Hi, my dear teachers,
Today, I read on English Club about brackets:
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/sentence/parenthetical-expression.htm
It looks like "brackets" and "parentheses" are the same. I looked at Cambridge Dictionary about "bracket" and I saw it refers to parentheses too.
Are they the same?
If not, what is the difference between them?
Best wishes,
Replies
Dear Bijan,
thanks for your kind words.
Bijan said:
Dear Rose,
Firstly, your explanation is beautiful like your name (Rose).
Secondly, your name (Rose) means "Goal" in Farsi language that is like flower in English.
Thirdly, you proved that your heart is also beautiful like your name because you answered me kindly.
Finally, I got all of my questions very well.
I hope to see you in my country one day and take you to historical places of Iran like Persepolis.
Thanks a lot and best wishes,
Rose said:
Dear Bijan,
Pointy Brackets is an archetypal pair of characters and are used in the world of computing.
it's this one: < > .... it's used as computer icon and it's used like a "frame"
.... example: <hr class="subtitle"> .....
Normally is < the mathematical sign for "less than" : for example: 2 < 3 ....
and > is the mark mathematical sign for "greaeter than" : for example: 5 > 3 ....
I hope I did help a little.
Bijan said:
Hi, dear Rose,
I am very happy to see your nice explanation here. It is very kind of you.
Be sure. All of answers to this discussion helped me very much. Dear ELF-Noor, dear NotAclue also helped me very much.
Thanks to all of you.
I only have one question:
What does "pointy brackets" mean?
Thank you and best wishes,
Rose said:
I think you can use parentheses ( ) as additions, as besides-explanations.
For example: He had entered ( accompanied by a beautiful woman) the library.
You also could write: He had entered the library, accompanied by a beautiful woman.
The usage of parentheses to write the information that he was in accompny by a beautiful woman, is a less important information than to write it as a subsidiary sentence.
I understand informations inside of parentheses as additions.
Brackets [also called square brackets] are used in my understanding like deviations or unterruptions in sentences, to explain something or to use quotations within your sentences.
For example: He was working with Meryl Streep [American actress].
another example “Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person
to another, not words.” [Jalaluddin Rumi]
You can use brackets also to put on foreign languages a note how you pronounce it.
For example: wednesday [wensday]
Parentheses and brackets are used also in Mathematics. ( just for example )
for example: (12 x 4) x (3+2)] + [(120-50) + (20 x 20)] = ?
[ (48) x (5) ] + [(70) + (400)] = ?
[ 240 ] + [ 470 ] = 710
I know, my explanations are not complete but maybe it helps you a little to understand the difference.
Hi, dear NotAclue,
Thank you for your nice explanation.
Here are my new questions in accordance with your explanations:
1. Round brackets ( ) and parentheses are the same (especially in American English)?
2.Should we use square brackets [ ] when we want to talk about a sentence that has been said by someone else inside double Quotation marks " "?
3. In which cases can we use curly brackets { }, please?
4. I cannot get about the pointy bracket at all, (I searched for it in a few dictionaries , but they could not help me). In which cases can we use pointy brackets?
I think the above subjects are very important for all students. All students should use them in their writing correctly.
I hope our kind teachers will help to this important subject.
Thank you very much for your beautiful explanation,
NotAClue said:
Dear ELF-Nour,
Thank you for your explanation.
I guess you are a teacher because you have presented the above rules nicely.
In my opinion, your rules are in advanced level. Thanks again for telling me these beautiful rules.
Two questions, please:
1. This sign [ ] means "brackets"?
Your example:
"Bill shook hands with [his son] Al."
2. What is the name of this sign " " in English language?
Thank you and best wishes,
Parentheses and Brackets
Parentheses and brackets must never be used interchangeably.
Parentheses
Rule 1. Use parentheses to enclose information that clarifies or is used as an aside.
Example: He finally answered (after taking five minutes to think) that he did not understand the question.
If material in parentheses ends a sentence, the period goes after the parentheses.
Example: He gave me a nice bonus ($500).
Commas could have been used in the first example; a colon could have been used in the second example. The use of parentheses indicates that the writer considered the information less important—almost an afterthought.
Rule 2a. Periods go inside parentheses only if an entire sentence is inside the parentheses.
Example: Please read the analysis. (You'll be amazed.)
This is a rule with a lot of wiggle room. An entire sentence in parentheses is often acceptable without an enclosed period:
Example: Please read the analysis (you'll be amazed).
Rule 2b. Take care to punctuate correctly when punctuation is required both inside and outside parentheses.
Example: You are late (aren't you?).
Note the question mark within the parentheses. The period after the parentheses is necessary to bring the entire sentence to a close.
Rule 3. Parentheses, despite appearances, are not part of the subject.
Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.
If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence:
Example: Joe (accompanied by his trusty mutt) was always welcome.
Rule 4. Commas are more likely to follow parentheses than precede them.
Incorrect: When he got home, (it was already dark outside) he fixed dinner.
Correct: When he got home (it was already dark outside), he fixed dinner.
Brackets
Brackets are far less common than parentheses, and they are only used in special cases. Brackets (like single quotation marks) are used exclusively within quoted material.
Rule 1. Brackets are interruptions. When we see them, we know they've been added by someone else. They are used to explain or comment on the quotation.
Examples:
"Four score and seven [today we'd say eighty-seven] years ago..."
"Bill shook hands with [his son] Al."
Rule 2. When quoting something that has a spelling or grammar mistake or presents material in a confusing way, insert the term sic in italics and enclose it in nonitalic (unless the surrounding text is italic) brackets.
Sic ("thus" in Latin) is shorthand for, "This is exactly what the original material says."
Example: She wrote, "I would rather die then [sic] be seen wearing the same outfit as my sister."
The [sic] indicates that then was mistakenly used instead of than.
Rule 3. In formal writing, brackets are often used to maintain the integrity of both a quotation and the sentences others use it in.
Example: "[T]he better angels of our nature" gave a powerful ending to Lincoln's first inaugural address.
Taken from Parentheses and BracketsI hope, Now Above data will help you.. ^_^
BTW thanks for this Discussion, I really learned new thing..^^Hi, dear Williams,
First, thank you for liking my question.
It is very kind of you.
Second, the link is blocked in my country. I wish I could read the link.
Third, I posted the question on group of our kind teachers (dear Tanya and dear Danny).
I hope they will participate in this subject kindly.
Thanks a lot and best wishes,
Williams said:
Hi, dear ELF-Noor,
Firstly, thank you for answering me kindly.
Secondly, I think parentheses are ( ), not [ ].
I guess the sign [ ] has another name.
I hope our teachers tell us more about these signs because I posted this question on group of dear Tanya and dear Danny.
Thirdly, sorry.
Your link is blocked in my country and I cannot access it. Could you tell me what does the link say, please?
You can post your answer on above group.
Please, feel free to say no.
Thanks a lot and best wishes,
ELF-Noor said:
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