• Correct: (True generosity includes fighting to destroy the reasons behind false charity [Freire, 1921] and creating more realistic solutions.)

You can also use semicolons or commas to separate citations from the parenthetical text. For example:

• Incorrect: Gender is socially constructed, while sex is defined by biological characteristics (e.g., genetics, anatomy, and physiology) (Mayer, 2010).
• Correct: Gender is socially constructed, while sex is defined by biological characteristics (e.g., genetics, anatomy, and physiology; Mayer, 2010).

But when using APA citations, it’s better to use commas around the date instead of brackets. For example:

• Incorrect: (Some critics, like Shaw [2018], say Science is a network instead of a branch of knowledge.)
• Correct: (Some critics, like Shaw, 2018, say Science is a network instead of a branch of knowledge.)

Make sure to have your brackets in the same type as the surrounding text. If it’s in italics, keep the brackets italicized. For example:

• (The lyrics [he did it] serve as a hook to intrigue the audience.)

Square brackets are also common in mathematical equations with the same purpose. We use them for the second level of enclosure. But this time, we add them outside the parentheses. For three levels, we add curly brackets outside. For example:

• 3[x +4(3x + 7)] = 600

Make Your Sentences Readable

Enclosing parenthetical material is a common issue in academic writing, especially when citing sources. When I was an editor, this was something I corrected on a regular basis.

Using square brackets instead of parentheses within parenthetical material will make your sentences clearer. Make sure to follow the guidelines provided by APA or MLA, depending on your style guide.

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Citation Guides: Parenthetical (In-Text) Citations

• Tools and Styles
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How to Format Parenthetical or In-Text Citations

An in-text citation provides your reader with two pieces of information:

• The first element from the corresponding works-cited list entry, usually the author's last name
• The location of the cited information in the work, usually a page number

Standard Formatting of the In-Text Citation

• Put the page number in parentheses
• Include the author's name ( or the title for works with no author ) in the sentence or in the parentheses before the page number.

Smyth makes a similar argument (3-4).

This point has been argued previously (Smyth 3-4).

The article "Black Workers Matter" links racism and union representation (18).

The link between racism and union representation is important ("Black Workers Matter" 18).

• If it is clear from the context which work you are citing, use only the page number .

Later, the protagonist of Jane Eyre proclaims, "I would always rather be happy than dignified" (413).  

• Multiple authors : 2-3 authors use the last names of each. For more than 3 authors, use the first author's last name and et al.

(Smith, Jones, and Brown 323)

(Bia et al. 161)

• For authors with the same last name , include their first initial .

(K. Shepard 36)

(J. Shepard 212)

• For works with no page numbers , use explicitly numbered parts of the work (paragraphs, sections, chapters). Use author (or title) alone if there are no numbered parts.

(Pushkin, ch. 5)

For more detailed information see MLA Handbook , 54-58, 116-128.

Additional MLA Style Guide Websites

• Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting & Style Guide ...updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8th ed.)
• Government & Legal Documents MLA Style (8th/9th Edition) Citation Guide (Portland State)
• Seneca Libraries - MLA Citation Guide (MLA 8th Ed.) Quote vs paraphrase, plagiarism tutorials, ask a citation expert, and more
• The MLA Handbook 8th Edition (2016) This is a print reference volume which is available in the Ely Library Reference Collection (REF LB 2369 .M53 2016).
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A Full Guide on How to Cite an Article in an Essay in MLA and APA

July 23, 2024

Most students wonder whether it is possible to cite an article in an essay. The answer is “Yes”! Why not do this if you are aware of the citing regulations? If you are going to cite published essays when preparing an academic assignment, take into account that the guidelines on how to do this the right way vary from style to style. If you are assigned to write a paper in the MLA style, you should learn the citing rules this manual provides. When composing a paper in the APA, follow the rules offered by this guide.

Useful Tips on How to Cite an Article in an Essay MLA

Before you cite a text in the MLA style, check the regulations that refer to the in-text citations. There are several steps you should take to make a citation in accordance with the MLA style. If you have no idea on how to do this the right way, the tips below will be of the great use to you when preparing a citation.

• Write the author’s last name. You can either put it in parentheses at the end of the sentence or within it
• Mention the number of the page after the referenced sentence
• Don’t forget about quotation marks if you use direct quotes in your essay

Look at the example and use it for your own text citation: In his essay “Problems within the modern society”, Dr. Steven Roberts writes, “ New smart technologies make a great contribution to the today’s technical progress but at the same time they have a negative impact on people’s relationships” (33).

What if there is an internet article among your sources? Learn how to cite an online article in an essay MLA. You should give the author’s full name in an essay citation, write the text title and mention the publication date. Example: Roberts, John. “ The effect of brain stimulants.” Health News, 7 March 2017.

If you wonder how to cite a newspaper article in an essay, you will easily find the helpful guidelines in the manual as well. Newspaper articles are also commonly used for essay papers. If you have found a phrase you would like to include in your essay paper, provide the article title, the publication date, and the exact location if the article has been found on the Internet. Roberts, J. (2009, May 19). The healthy lifestyle is in trend today. The Edinburgh Press, p.8.

Which Article Citation Guidelines Does the APA Style Provide?

If you are going to write article reviews in the APA style, you should learn the peculiarities of citation rules. Doing this assignment for the 1st time every student wonders how to cite an article in an essay APA. There is nothing too difficult if you check the guide before you get started. Have a look at the distinctive features of APA article citation rules:

• You should provide such details as the writer’s last name, the publication date of the article, and the number of the page used
• You should use quotation marks when providing direct quotes (This rule is standard for all styles because it is aimed at helping students to avoid plagiarism)
• You may include the citation within the referenced sentence like in this example: Stevenson (2017) said in his essay, “ Modern people extremely need to feel some positive change in both social and cultural aspects” (p. 54). There is more than one way to format such essay citations.

Another possible way implies that you use parentheses like in this example: Modern people extremely need to feel some positive change in both social and cultural aspects ( Stevenson, 2017). And finally, the third variant you may use if there is a direct quote – it must look like the following one, “Modern people extremely need to feel some positive change in both social and cultural aspects” (Stevenson, 2017, p. 54).

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Trump’s raised fist is a go-to gesture with a long history of different meanings

Associate Dean and Professor of Psychology, University of Memphis

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Roger J. Kreuz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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In the frenzied moments when Secret Service agents surrounded a bleeding Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13, 2024, trying to hustle him offstage to safety, Trump – whose ear was grazed by a would-be assassin’s bullet – raised his fist in the air .

“Fight! Fight!” he appeared to be saying, pumping his fist hard.

It was an image, and a gesture, destined for the history books.

But if the situation was unprecedented, the gesture was hardly new to Trump, the former president and presumptive GOP presidential nominee. His raised fist has been part of his public image since the 1990s.

Earlier in the year, when Trump exited the building where he had been found guilty of 34 felonies on May 30, he waved and raised a clenched fist to those who had gathered outside.

He had made the same gesture when surrendering to New York authorities after his indictment in the case in April 2023. And at the end of a June 2024 campaign stop at a church in Detroit, he stood in front of an illuminated cross and two American flags and raised his fist again .

I’m a cognitive scientist who studies communication and writes about the meaning of gestures and how they are interpreted.

The raised fist is one of the most interesting of these because of its long and varied history: It’s been used by fascists, socialists, communists, Black Power advocates and even golfer Tiger Woods.

A loaded gesture?

The raised fist has been employed by a wide variety of groups for several different purposes. In the early 20th century, for example, it was associated with socialism, communism and labor unions like the Industrial Workers of the World . In these contexts, it was typically viewed as a symbol of solidarity with others who shared their views.

In the 1960s, however, the raised fist became associated with the Black Power movement. One of the iconic – and controversial – images from the 1968 Olympic Games shows athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who had won medals in the 200-meter event, raising gloved fists over their heads as the U.S. national anthem played.

Forty-five years later, particularly after the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and followed by the 2020 murder of George Floyd, it became a potent symbol of Black Lives Matter protesters.

But the gesture has also been adopted by the far right, with the Aryan fist becoming a symbol of white pride during the 1980s.

In many respects, the raised fist has become a generalized gesture of defiance that has been employed by groups as diverse as the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 and students protesting education budget cuts in the Philippines that same year.

The gesture is still seen as transgressive. In 2016, Black female cadets at West Point raised their fists for a photo, and this led to an inquiry by the school, although no disciplinary action was taken.

West Point’s superintendent, in a letter to the cadets, wrote, “We all must understand that a symbol or gesture that one group of people may find harmless may offend others. As Army officers, we are not afforded the luxury of a lack of awareness of how we are perceived.”

Fist pump and other variations

Analogs of the raised fist are common in popular culture. The gesture is related to the fist pump that golfers like Tiger Woods frequently engage in. It is also related to the “ Success Kid ” meme – showing a baby at the beach with a sandy fist and a defiant face – popular on social media in the early 2010s. This could be viewed as a truncated version of the raised fist, just as the fist pump is an expanded version of the gesture.

It’s unusual, but not unheard of, for gestures to undergo fairly major shifts in their meaning. The V sign, made with index and middle fingers raised and separated, was popularized in the early 1940s as standing for resistance and ultimately an Allied victory in World War II. But a generation later, it was co-opted by those opposed to U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam and became the peace sign .

Trump and the raised fist

Once public figures make a symbol their own, they tend to employ it habitually.

Richard Nixon, for example, made frequent use of a two-handed “V for victory” gesture during his political career. He even used it in contexts when it seemed wildly inappropriate, such as when, humiliated after his 1974 resignation, he boarded the helicopter that flew him out of Washington and turned to flash those two raised hands and fingers.

Donald Trump has employed the raised fist gesture for decades, and in a variety of contexts. He used it, for example, as a gesture of celebration at the 1990 opening of his Trump Taj Mahal casino and hotel in Atlantic City. But he has also employed it as a symbol of defiance, as he did during a press conference at which he threatened to sue the New York Post in 1994.

As president-elect, he raised a fist in a 2016 Christmas tweet . Perhaps most famously, he raised his fist in triumph during his inauguration in 2017. And during his presidency, he often used the gesture, such as when he arrived in Nashville for a presidential debate in October 2020, raising his fist to service members once he got off his plane at Berry Field Air National Guard Base.

Since public appearances by Trump typically draw mixed crowds of supporters and detractors, his use of a raised fist provides a potent message for both groups. It can function as a gesture of solidarity for those who are with him, and one of defiance against those who oppose him. In this way, Trump’s raised fist is like a Rorschach inkblot , since it allows people to interpret his message according to their own ideological preferences.

Other people in Trump’s orbit have also made symbolic use of the raised fist. Before entering politics, Trump made at least 40 appearances on Howard Stern’s radio show. When Stern moved his program to SiriusXM in 2006, he initially employed a clenched fist as his logo to emphasize the subversive nature of his programming. And there is even a video of a fist-pumping Pauly D and The Situation from “The Jersey Shore” at the Trump Taj Mahal in 2010.

Supporters of Trump, such as U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, have also appropriated the gesture. On Jan. 6, 2021, Hawley raised a fist to show his support for the demonstrators who were converging on the U.S. Capitol – right before he skittered down a hallway in flight from them.

On the heels of Trump surviving the assassination attempt, will delegates at the Republican convention, where he will formally become their nominee for president, adopt this gesture as well?

This is an updated version of a story first published on July 11, 2024.

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Essays and Short Answer Prompts

The Penn application process includes a personal essay —which is sent to most schools you apply to—as well as a few short answer prompts . We read your words carefully, as they are yet another window into how you think, what you value, and how you see the world. Through your writing, we get a glimpse of what you might bring to our community—including your voice and creativity. 

Remember, you are the expert on your story. This is an opportunity for you to reflect and understand who you are now, and who you want to be in the future. You have the agency to choose the information you want to share. This is your story: your experiences, your ideas, your perspective.   

A Few Writing Tips

• Review the prompts thoroughly.  Be sure you’re answering the question or prompt being asked. Topics are chosen because the Admissions Committee wants to know specific things about you. If you don’t address them directly, we are left to make decisions regarding your application with incomplete information. 
• Consider your response carefully.  We understand that you may be writing responses for different schools and you may want to reuse material, but be sure to read through your response to make sure it is relevant to the prompt. 
• Double-check your writing.  Give yourself time to revisit your response. Try to avoid rushing your writing process so you have time to revise your work. Ultimately, it is up to you to polish and proofread your writing before you submit. 
• Do your research. Are there classes you’re eager to take? Research opportunities you’d love to pursue? A group or club you want to be a part of? This kind of specificity shows us you’re serious about Penn and have thought about how you’d spend your time here. 

2023-24 Short Answer and Essay Prompts

When answering these prompts, be precise when explaining both why you are applying to Penn and why you have chosen to apply to that specific undergraduate school. Some of our specialized programs will have additional essays to complete, but the  Penn short answer prompts should address your single-degree or single-school choice.  

• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words, not required for transfer applicants) 
• How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words) 
• The school-specific prompt is unique to the school to which you are applying. (For example, all applicants applying to the College of Arts and Sciences will respond to the prompt under the “College of Arts and Sciences” section). Considering the undergraduate school you have selected for your single-degree option, please respond to your school-specific prompt below.  

Transfer Essay (required for all transfer applicants): Please explain your reasons for transferring from your current institution and what you hope to gain by transferring to another institution. (4150 characters) 

Undergraduate School-Specific Short Answer Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question about your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.  

Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Nursing’s mission and how we promote equity in healthcare . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of our values and how they align with your own goals and aspirations. 

The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the  academic offerings within the College of Arts and Sciences .  This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of how the study of the liberal arts aligns with your own goals and aspirations. 

Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues.  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.  (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  the foundations of a Wharton education . This information will help you better understand what you could learn by studying at Wharton and what you could do afterward. 

Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Engineering and its mission to prepare students for global leadership in technology . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of academic pathways within Penn Engineering and how they align with your goals and interests. 

Coordinated Dual Degree and Specialized Program Essay Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer the program-specific essay below. 

** Numbers marked with double asterisks indicate a character count that only applies to transfer students applying through Common App.  

Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

We encourage you to learn more about the DMD: Digital Media Design Program . 

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to contribute to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words) 

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing, and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words) 

• Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words) 
• Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words) 

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words) 

How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words) 

1 in 3 College Applicants Used AI for Essay Help. Did They Cheat?

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Last spring, Makena, then a high school senior, was deep into cranking out some 70 essays for 20 college applications when her creativity started to wane.

So, she turned to a high-tech brainstorming partner: artificial intelligence.

One essay prompt asked Makena to describe a class she’d want to teach if she were a college professor. “I had no idea,” said Makena, who asked to be identified only by her first name to speak candidly about the admissions process. “I had never thought about it.”

She put her intended major and some favorite topics into an AI tool, which spit out a list of potential courses. Makena selected one and crafted her essay around it, without any further AI assistance.

In Makena’s mind, this wasn’t cheating.

“I wrote my own essays, 100 percent,” she said. After all, she could have found the same information on Google or by picking up a course catalogue. AI was just more efficient.

About a third of high school seniors who applied to college in the 2023-24 school year acknowledged using an AI tool for help in writing admissions essays, according to research released this month by foundry10 , an organization focused on improving learning.

About half of those students—or roughly one in six students overall—used AI the way Makena did, to brainstorm essay topics or polish their spelling and grammar. And about 6 percent of students overall—including some of Makena’s classmates, she said—relied on AI to write the final drafts of their essays instead of doing most of the writing themselves.

Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of students admitted to Harvard University’s class of 2027 paid a private admissions consultant for help with their applications .

The use of outside help, in other words, is rampant in college admissions, opening up a host of questions about ethics, norms, and equal opportunity.

Top among them: Which—if any—of these students cheated in the admissions process?

For now, the answer is murky.

Colleges permit students to use pricey admissions coaches . But they are mostly silent on how AI can be used in crafting essays.

That’s created “this ethical gray area that students and [high school] counselors don’t have any guidance” on how to navigate, said Jennifer Rubin, a senior researcher at foundry10 and the lead author the report.

A ‘double standard’ on college admissions

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have put a high-tech twist on decades-old questions of fairness in the college admissions process.

The system has “never been a level playing field,” Rubin said, citing the advantages that mostly benefit wealthier students, such as SAT tutors, paid college admissions coaches, and savvy, college-educated parents. “I think [AI] is just complicating it a little bit more because it’s a tool that’s readily available to everyone.”

To get a sense of the public’s perceptions on AI in college admissions, foundry10 included an experimental portion in its survey.

Participants reviewed an identical portion of a college essay. But one group was instructed that the applicant had help from ChatGPT in brainstorming ideas, refining content, and polishing the final draft—essentially the same tasks Makena used AI for.

Another group was told the applicant got assistance with the same parts of the writing process, from a paid college admissions coach. A third group was informed that the student worked entirely alone.

Participants rated the applicant who used ChatGPT as less authentic, less ethical, and less likable than the student who paid for professional help. (The student who worked solo got the highest ratings.)

Rubin perceives a “double standard” at work.

A student who can pay “thousands of dollars to someone who has the knowledge of how a [particular college] works and what’s needed or wanted in a college admissions essay is going to have an undue advantage,” she said.

College admissions coaching services typically cost from $60 to $349 per hour, according to data cited in Rubin’s report from Prepmaven, an admissions-preparation company.

The website of one such service, Ivy College Essay , advertises its Harvard connections. For between $1,500 and $4,800, depending on the number of applications, students receive help in brainstorming topics and “extensive written notes, comments, and guidance, focusing on both content and structure,” according to the site.

“We go back and forth as many times as needed until we have a very strong and solid Ivy League college application!” the company promises.

Assistance from ChatGPT on similar tasks “probably isn’t going to be as strong” as what such a service offers, Rubin said. “But it might provide students some form of feedback that they might not be able to get in their lives because they don’t have parents or caregivers” who have the savvy to help.

These issues are especially personal for Rubin, a first-generation college graduate who attended a private high school on scholarship. She had the help of her school counselors in applying to college.

But that assistance couldn’t make up for the gap between Rubin and many of her peers with highly educated parents, who could offer all sorts of support, she said.

Big questions on AI use go mostly unanswered by colleges

For now, high school counselors aren’t sure what to tell their students when it comes to how AI can be ethically used in the admissions process.

“My seniors have come to me and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got to write an essay about this. Where do I even start?’ Or ‘is it OK if I use ChatGPT?’” said Melissa Millington, a school counselor in Missouri. “I just really hit on, you cannot pass that off as your own work, because that’s not ethical.”

But, like Rubin, she sees some possibility for the technology in crafting applications that stop short of making AI a sole, uncredited ghost writer.

“If you are going to use it to get a starting point, that’s totally fine,” she said she’s told students. “Or if you want to write your essay, and then put it in there and ask it to clean [the] grammar,” that’s likely fair game.

While most colleges and universities are silent on the AI issue, some individual institutions have given applicants the green light to use AI in a limited fashion.

One of the country’s most prestigious institutions focusing on science, math, engineering and technology, CalTech, tells prospective students that it’s unethical to copy and paste an essay written entirely by generative AI. But it is acceptable to use AI to brainstorm or check grammar and spelling, the college says.

Georgia Polytechnical Institute, another highly regarded STEM-focused university, has a similar policy .

“If you choose to utilize AI-based assistance … we encourage you to take the same approach you would when collaborating with people,” the school’s website says. “Use it to brainstorm, edit, and refine your ideas.”

But for other colleges, any use of AI is unacceptable, at least officially. Brown University, for instance, cites its fraud policy and tells applicants that the use of AI is “not permitted under any circumstances.”

‘It always been an honor system’

Brown and other institutions have no real way of enforcing those policies, Rubin said.

AI detectors are notoriously unreliable. And they are disproportionately likely to flag writing by students who are not native English speakers, even if they didn’t use AI.

In fact, Kristin Woelfel, a policy counsel specializing in equity in civic technology for the Center for Democracy & Technology, a nonprofit organization that aims to shape technology policy, has gone so far as to say the detectors have the potential to violate students’ civil rights .

It doesn’t really matter if colleges have guidelines that prohibit AI use, Rubin said, because there’s no way to check on what kind of assistance an applicant received, human or not.

“It’s always been on the honor system,” she said.

Colleges that haven’t outlined their policies on AI in the application process are ignoring the obvious—and making life harder for high school counselors and their students, said Maritza Cha, who worked as a school counselor in Southern California for nearly a decade and has taught high school counseling as an adjunct professor.

“We’re at the point of either you can kind of put your head down in the sand and pretend it’s not happening, which is not realistic,” Cha said. “Or you can just acknowledge that they’re using some kind of AI” in the admissions process.

Counselors can model proper use of AI in the college search

While much of the work in setting clear guidelines needs to happen at the college level, there are steps high school educators can take.

Rubin believes that if counselors and teachers are really thinking about leveling the playing field between first-generation college students from low-income families and their peers, it might be helpful to show how generative AI can ethically guide the college admissions process.

For instance, students could put areas of study they are interested in and a desired geographic region into a tool like ChatGPT and ask for recommendations on where to apply.

“Generative AI can provide them some really concrete information,” Rubin said. Even though they should check that data against more accurate sources, it can help a student narrow their search.

Students can even have a “conversation back and forth” with AI if they don’t have access to a college counselor at school who can meet with them consistently, she said.

And they can model how to use AI to spur their creativity or proofread final drafts, without crossing the line into wholesale cheating, she said.

But, ultimately, high school educators and college officials need to have conversations about what responsible use of AI looks like, including in crafting college applications, Rubin said.

In Rubin’s view, those discussions should acknowledge that many students already have access to other types of help—whether that’s from professional consultants or parents and older siblings familiar with the process of applying to college.

Makena, for instance, thinks she can write a stronger, more personal essay than anything ChatGPT could cook up. She didn’t feel the need to pay a private counselor either, since she wanted to rely on her own voice as much as possible.

She did, however, have a low-tech, presumably cost-free assistant: Her father, who edited all 70-plus of her essays.

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Amid the Mayhem, Trump Pumped His Fist and Revealed His Instincts

A bloodied Donald J. Trump made Secret Service agents wait while he expressed his defiance. The moment epitomized his visceral connection with his supporters, and his mastery of the modern media age.

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By Shawn McCreesh

• July 13, 2024

Donald J. Trump was back on his feet. He had just been shot at, his white shirt was undone and his red hat was no longer on his head. Blood streaked across his face as riflemen patrolled the perimeter of the stage. A pack of Secret Service agents pressed their bodies against his. “We’ve got to move, we’ve got to move,” one pleaded.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait,” the former president instructed, his voice a harried — but startlingly clear — command. Reluctantly, they halted. He peered out into the crowd.

And then his arm reached toward the sky, and he began punching the air.

The crowd started to chant — “ U-S-A! U-S-A! ” — as the agents inched Mr. Trump toward the stairs. When they reached the top step, they paused once more, so Mr. Trump could lift his arm a little higher, and pump his fist a little faster. The crowd roared a little louder.

It’s difficult to imagine a moment that more fully epitomizes Mr. Trump’s visceral connection with his supporters, and his mastery of the modern media age.

Mr. Trump would not leave the stage without signaling to his fans that he was OK — even as some were still wailing in fear. And he did not just wave or nod, he raised his fist in defiance above his bloodied face — making an image history will not forget.

He has always been highly conscious of how he looks in big moments, practicing his Clint Eastwood squint and preparing for his mean mug-shot grimace. But there was no time to prepare for this.

This was instinct.

As the agents coaxed him onto his feet, he stammered, “Let me get my shoes on, let me get my shoes on.”

“I got you, sir, I got you, sir,” an agent replied. Mr. Trump rose, his voice uneven at first, still repeating himself: “Let me get my shoes on.”

“Hold that on your head,” an agent told him, “it’s bloody.”

“Sir, we’ve got to move to the cars,” another said.

“Let me get my shoes on,” Mr. Trump said again.

Fierce one moment, he looked drained and stricken the next.

After the agents managed to hustle him off the stage, they led him toward an idling Chevrolet Suburban. He began to clamber inside, but before the door could close, he turned back toward the crowd again. His head appeared more blood-soaked than before. He raised his fist one more time.