http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here. <font color=red>DO NOT post paragraphs and compositions here. Post them in our <a href="http://www.englishforums.com/English/EssayReportCompositionWriting/Forum9.htm"><b>Essay, Report and Composition Writing Forum</b></a>.</font>enXMOD (Build: 3614.32638)http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#140814Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:05:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:140814Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#140814http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-140814.xmlI just took my exam in this subject and the correct answer was a pair of parentheses - according to my online exam anyway for my college coursehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#22553Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:05:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:22553rommie1http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#22553http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-22553.xmlFor what it's worth, I disagree with the above comment. There are several ways to set off pathenthetical elements. My understanding is that the use of brackets (like this) serves to DE-emphasise; the use of commas, like this, has neutral emphasis; and the use of dashes - like this - has positive emphasis. But then - that's punctuation for you. It has rules of its own. Rommiehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#22447Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:05:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:22447pedant2http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#22447http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-22447.xmlI'd argue your goals are in conflict. If de-emphasis is what you want, use commas. Brackets tend to emphasize their contents simply because they are less common. But brackets also suggest greater separation. So if non-essentiality is your goal, brackets say it most clearly.http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#22418Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:05:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:22418tigist3http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#22418http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-22418.xmlb.pair of parentheseshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#4016Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:05:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:4016kitkattail4http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#4016http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-4016.xmlEither a pair of parentheses or a pair of commas. It depends on HOW non-essential the information is. The parentheses would indicate that it is even less essential than something you might put between two commas. The other two are incorrect. You can't set off non-essential material with a period or a colon.http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#3933Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:05:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:3933hitchhiker5http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htm#3933http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-3933.xmlHi Marilyn, welcome to the forums.. I would say 'brackets' (that's what I tend to use)http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htmSat, 23 May 2009 23:05:14 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:3896Marilyn6http://www.englishforums.com/English/BracketsCommasColonsEmphasise/nwd/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-3896.xmlWhen it requires de-emphasis, non-essential material in a sentence is set off by a: a.period. b. pair of parentheses. c. comma d. colon