Question

Choose the sentence that demonstrates the correct use of parentheses. choose one answer. because wolfgang amadeus mozart was a child prodigy​ (he began writing music at age​ five), he was able to compose an astounding number of masterpieces in his brief​ thirty-five years. because wolfgang amadeus mozart was a child prodigy he began writing music at age​ five, (he was able to compose an astounding number of​ masterpieces) in his brief​ thirty-five years. because wolfgang amadeus mozart​ (was a child​ prodigy) he began writing music at age​ five, he was able to compose an astounding number of masterpieces in his brief​ thirty-five years.

Answer 1

because Wolfgang amadeus mozart was a child prodigy (he began writing music at age five), he was able to compose an astounding number of masterpieces in his brief thirty-five years.

Answer 2

Because Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy​ (he began writing music at age​ five), he was able to compose an astounding number of masterpieces in his brief​ thirty-five years.

A trick I use to figure out if the parentheses belong in a sentence is by imagining that the words located in the parentheses play the part of a prepositional phrase.

When we find a prepositional phrase in a sentence, we can delete it from the excerpt and the paragraph/sentence phrase will still make sense. Let's see if that's the case:

Because Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy​, he was able to compose an astounding number of masterpieces in his brief​ thirty-five years.

Does this sentence make sense? Is it logical and does it flow? If so, you've found your answer.