Em inglês, empregam-se os parênteses (brackets ou parentheses) para intercalar numa frase:

1   um comentário ou uma explicação: Mount Everest (8,848 m) is the highest mountain in the world.   My son (the little devil!) has just beaten up his sister again.   When you buy a computer, don't forget to buy a good mouse (which is a small hand-held device that controls the cursor movements on a computer screen).

2   notas remissivas: Depending on the program you are using, you can easily change the background colour of your computer screen (see How to Change the Background Colour on page 75).

3   números ou letras: If you want to learn more English, you need (1) to read regularly, (2) to look up words in a dictionary and (3) to practise speaking in English.