On Friday 20 August 2010 09:03:46 Neil Bothwick wrote:
> Defined usage:
> () parentheses
> [] brackets
> {} braces
"Defined"? Defined where?
In English*, a parenthesis is a separate expression** marked off from the
rest of the sentence with brackets. Round ones, that is. A parenthesis
is not a punctuation mark, unless you want to be loose and informal
about it.
* This is what I learned at school, it accords with all my experience so
far except in American fora, and I see no need to change my
understanding.
** Thus becoming a "parenthetical expression".
I'll get off my soapbox now... :-)
--
Rgds
Peter. Linux Counter 5290, 1994-04-23.
