Where to Put the Period When Using Parentheses

So, you’ve used a set of parentheses in a sentence and now you’re wondering: where on earth does the period go? While it would be nice if the answer was as simple as “Before” or “After” the final parenthesis, the real answer is…”it depends.”

But don’t worry! It’s not complicated and I think you’ll find the logic to make a lot of sense. Really it comes down to this:

If the parenthetical phrase is inserted in the middle of a sentence, the period goes at the end of the sentence, or OUTSIDE the parentheses. If a parenthetical phrase is a complete sentence, the period goes INSIDE. See how this works here:

If I write a sentence with some related but unnecessary commentary (because, you know, I like to add extra commentary like I’m doing right now), then the period simply goes after the end of the sentence. This is the case, even if the parenthetical phrase shows up at the end (just like this sentence). See that? Period goes outside, both times.

(But if I’m gonna just put an entire sentence in parentheses, the period stays inside, like this.)

To Clarify, Let’s Start with Why We Use Parentheses

REASON #1: ADD EXTRA, UNRELATED COMMENTARY

Parentheses allow writers to add related but not totally necessary information to a sentence. As you probably noticed from the first two sentences in the black box above, the parenthetical phrases weren’t necessary for the sentence to make sense, but they gave additional insight and personality. Here’s another sentence with a parenthetical phrase:

• Rhianna was casually eating cheese and crackers after school (that’s long been her favorite go-to snack) when she suddenly realized she was supposed to be at her track meet.

In that sentence, you’ll see that there is additional related information, but the information isn’t necessary for the sentence to make sense. Remove it, and the sentence is just fine.

REASON #2: CLARIFY A POINT MADE IN A SENTENCE

You can also use parentheses to clarify something that may not be immediately clear to your reader. Check out this sentence:

• To make your PowerPoint slide more interesting, try using a transparent overlay (a colored shape that you can kind of see an image through).

In that sentence, you’ll see that I’m clarifying what a transparent overlay is. The sentence would make sense without the parenthetical note, but for readers who may not be familiar with the term, it’s helpful added information.

REASON #3: CITE A SOURCE

Another common reason why you might use parentheses is to cite a source. The citation is usually placed at the end of the sentence, like in this one:

• Some cognitive scientists even argue that attractive things work better (Norman, 2004).

In this case, the parenthetical reference isn’t giving added commentary so much as it is pointing the reader to further information. You can use parentheses like this in many ways, giving the reader extra details that don’t necessarily need to be read aloud or in their entirety unless they need it.

So…where does the period go?

Almost always, the period goes OUTSIDE of the parentheses, at the end of a sentence.

In the three examples I wrote above, you may have noticed that in all—even the one where I’m citing a source—the period goes AFTER, or OUTSIDE the second parenthesis. Why? Because the period is designed to complete the sentence and if a side commentary or citation is related to the sentence, the period needs to go AFTER the end of the sentence, even if the parenthetical phrase or reference is at the end.

When does the period goes INSIDE the parentheses?

Periods only go BEFORE the final parenthesis when an entire, complete sentence is a parenthetical phrase. You won’t do this in your writing very often, but it is occasionally necessary to add important clarification. It can also be a way to create a more conversational and interesting tone. Check out these back-to-back sentences, where the second sentence is entirely in parentheses (and the period is inside):

• I think it was when I took that organic chemistry class—and failed it—that I realized medical school probably wasn’t for me. (Plus, I never really liked to look at blood, anyway.)

That second sentence is considered an aside, but it’s a complete sentence, pulled away from the first. It’s not totally necessary to understand the first sentence or the paragraph in which it might be in. But it’s added, interesting information and it works in the parentheses. But because it’s a sentence all on its own—because the entire sentence is an aside—the period needs to go INSIDE.

Was this helpful? Let me know in the comments below!