Using brackets with Quotations 

Clarification or Correction

• • Original Quote: "She [Mary] is the team captain."

  • Explanation: Brackets are used to clarify that "Mary" is the implied subject in the original statement.

Emphasizing or Adding Information

• • Original Quote: "He won the award for 'Best Actor.'"

  • Explanation: Brackets are used to emphasize the specific category for which the award was won.

Changing Verb Tenses or Pronouns

• • Original Quote: "They said, 'We are going to the park.'"

  • Revised Quote: "They said, 'They are going to the park.'"

  • Explanation: Brackets are used to alter the pronouns in the quoted text to match the context of the new sentence.

Inserting Comments or Explanations

• • Original Quote: "The event was a huge success."

  • Revised Quote: "The event was a huge [financial] success."

  • Explanation: Brackets are used to insert additional information (in this case, specifying the type of success).

Omitting Words

• • Original Quote: "The author stated, 'In my opinion, the book is well-written.'"

  • Revised Quote: "The author stated, '[The book] is well-written.'"

  • Explanation: Brackets are used to indicate omitted words for brevity.

Indicating Errors [sic]

"Sic" is a Latin term that means "thus" or "so." It is used within square brackets [sic] in quotations to indicate that an error, inconsistency, or unusual feature in the quoted text is intentional and is not a mistake made by the person quoting it. Here are some scenarios and examples of how to use "sic" in quotations: 

Spelling or Grammar Errors

• • Original Quote: "He is definately [sic] going to the party."

  • Explanation: The bracketed "[sic]" indicates that the misspelling "definately" is present in the original text, and the quoter is acknowledging the error without correcting it.

Unusual Usage or Non-Standard Language

• • Original Quote: "Their performance was supurb [sic]."

  • Explanation: "[sic]" is used to acknowledge that the word "supurb" is non-standard, and it's retained exactly as it appeared in the original text.

Errors in Dates, Numbers, or Facts

• • Original Quote: "The event took place on March 15th, 2022 [sic]."

  • Explanation: The inclusion of "[sic]" indicates that the quoter recognizes the error in the date (assuming it was not March 15th, 2022) but retains the mistake as it appeared in the source.

Quoting Archaic or Unusual Language

• • Original Quote: "He said, 'I shall go hence [sic] forthwith.'"

  • Explanation: "[sic]" is used to show that the archaic term "hence" is retained exactly as it was in the original quote.

Preserving Original Formatting

• • Original Quote: "The text is centered on the page, as follows: [sic]"

  • Explanation: In this case, "[sic]" is used to indicate that the bracketed "[sic]" is part of the original text and not an error introduced by the quoter.

Using "sic" is a way to maintain accuracy and transparency when quoting material with errors or unusual elements. It signals to the reader that any apparent mistakes are present in the original source.

Remember to use brackets judiciously and ethically, ensuring that any alterations accurately reflect the intended meaning without distorting the original context.