1. Brackets and Parentheses
Writing Lab
Brackets and Parentheses

2. Parentheses
insert aside information into a sentence or between two sentences
The diagram (see page twelve) shows Columbus, Georgia’s education budget.
cite a work after it has been quoted or paraphrased
Reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (N. Baron 194).
8th Edition MLA Handbook
enclose numbers of letters in a list
Her essay on the United Nations discusses the organization’s (1) general history, (2) structure and current members, and (3) goals and activities.

3. Brackets insert changes or additional information into quoted material
Mr. McGregor said, “You [Peter Rabbit] had better never come back to my garden.”
Use inside parentheses to show extra information within information already enclosed in parentheses.
In 1598, William Shakespeare performed in the play Every Man in His Humour (by Ben Johnson [ ]), which was a great success.
insert an original foreign title after an English title in a Works Cited. The original title should be italicized as well.
Like Water for Chocolate [Como agua para chocolate]. Screenplay by Laura Esquivel. Dir. Alfonso Arau. Perf. Lumi Cavazos, Marco Lombardi, and Regina Torne. Miramax, Film

4. That’s all, folks!
This lesson is part of the UWF Writing Lab Grammar Mini-Lesson Series
Lessons adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon
To find out more, visit the Writing Lab’s website where you can take a self-scoring quiz corresponding to this lesson