Question

Which of the following is NOT the function of parentheses?

• A. To provide additional information
• B. To enclose numbers while drawing a list
• C. To provide the full form of an abbreviation
• D. To introduce a list of items

Answer 1

The correct option is D To introduce a list of items

The punctuation mark, parentheses ( ), is used to enclose additional or extra information in a sentence, without influencing that sentence grammatically (the single bracket is called parenthesis whereas in a pair, ( ) is called parentheses). The functions of parenthesis include providing additional information, for example, 'The teacher (and his students) thoroughly enjoyed the museum tour'. It is used to enclose numbers while drawing a list, for example, 'Carry these items with you for the field trip: (1) an extra change of clothes, (2) a water bottle and (3) lunch'. Parentheses are used to provide the full form of an abbreviation, example, 'The INU (Indian National Union) addressed the current concerns during the press conference'. These three are the functions of the parentheses, but we have to choose the option that is not a function, hence options A, B and C are incorrect. The colon ':' usually introduces a list of items, like in the second example. Hence it's not a function of parentheses and we choose option D.