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What's the difference in "()" and "[ ]"?

I've been out of school for some time and I want to know what the difference is. Help me out. Thanks!!

6 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Although () are commonly known as brackets or round brackets, they are properly known as parentheses. [] are brackets or square brackets. In formal essays, parentheses are used to enclose a thought that is somewhat tangential to the main idea of the sentence. Square brackets are used to enclose a word or words that are not properly part of a quote but are inserted to make the quote more intelligible or grammatically correct.

  • Dad
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    depends where you are and in what context really ... () usually contain amplification statements that better explain something that you've just written (i.e. a smart word use or something), while [ ] are used often to list alternatives [words, phrases, clauses] like a list where you can choose .... sometimes they are used together as nested brackets too...

    in the pance where i work we use the following as a Europena standard:

    BRACKETS

    2.20 Round brackets. Also known as parentheses, round brackets are used much like

    commas in 2.13 above, except that the text they contain has a lower emphasis.

    They are often used to expand on or explain the preceding item in the text:

    ARZOD (an employment service) is based in Ruritania.

    2.21 Round brackets in citations. Use a pair of round brackets when citing

    numbered paragraphs from legal instruments, and close up to the article

    number:

    Article 3(1), Article 3(1)(a), Article 3a(1), etc.

    2.22 Bracketed sentences. A whole sentence in brackets should have the final stop

    inside the closing bracket. Do not forget the stop at the end of the preceding

    sentence as well.

    2.23 Square brackets. Square brackets are used to make insertions in quoted

    material. They are also used by convention in administrative drafting to

    indicate optional passages or those still open to discussion, so do not replace

    with round brackets.

    When translating, also use square brackets to insert translations or explanations

    after names or titles left in the original language.

    =======================================

    hope that helps

  • 1 decade ago

    From what I know [ ] is usually used in interveiws when the person being interveiwed doesn't say the word but they mean that.

    Example- famous celebrity: I have two [children]

    And these ( ) mean something you think

    Example: I am 13. (14 in September.)

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    () u no wut they r used 4 and [] go inside () ex: They were here (the horse[and the dog] were there) sorry not gud ex but u get the pointt

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  • 1 decade ago

    () are parentheeses

    [] are brakets

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    [] is prettier than ()

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