Can you replace a word in a quote with brackets?

When writers insert or alter words in a direct quotation, square brackets—[ ]—are placed around the change….Bracket Use: Quick Summary.

Can you put brackets in quotes?

In a paper, use brackets to signify important information added to direct quotes. The brackets tell the reader that the information is added to further explain the quote.

What do brackets around a word in a quote mean?

Brackets, sometimes called square brackets, are most often used to show that words have been added to a direct quotation. Sometimes, when quoting a person or document, adding a word or two is necessary to provide enough context for the quote to make sense.

Are brackets only used in quotes?

If a direct quote includes words or a phrase in another language other than the one in the main text, then you use brackets to provide a translation. However, if the foreign language appears in text that’s not part of a quote, then you should use parentheses.

How do you use brackets and ellipses in a quote?

You also don’t need to use the ellipsis at the end of a quote unless you are omitting words from the end of a multi-sentence quote. Use brackets around the ellipsis in this case, to show that the mark itself is not a part of the original sentence.

How do you use brackets in brackets?

1. Use brackets inside parentheses to create a double enclosure in the text. Avoid parentheses within parentheses, or nested parentheses. Correct: (We also administered the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI; Beck, Steer, & Garbin, 1988], but those results are not reported here.)

What are brackets used for?

Brackets are used to insert explanations, corrections, clarifications, or comments into quoted material. Brackets are always used in pairs; you must have both an opening and a closing bracket. Do not confuse brackets [ ] with parentheses ( ).

Can you use brackets within brackets?

Use brackets inside parentheses to create a double enclosure in the text. Avoid parentheses within parentheses, or nested parentheses. Correct: (We also administered the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI; Beck, Steer, & Garbin, 1988], but those results are not reported here.)

How do you change capitalization in a quote?

After a Verb of Saying If the first quoted word begins with a lowercase letter in your source, use a capital letter enclosed in square brackets to indicate that you’ve altered the source: In A Room with a View E. M.

What can replace brackets?

A pair of em dashes can replace a pair of parentheses. Dashes are considered less formal than parentheses; they are also more intrusive. If you want to draw attention to the parenthetical content, use dashes.

What are brackets and dashes used for?

Brackets are most commonly used to immediately describe a word or thought inside a sentence, while dashes are used to introduce or emphasize a new thought into a sentence to clarify its intent.

Can I use brackets within brackets?

When do you use brackets in a quotation?

Use brackets to enclose inserted words intended to clarify meaning within a quotation. Use parentheses when inserting words into a quotation. Use brackets to enclose inserted words intended to provide a brief explanation within a quotation.

How do you use square brackets in academic writing?

In academic writing, you use square brackets to indicate words are added or explained in some way in quoted text, to modify a quote for grammatical reasons, to show missing words with ellipses or to replace expletives. Using square brackets to add words to quoted text

How do you make changes to an original quote?

Use #1: Sometimes, you may wish to clarify or add to an original quote. Put words that are being added to an original quote within brackets. Always put the changes in brackets, not parentheses. This tells your readers exactly how you have altered the original.

What do square brackets mean in a sentence?

When do you use square brackets? In academic writing, you use square brackets to indicate words are added or explained in some way in quoted text, to modify a quote for grammatical reasons, to show missing words with ellipses or to replace expletives.