Should You Use Parentheses in Your Writing (or Not)?

Photo by Nikolas Behrendt on Unsplash

Do you ever find yourself wanting to make a short aside to your readers? Maybe you need to add some additional information or clarify a point? Perhaps you are in the mood for a short digression?

Then give the parenthesis an outing. A grammatical or rhetorical device, sometimes called an ‘interrupter’ (because it interrupts the flow of the text), parenthesis defines a word or phrase that has been inserted into another sentence to add meaning.

The OED records the first instance in 1568. And by the early 18th-century, the meaning was extended from the inserted words to the two curved brackets (parentheses) generally used by writers and printers to demarcate the inserted words.

Dashes can also be used to separate the parenthesis from the surrounding text. As can commas, particularly where you intend a weaker form of ‘interruption’. This can help keep the reader’s focus on the main text. But may lead to confusion over where the parenthesis starts and ends if other commas are used in the sentence for other purposes.

Either way, the defining feature of the form is that the parenthetical word or statement could be left out and the passage would still be grammatically correct.

Interestingly, parentheses reflect the patterns of ordinary speech. As playwright Somerset Maugham said, ‘The inclination to digress is human.’ They represent a departure from the main point. Something familiar to most of us when we talk as our ideas fight to break out into the common space that characterises dialogue. While subsidiary thoughts bubble up to the surface, jostling amongst themselves for attention.

Read on to find out how you can use parentheses to improve your writing (I promise you won’t regret it!).  

It’s only an interruption (but I like it)

Historically, many commentators have treated parenthetical insertions as an example of shoddy writing or laziness, and an unwelcome distraction from the unity or integrity of a text. And there is a real risk that an insertion loses (or confuses) readers if it obscures the sense of a piece of writing.

But this only applies if you use the device awkwardly. Or simply overdo it. Complicating a piece for the sake of complexity.

On the other hand, done well, they can generate additional meaning and add significant value to a text. Let’s consider some examples.

At a basic level, they are used to enclose the abbreviation of an acronym or initialism after the spelt-out name of an organisation to inform the reader how the entity will be identified in later references: ‘The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) was founded in 1877 by William Morris and others to oppose the harmful restoration of ancient buildings by Victorian architects.’  

Still operating at a simple level, they can be deployed to add some useful additional information for the reader: ‘George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Ann Evans) was a fine Victorian novelist noted for the realism and psychological insights of her fiction.’

Or be used to explain the origin of a word: ‘The traditional pub (short for ‘public house’) is an integral part of British culture.’

Alternatively, they can be used to add a bit of depth: ‘Bob (who was distinctly unfit and hadn’t done any training) was taking part in a 10-mile charity fun run at the weekend.’ Without the parenthesis, the sentence is a rather bland statement of fact. With the parenthesis, you learn something quite revealing both about his poor judgement and the risk of his participation ending badly!

It’s even possible to put a full sentence into parentheses if it represents an appropriate interruption to the text: ‘The number of young adults holding a driving licence has fallen by 13%, its lowest level since records began, because of lifestyle changes, financial pressures and disruption caused by Covid-19. (The figure is based on data released by the DVLA.)’

Handled well, parentheses are a thing of beauty. Their power resting in their ability to add colour and depth to a passage. As the Daily Chronicle noted in 1902, they represent: ‘That essential quality of the amusing storyteller, the art of parenthesis, the dropping in of the appropriate and unexpected word, the swift and illuminating phrase.’

American writer and satirist HL Mencken provided a fine example of this when he observed: ‘The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.’

(Why we need) the freedom to digress   

There’s nothing wrong with crafting a piece of writing without using a single parenthesis. In fact, the more inventive forms are often not recommended in more formal settings. Or where incautious usage might result in ambiguity and lead to misunderstanding.

In these situations, the information contained in a potential parenthesis might, for example, be presented as a subordinate clause surrounded by commas. Or even as a stand-alone sentence.

But, used judiciously, the parenthesis can add considerable life to a passage. The humorous aside, quirky reflection or simple afterthought provided by a parenthesis can play an essential role in keeping your readers informed, engaged and entertained.

American poet William Carlos Williams offers a lovely example of this:

Dissonance

(if you are interested)

leads to discovery.

Used this way, the parenthetical device can add a spontaneous or subversive element to the reading of the piece, setting up a creative dynamic between the text inside and outside its boundaries.

I’ll leave the final words to novelist D H Lawrence: ‘I hold that the parentheses are by far the most important parts of a non-business letter.’