Open Bracket & Closed Bracket in Writing

Brackets are important punctuations in writing used to denote important information in direct quotes. They come in pairs with an open bracket and a close bracket to enclose information that adds clarifications, corrections, or explanations to written materials.

If you want to dig deeper into their different types and usage, this article can help!

What Is a Bracket in Writing?

A bracket is a pair of punctuation marks that are sometimes referred to as square brackets. Brackets are used to contain additional information or data that isn’t included in the main content. An “opening” and “closing” bracket encloses the extra information.

Open Bracket and Closed Bracket

An open bracket has an open end to its right, while a closed bracket has an open end to its eft. Brackets are the two keys located next to the P key on a US QWERTY keyboard.

Difference Between Brackets and Parentheses

Brackets [] and parentheses () should not be confused. Brackets are used to clarify, explain, correct, or add a comment to quoted content. On the other hand, parentheses are used to add more information to your writing.

Moreover, brackets should always be used in pairs. When quoting someone, brackets are used to put editorial remarks or insert comments into passages already enclosed in parentheses.

In mathematical expressions, brackets are always included to help the reader perform various operations within an equation.

When to Use Brackets in Writing

Brackets denote essential information in direct quotes or add further explanations to the quote for clarity. This punctuation is used in writing for the following reasons:

1. To add clarification using your own words.

Example: John said, “He won’t [the professor] accept the assignment after the deadline.”

2. To add more information.

Example: Two new writers [Janet and Bendu] from Nigeria joined our content writing team.

3. To add missing words in sentences.

Example: That is not [a] bad idea.

4. To add an editorial or authorial comment.

Example: The girl had really long hair [emphasis added].

5. To modify a direct quotation.

Example: She “love[s] cycling in the morning.” (The original quote was “I love cycling in the morning.”)

To Wrap Up

Brackets are important punctuation used in writing, especially for quoted material. Though brackets and parentheses are often confused by people and used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two.

The differences between these symbols make one of the symbols more suitable than the other in writing based on the context. This article provides adequate information to quickly brush up on your understanding of brackets in the English language.