When to Use Parentheses
What're they for?
Parentheses are for adding extra information to a sentence.
OR
designating a citation.
OR
designating a citation.
What're they not for?
Squeezing stuff in that should be in its own sentence.
How do I know if the information should be added via parentheses?
Citations are easy. If you give information from another source, you cite it (Worden 2016). Like that.
The other, more interesting use is a little more complicated. I like to think of it in terms of attitude. I use parentheses when I'm making a snarky little comment, usually making fun of what's going on in the sentence (usually something stupid I did). If you can imagine adding the information in as a whisper, or hiding it behind your hand while in the middle of the conversation, you should use parentheses.
For example: John was normally fastidious when it came to cleaning his teeth. While it never occurred to him that others might comment on his appearance (they did, and not kindly) he just thought it was a good idea to stay clean. Unfortunately, he never learned the proper technique for teeth maintenance.
Notice the parenthetical statement is a comment on the main statement. That's how it's supposed to work.
The other, more interesting use is a little more complicated. I like to think of it in terms of attitude. I use parentheses when I'm making a snarky little comment, usually making fun of what's going on in the sentence (usually something stupid I did). If you can imagine adding the information in as a whisper, or hiding it behind your hand while in the middle of the conversation, you should use parentheses.
For example: John was normally fastidious when it came to cleaning his teeth. While it never occurred to him that others might comment on his appearance (they did, and not kindly) he just thought it was a good idea to stay clean. Unfortunately, he never learned the proper technique for teeth maintenance.
Notice the parenthetical statement is a comment on the main statement. That's how it's supposed to work.
What does a bad usage look like?
I walked downstairs, and my brother (age 9) and my mother (tall, with dark hair) were having a conversation.
What's wrong with that?
It's lazy and sloppy. The only reason for using the parentheses in the above example is because you aren't bothering to build the information into a sentence that actually works. In essence, you are saying, "oh yeah, I guess you should know how old these characters are, and what they look like, but I don't want to take the time to actually describe them, so I'll just smoosh it in with these lazy parentheses." Shame on you, man. Don't you realize that actually describing someone will increase your word count and finish the paper faster! (See even teachers value being smart and lazy.)
OK. So what should that bad example look like?
I walked downstairs, and my nine-year-old brother and my mother were having a conversation. Mom stood up, flipping her long, dark hair out of her eyes. I had to crane my neck to look at her because she was so tall.
All of the information is there, but it turns into a more active bit of narration, which is clearer, more engaging, and generally easier to read.
All of the information is there, but it turns into a more active bit of narration, which is clearer, more engaging, and generally easier to read.