bracket
part of speech
noun (bracket, brackets); verb (bracket, brackets, bracketed, bracketing)
meaning for a pupil
1) Brackets are the marks ( ) put around numbers in a sum to show which part to work out first. tree →
2) In writing, brackets hold extra words that are not needed for the sentence to make sense. tree →
3) A bracket is a metal or wooden support fixed to a wall to hold up a shelf. tree →
4) A bracket is a group or range: «the 8–10 age bracket». tree →
sense in the lessons
in maths, the part of a calculation done first; in stories, a support that holds a shelf; in English: brackets (parentheses) for extra information; kinds: round ( ), square [ ], curly { }; in everyday life: «age bracket», «price bracket»; in the USA round brackets are called parentheses
examples
- Work out (3 + 4) × 2. tree →
- In 20 − (5 + 3), add 5 and 3 first. tree →
- Put brackets in 6 + 4 × 2 to make 20. tree →
- Each shelf needs 2 brackets. tree →
- My cousin (who lives in Wales) is coming to stay. tree →
- Close the bracket after the last number. tree →
- Dad screwed the brackets to the wall. tree →
- The race is for children in the 9–11 age bracket. tree →
- She threw her broom at the bird, who was perched on a bracket high up on the wall. tree →
note
Tells the order of operations: work inside the brackets first. Trap: 20 − (5 + 3) = 12 but 20 − 5 + 3 = 18; brackets change the answer. Every opening bracket needs a closing one. Order: brackets, then × and ÷, then + and −.
In the corpora
- Brackets, a pair of dashes, or a pair of commas can all mark parenthesis.
- Dashes give a stronger break than brackets or commas, and can make writing more dramatic; used too often they lose their effect.
- Work out what is in brackets first.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «bracket» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.