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Square brackets allow writers some editorial control over the content of their writing.
Square brackets allow writers some editorial control over the content of their writing.
Square brackets - a pair of punctuation marks used to provided more accurate information.
Introduction
Introduction
When including the work of others in our writing, we sometimes need to insert information to improve readability or prevent misunderstanding.
The presence of square brackets (known simply as brackets in the US) is an indication to the reader that the original text has been updated in some way.
Use Cases
Use Cases
Clarification
Clarification
If quoted material includes a word or phrase that the reader may not understand, we can use square brackets to clarify meaning.
Examples
Watching plays at The Globe theatre could be a riotous affair. According to Levinson, "They [audiences] would often throw dried figs or oyster shells on stage."
The witness claimed, "By the time I arrived [7 am] the man was leaving the house."
While it is tempting to simply replace words in the original text when using square brackets, we should instead keep the original language, and then add whatever information is needed to clarify understanding.
Original text
Sally is a great worker. She completed the project on time.
Incorrect quotation
"[Sally] completed the project on time."
Correct quotation
"She [Sally] completed the project on time."
While this rule is not always observed (especially in journalism), we should follow it in our assessment tasks.
If it proves difficult to use square brackets to clarify meaning in a quotation, it is sometimes better to simply rewrite the sentence.
Awkward
"We need to do the same thing [teach students to take notes by hand] here" said education expert Jason Coulson when discussing Swedish classroom habits.
Improved
Education expert Jason Coulson is emphatic that we should follow the Swedish practice of taking notes by hand: "We need to do the same thing here."
Translation
Translation
If a quotation includes a word or phrase from another language that our reader might not recognise, we can provide a translation in square brackets.
Example
In Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger utters one of his most famous lines: "Hasta la vista, baby [See you later, baby]."
Note that this is different to when we include foreign phrasing in our own writing. In this case, we use regular brackets.
Example
The coffee at Joe's has a certain je ne sais quoi (indescribable quality).
Confirming errors
Confirming errors
Sometimes, a quote includes an error.
If we would like to preserve this quote in its original form, but also let the reader know that the mistake belongs to the original author, we can use the Latin word sic.
This word should be placed in square brackets just after the error in the quotation. Sic should be italicised because it is a foreign word, but the square brackets should not.
We can use this technique for both grammatical mistakes and incorrect information.
Example
"All of the sheep is [sic] ready to be fed."
According to the travel guide, "As the capital city of Australia, Sydney [sic] is a wonderful place to visit."
Alternatively, we can rewrite the sentence so the error in the quotation is avoided.
Example
According to the travel guide, "Sydney is a wonderful place to visit."
If we believe there is an error in a quotation, we can also offer a tentative correction in square brackets with a question mark.
Example
"The COVID-19 pandemic led to mass lockups [lockdowns?]."
Strong language
Strong language
If a quotation includes swearing, this can be covered by square brackets.
Example
When asked whether his team had found anything, the man replied "We ain't found [expletive]!"
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