Question

Inside a direct quotation, brackets [ ] indicate:

1) The words are added for clarification
2) The words are omitted from the original text
3) The words are changed to fit the context
4) The words are a mistake in the original text

Answer 1

Brackets [] within a direct quotation indicate added or changed words for clarification or to fit the context of the new writing. They should not be used for omitted words or to highlight mistakes in the original text.

Step-by-step explanation:

Inside a direct quotation, brackets [] are used to indicate changes made to a quotation. These changes may include added information for clarity or explanation, alterations to fit the context, or any other modifications necessary to make the quotation accurate within the new writing. For example, if the original text says "Results provide hope to patients," and you need to specify the type of patients in your essay, the quote might be altered as follows: "[The] results provide hope to patients [with muscular dystrophy]." This indicates that the word "The" has been added at the beginning for grammatical purposes, and the explanation "with muscular dystrophy" has been added to clarify the type of patients being referred to.