What is a parenthetical, and how do you use one?

When you’re telling a story, you may need to include additional contextual information or asides. Learn how and why to insert these parentheticals into your writing.

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What are parentheticals?

Parenthetical phrases, often known simply as parentheticals, are a way to add information and flow to your writing. The definition of parenthetical is “to be enclosed in parentheses,” though parentheticals may also be enclosed in commas or dashes.

Parenthetical phrases are used to convey information that supports a sentence. However, if you remove a parenthetical, the sentence it’s in can still stand on its own as a complete thought, since the phrase is simply supportive. That isn’t to say that these parenthetical phrases don’t add value, but only that they’re not completely essential when writing. The same information can still be communicated in a separate sentence, but it may be more effective for the reader when used as a parenthetical.

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“Parentheticals convey information, add personality, and can function as an aside from the author to the reader.”

When to use parenthetical phrases

Your writing can certainly benefit from the use of parentheticals. They convey information, add personality, and can function as an aside from the author to the reader. Use a parenthetical phrase as a standalone sentence, in the middle of a sentence, or in a few specialized ways, including but not limited to:

Numbered lists
Time zones
Area codes
Short translations
Abbreviations and acronyms
Birth and death years

Use parentheses to interject useful information that helps your reader. For example:

Lady Gaga (born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) is an international pop star.
D Day (June 6, 1944) is when the Allied troops landed in Normandy.

Types of parentheticals

While most parenthetical phrases appear within parentheses, this isn’t a requirement. There are other types of parentheticals as well.

Free modifier

A free modifier is a type of parenthetical phrase that supplies extra information to a sentence without disrupting the flow of text. These phrases help readers understand and visualize what is happening and add crucial information that helps the development of a narrative but is still not necessary to the sentence itself.

An example of this might be something like:

My mother, after looking at my math grade, forbade me from using the car for a week.

In the above sentence, the free modifier is “after looking at my math grade.” The phrase is essential to the narrative because it explains why someone wasn’t allowed to use a car, but it can also be removed without damaging the structure of the sentence.

Introductory phrase

Another common way to use a parenthetical is as an introductory phrase. They promote the flow of writing from one sentence to the next, but they may be omitted without changing the sentence’s meaning. Examples of introductory parenthetical phrases include:

However, Peter wasn’t tall enough to ride the roller coaster.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to get on the ride with his friends.
To no avail, he pleaded with the ride operator.

Parenthetical phrases are great tools for many styles of writing. If you need help getting started, whether you’re composing a travel journal or putting together a business plan, try these writing templates.

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