Parentheses Writing Exercises: Level B2 (with Answers)

⏱ Time: 07:30 📝 Questions: 15 📊 Level: B2 📚 Type: Writing ⭐ XP: up to +16 (on pass)

The fastest way to learn is from your mistakes. Try these 15 Parentheses exercises at Level B2 and read the explanation for every question — especially the ones you get wrong. Each explanation names the specific rule so you know exactly what to review.

⏱ You have 07:30 to answer 15 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  15
Q1 15

Question 1: Read the following sentence: 'The museum (which was built in 1923) attracts thousands of visitors each year.' What is the material enclosed in the curved marks an example of?

Question 1 options
The phrase 'which was built in 1923' is a parenthetical insertion — extra information enclosed in parentheses that can be removed without affecting the grammatical correctness of the main sentence.
Q2 15

Question 2: At 30, she became the youngest CEO ___ this corporation has ever appointed.

Question 2 options
Parentheses can be used to provide the full term of an abbreviation or acronym. The correct placement is '(Chief Executive Officer)' immediately after the abbreviation with no additional punctuation inside.
Q3 15

Question 3: When a parenthetical remark appears at the end of a sentence but is part of that sentence, the period should be placed after the closing parenthesis.

Question 3 options
This is true. When parenthetical material is embedded within a sentence, the closing punctuation mark for the sentence goes after the closing parenthesis, not before it or inside it.
Q4 15

Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses parentheses?

Question 4 options
The correct sentence places the period after the closing parenthesis because the parenthetical content is part of the larger sentence. Placing the period inside the parentheses or omitting it entirely is incorrect when the parenthetical material does not stand alone.
Q5 15

Question 5: Match each parentheses use to its correct example.

Question 5 options
Acronym expansion
Life dates
Short translation
Extra information
My colleague (who speaks four languages) will help.
The WHO (World Health Organization) issued a report.
Marie Curie (1867–1934) won two Nobel Prizes.
He whispered grazie (thank you) to the waiter.

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Parentheses serve multiple functions: providing acronym expansions, birth and death years, short translations, and supplementary details.
Q6 15

Question 6: Which sentence has a punctuation error related to parentheses?

Question 6 options
In the fourth option (the sentence about the report), the comma should be placed outside the closing parenthesis, not inside it. Punctuation marks that belong to the main sentence are never placed inside parentheses that appear in the middle of the sentence.
Q7 15

Question 7: Choose the best option to complete this sentence: 'After consulting the guidelines ___ we decided to restructure the entire proposal.'

Question 7 options
When parenthetical material appears mid-sentence, any surrounding punctuation (such as a comma) must be placed outside the closing parenthesis. The correct option places the comma after the closing parenthesis.
Q8 15

Question 8: The following sentence contains an error: 'The new policy (effective immediately) have been approved by the board.' Which option correctly fixes the error?

Question 8 options
The parenthetical content is not part of the subject. The verb must agree with 'The new policy' (singular), so 'have' should be 'has.' The parenthetical insertion does not change subject-verb agreement.
Q9 15

Question 9: Arrange the parts in the correct order to form a properly punctuated sentence using parentheses:

Question 9 options
  • exhibited her work in Paris
  • .
  • (born in Rome)
  • The artist

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

When a parenthetical remark is embedded within a sentence, the main sentence structure stays intact and the period goes after the closing parenthesis. The correct order forms: 'The artist (born in Rome) exhibited her work in Paris.'
Q10 15

Question 10: You are writing an academic research paper and need to reference an organization for the first time. Which option is most appropriate?

Question 10 options
In academic writing, the convention is to write out the full name of an organization on first mention and place the abbreviation in parentheses immediately after. This allows subsequent references to use the abbreviation alone.
Q11 15

Question 11: What is the difference between using parentheses and using brackets within parentheses in APA style?

Question 11 options
In APA style, when nested enclosures are needed, brackets are placed inside parentheses to create two levels of enclosure. This distinguishes APA conventions from mathematical notation, where the nesting order is reversed.
Q12 15

Question 12: Which version is most appropriate for a formal business report?

Question 12 options
In formal writing, parentheses should be used sparingly and for genuinely supplementary information. The version that uses parentheses to provide the abbreviation after the full term is appropriate for formal reports, following standard conventions.
Q13 15

Question 13: If the parenthetical material inside a sentence is a question, you can place a question mark inside the closing parenthesis and still end the sentence with a period.

Question 13 options
This is true. When parenthetical material within a statement is itself a question, a question mark goes inside the parentheses, and the sentence still ends with a period after the closing parenthesis.
Q14 15

Question 14: Read this sentence: 'The local bakery (established over fifty years ago) is famous for its sourdough bread.' Why does the writer use parentheses here?

Question 14 options
Parentheses are used to enclose supplementary information that adds context without being essential to the main message. Removing the parenthetical content leaves a complete, grammatically correct sentence.
Q15 15

Question 15: Choose the best improved version of this awkward sentence: 'The professor, she has a PhD from Oxford, explained the theory in simple terms.'

Question 15 options
The clause 'she has a PhD from Oxford' is supplementary information that interrupts the main sentence. Enclosing it in parentheses correctly signals that it is additional, non-essential detail while keeping the sentence grammatically sound.