Writers use brackets in academic writing to add information to a quote without changing the meaning of the sentence. This means that the writer can add words, if necessary, to make the sentence clearer or add a correction or comment to quoted material.
How do you use brackets in a sentence?
Rules for using brackets [ ]
- Use brackets to indicate you have inserted your own words into a quotation. Jim said, "She [Julie] finished the report last week." ...
- Use [sic] to show an error in a quotation. ...
- Use brackets to insert information within parentheses. ...
- Use brackets to insert stage direction into a play.
When should square brackets be used?
Square brackets are used, usually in books and articles, when supplying words that make a quotation clearer or that comment on it, although they were not originally said or written.
