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How to use Brackets1. The term 'brackets' is commonly used to describe both square brackets [these] and round brackets (these) - whose technical name is 'parentheses'. 2. The difference between the two is that round brackets are used to indicate an aside, an associated remark, or an additional piece of information which is closely related to the main subject of the sentence in which it is placed.
3. Square brackets on the other hand are usually used to indicate that something has been added to the original text by someone editing, for purposes of clarification or comment.
4. A common use for round brackets in academic writing is to indicate a reference within the text of an essay - particularly when using the Harvard (or the short title) system of referencing.
5. Notice that when brackets are used at the end of a sentence, the full stop falls outside the bracket (as this one does). 6. Any statement within brackets should be grammatically independent of the sentence in which it occurs. That is, the sentence should be complete, even if the contents of the brackets were to be removed.
7. If a quotation contains a mistake in the original you might wish to indicate that the error is not your own. This too is indicated by the use of square brackets.
8. The expressions within brackets should be kept as brief as possible, so as not to interrupt the flow of the sentence in which they are placed. 9. The use of brackets should be kept to a minimum. If used too frequently, they create a choppy, unsettling effect.
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