Grammar question - punctuation and parentheses?

Question

As a programmer, I use a lot of parentheses in my writing (like this).

How does one enclose the final punctuation? (especially when the non-parenthetical is a question and the parenthetical is not, or vice-versa)

What if elipses are used? (for a list of items like a, b, and c...)

There are several ways this could go:

A. This is a sentence. (and this is the parenthetical)
B. This is a sentence. (and this is the parenthetical.)
C. This is a sentence (and this is the parenthetical.)
D. This is a sentence (and this is the parenthetical).

etc...

Answer 1

A sentence containing an expression in parenthesis is punctuated, outside of the marks of parenthesis, exactly as if the expression in parenthesis were absent. The expression within is punctuated as if it stood by itself, except that the final stop is omitted unless it is a question mark or an exclamation point.

e.g.:

I went to his house yesterday (my third attempt to see him), but he had left town.

or

He declares (and why should we doubt his good faith?) that he is now certain of success.

(When a wholly detached expression or sentence is parenthesized, the final stop comes before the last mark of parenthesis.)

So, to answer your questions (specifically, your examples):

The final punctuation is not enclosed (i.e., it remains outside the parenthesis).

If elipses are used, they remain in the parenthesis, but the final punctuation is still not enclosed (obviously...).

And (finally!) "D" is correct.

Great question! Hope this helps.

Answer 2

First of all, be careful not to overuse the parenthesis; it can be annoying, but here is how you punctuate a sentence using parenthesis:

As a general rule, your parenthesis is part of your sentence, so the punctuation for your sentence goes outside the parenthesis (D above). I can't think of any situations where you would choose A, B, or C above. If the non-parenthetical part of the sentence is a question, then go ahead and put the question mark after the parenthesis, but if the parenthetical part of the sentence is a question and your sentence ends right there, you probably need to recast your sentence to eliminate the parenthesis; my guess would be that you would then have a sentence followed by a question.

Parenthesis indicate "supplemental material, minor digressions, and afterthoughts." Usually you can revise these sentences "so that the additional details no longer seem to be afterthoughts" (BEDFORD 427-428).

For more explanation and examples see dianahacker.com/bedhandbook

Answer 3

I've always used the rule that complete sentences are complete sentences regardless if they fall inside or outside the parenthesis.

A. This is a sentence. (And this is the parenthetical.)
So both sentences are capitalized and punctuated.

B. This is a sentence (and this is the parenthetical).
The parenthetical portion is part of the original sentence.

This is the way it makes sense to me, and I've never gotten into trouble or marks off for it. I'll be watching for other answers, now my interest is sparked!

Answer 4

Among those choices, D is correct. The punctuation goes outside the parenthetical, unless the parenthetical is it's own sentence. (Just like this one.) Your best guide is Elements of Style by Strunk and White. Slim volume, about $5. Buy it, read it, live it.

Answer 5

Of the choices you gave, D is correct. As someone noted above, if you put an entire sentence in parentheses, the punctuation goes inside. If it is a parenthetical inside another sentence, the punctuation goes outside the parenthesis.

If the parenthetical is a question or an exclamation, put the punctuation inside the parenthesis to end the parenthetical, and put the appropriate punctuation outside the parenthesis to end the sentence.

ex:
This is a sentence (is this the parenthetical?).


//wtf? who gave me a bad rating for this? accident?

Answer 6

Parenthesis Grammar

Answer 7

I found this article:
http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/3cc42a422514347a8525671d0049f395/b6e109bb00fbaf3d852569c30072f54d?OpenDocument

The last sentence (I believe) is relevant here:
"If a whole sentence is inside parentheses, then put the period inside the end parenthesis. If only part of the sentence is in parentheses, then the period goes outside of the end parenthesis."

Answer 8

Letter D is correct. The words inside the parenthesis elaborate or emphasize something from the previous sentence, so it must be part of that sentence.

Example:
WRONG: Michelle had always admired elephants. (The biggest land animal on Earth)
WRONG: Michelle had always admired elephants. (The biggest land animal on Earth).
WRONG:Michelle had always admired elephants (The biggest land animal on Earth)
CORRECT: Michelle had always admired elephants (The biggest land animal on Earth).

Looking at example number one, it is wrong because there is no end mark at the end. There should be end marks in every sentence. In example two, the second sentence consists of nothing but the parenthesis. Every sentence should consist of at least one word.The third sentence is wrong because there is no end mark for the first sentence (the end mark is for the sentence in the parenthesis). Only example four is correct.

Answer 9

I was a teacher of English grammar for 25 years. Your answer is "D". For a list of items, use a colon. Ex: You need the following for the picnic: plates, forks, food, and a cooler. Use commas to separate lists. Ex: Plates, forks, food, and a cooler are needed for the picnic. Hope this helps. Good luck with your job.

Answer 10

a