Punctuation after question marks and brackets.

[MinnieMummy]

Say you have a sentence like this:

How many will I have if I eat one/have one less? (answer without recounting).

Should there be a full stop after the bracket? I keep taking it out and then putting it back in, I can't decide.

Or should it be:
(Answer without recounting.)

Many thanks!

take out the full stop.

Full stop after the close bracket surely?

no full stop needed - esp after brackets, as tempting as it is. IMHO

You have answered your own question.

Full stop within the bracket if it is a stand alone sentence and begins with a capital. If it is an add-on to your comment or comes within a sentence then punctuation outside the bracket.

I think.

Actually, I think you need to put the question mark after the brackets.

In this case, I think the comment is an add on and needs neither a capital or a full stop. If it was a sentence it would need both.

I'm not making any sense am I? PMSL!!!!!

squeaver, i actually typed that to begin with and then doubted myself as it looked wrong [flustered]

Oh now I'm really confused! Although glad that it's not blindingly obvious.

If I put the question mark after the brackets, it would read:

How many will I have if I eat one/have one less(answer without recounting)?

which I can't help but feel looks odd.

I think I will go with capitals and full stops inside the brackets. Hey, it's all about consistency at the end of the day right?

I know I'm usually so certain on these things and now I'm all confused

How many will I have if I eat one/have one less? (answer without recounting) right

How many will I have if I eat one/have one less? (You may choose to answer this part of the exam without recounting.) right

I think

.,::;()

Are you sure that the brackets are really necessary?

Sorry x-post. I am sooo impressed that there are so many responses and so quickly!!

One final thought before I hang myself out to dry............something is coming back to me from far back in my small mind...............

Is it not dependent on whether the content of the bracket is an instruction or an explanation? i.e.

(answer without recounting)
(She was fully aware of the circumstance but chose to hide her own feelings.)

Oooh, I'm liking removing brackets altogether. That hadn't occurred to me.

I would say it's an instruction. Another example is:

How many are here? (quick response, without counting or touching)

NO You need the brackets!!!!!

Yup, I'm liking that.

(It is most common for the parenthesized text to be within a single sentence but also common for an entire sentence, or even several sentences, of supplemental material to be in parentheses. In this case even the final full stop would be within the parentheses.)

As stolen from Wiki

Fg you're liking no punctuation after brackets?

When I get wound up confused like this, my default setting is to think 'Will anybody other than another copy-editor give a damn or even notice?' - to which the answer is invariably 'NO!!!'

Minnie, I like punctuation after brackets if its within the sentence........i.e.

Once upon a time, in the Royal Garden, the maid was hanging out the clothes (for the lazy slattern Queen who wouldn't lift a finger from her Hello mag), in a short dress.

I like to think of brackets as what you would say by way of a secret, in a low voice behind your hand But I am open to be corrected.

Also, I think I agree that no-one will notice

cool. I always wanted one of those badges

good luck figuring it out girls, i'm off to collect my mini-pedants

I think I'm going to go with lower-case within and no punctuation after. Probably.

It's only for teachers so it's not like anyone will notice

How hilarious. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who wastes literally hours of my time worrying about this stuff instead of doing something meaningful with my life. Though why any of us bother I do not know - the rest of the world is too busy selling fecking tomato's and cherrys to notice or care.