1. Supplemental or Explanatory Information: Brackets are often used to enclose information that adds context or explanation to the surrounding text. For example:
- "Today's weather forecast [as per the local weather bureau] predicts a high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit."
2. Corrections or Substitutions: Brackets are used to indicate changes, corrections, or alterations made to the original text, typically in transcriptions or historical documents. For example:
- "The original text reads, "The meeting is set for [September 15, 2022]" [originally scheduled for August 18, 2022]."
3. Asides or Comments: Brackets can enclose comments, asides, or editorial remarks within a text. These comments are usually in the author's or editor's voice, providing additional information or clarification. For example:
- "The author states that [despite these limitations] the research yielded valuable insights."
4. Interpolation or Insertion: Brackets are used to mark the insertion of new material into a text, such as additional quotations or references, that may not have been part of the original manuscript. For example:
- "The quote in the article reads as follows: "[...] art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination [...]." [Source: Oxford English Dictionary]"
5. Clarification or Precision: Brackets can provide clarification or additional details about specific terms or concepts within the text. For example:
- "The study's findings [based on a representative sample of the population] suggest that [...]"
6. Technical Notation or Symbols: In technical or scientific writing, brackets are occasionally used to denote specific mathematical or technical symbols, abbreviations, or identifiers, such as subindices or superscripts.
7. Bibliographic Citations: In some academic writing styles (e.g., MLA), brackets are used in parenthetical citations to signify when text within a source is interpolated, modified, or has an altered punctuation structure when used within a quotation.
It's important to note that the specific usage and formatting conventions for brackets may vary depending on the writing style, discipline, or guidelines followed in a particular context.