Parentheses

In standard sentences, avoid enclosing text in parentheses. It breaks up the sentence and can be hard to follow. Instead, try to rephrase the sentence or use commas for closely related material and dashes for less related material.

• Enclose an expression, such as that is or namely, and the element it introduces in parentheses only if a comma doesn't signal a big enough break in continuity:
  • The task has been closed, that is, the Status field has a “Closed” value.
  • Users in a territory can be granted read, read/write, or owner-like access (that is, the ability to view, edit, transfer, and delete records) to the accounts in that territory.
• Don't use parentheses within parentheses. Instead, rephrase; if necessary, change the second set to brackets.
• Watch for misplaced parentheses, or an opening or closing parenthesis that lacks a partner.
• When referring to a symbol, spell out the name of the symbol and then enter the symbol in parentheses after it. For example:
  • When using an equal (=) sign, add one space on each side.
  • Wrap greater-than (>) and less-than (<) signs in parentheses rather than quotation marks.
• Use brackets to set off information already within parentheses.
• Place semicolons and colons outside quotation marks and parentheses.
• Place question marks or exclamation marks inside quotation marks, parentheses, or brackets only when they’re part of the quoted or parenthetical matter.
• When parentheses or brackets enclose an independent sentence, place the period or comma inside. Otherwise, place the period or comma outside.