Round brackets are primarily used in four situations.
- Secondary or marginal information
Use round brackets to indicate information that is secondary or marginal to the main idea of the sentence.
The documentary was produced by Spotlight Films (a production company connected to the University’s film school). - Explanations or abbreviations of preceding information
Use round brackets to expand on or explain preceding information.EU-OSH (the European workplace safety and health agency) works to ensure that these regulations are respected. The project was funded by the World Health Organization (WHO).
When a passage within round brackets is at the end of a sentence, of which it is only a part, place the full stop after the closing bracket. However, when the bracketed passage is a complete sentence, place the full stop before the opening bracket and then add a second full stop before the closing bracket.The number of students entering arts degrees is declining (according to recent reports). The number of students entering arts degrees is declining. (According to recent reports, it has dropped by over 25% in the last nine years.) - Options
Use round brackets to represent options.Please write your surname(s) in block capitals. The opinions of the author(s) are not shared by the publisher(s). - Enumerations in a body of text
Use round brackets to enclose numerals or letters in an enumeration in the body of a text. Italicize the numerals and letters.A project proposal should include (1) a description of the project, (2) an identification of the target audience, (3) an explanation of why the project deserves funding and (4) a comparison with similar projects implemented in recent years. The preview of your class paper should include (a) an abstract, (b) a sample of each chapter, (c) a selected bibliography and (d) details on funding.
Recommended citation:
«Round brackets» [en línia]. A: Llibre d’estil de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics. <https://www.ub.edu/llibre-estil/criteri.php?id=2320> [consulta: 21 novembre 2024].