Question

which sentences use brackets correctly? select the two that apply.

the article said that \comfort foods provide psychological comfort by evoking positive memories (usually from childhood defined as age 0 to 12) and producing a comforting feeling of happiness or joy.\ however, the specific type of food varies from person to person. this is because \making connections between any particular food and a happy memory is a personal, individualized process,\ the article explained.

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Bracket Usage Rules
How to use square brackets for nested parentheses and quotes.

Step 1: Analyze the first sentence

The first sentence is:
"The article said that "comfort foods provide psychological comfort by evoking positive memories (usually from childhood [defined as age 0 to 12]) and producing a comforting feeling of happiness or joy.""

• Rule: When parentheses are already used, any further nested parenthetical information inside them should be enclosed in square brackets [ ] to avoid confusion.
• Application: Here, we have parenthetical information (usually from childhood...). Inside it, there is a nested definition: [defined as age 0 to 12].
• Conclusion: This sentence uses brackets correctly.

Step 2: Analyze the second sentence

The second sentence is:
"However, the specific type [of food] varies from person to person."

• Rule: Brackets are used within a direct quotation to insert explanatory words or clarifications added by someone other than the original author.
• Application: In this sentence, "[of food]" is enclosed in brackets, but the sentence is not a direct quotation (there are no quotation marks). Clarifications in regular, non-quoted text should use standard parentheses ( ) or simply be integrated into the sentence without brackets.
• Conclusion: This sentence uses brackets incorrectly.

Step 3: Analyze the third sentence

The third sentence is:
"This is because "making connections between [any particular food] and a happy memory is a personal, individualized process," the article explained."

• Rule: Brackets are used inside direct quotations to insert words that clarify the meaning, adjust grammar, or replace a pronoun to make the quote understandable out of context.
• Application: The phrase "[any particular food]" is inserted inside a direct quotation to clarify what "connections" refers to.
• Conclusion: This sentence uses brackets correctly.

Answer:

The two sentences that use brackets correctly are:

1. The article said that "comfort foods provide psychological comfort by evoking positive memories (usually from childhood [defined as age 0 to 12]) and producing a comforting feeling of happiness or joy."
2. This is because "making connections between [any particular food] and a happy memory is a personal, individualized process," the article explained.