Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Adding Parentheses.
Normally, you add parentheses around your parenthetical remarks as you type your text. There may be times, however, when you want to add the parentheses at a later time. For instance, while editing your document you may select some text and then want parentheses added around the selected text. The following macro, AddParens, can be used to add the desired parentheses:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: 
Sub AddParens()
If Len(Selection.Range) > 0 Then
Selection.InsertBefore "("
Selection.InsertAfter ")"
Else
MsgBox "No text was selected!"
End If
End Sub
The macro uses the InsertBefore and InsertAfter methods to add the appropriate parenthesis before and after the selected text.
To use the macro, assign it to a shortcut key or to a toolbar button. You then select the target text and invoke the macro. The desired parentheses are added to the text. (If you don't select any text before invoking the macro, you'll see a message box to that effect.)
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11920) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Adding Parentheses.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
Need to move a few paragraphs around in your document? Word provides a couple of handy shortcuts that make it very easy ...
Discover MoreSection breaks are used to divide a document into two or more sections that can be independently formatting. If you want ...
Discover MoreIf you are using Word in Draft view, and the text on the screen doesn't wrap at the right margin like it should, the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2018-10-19 13:29:17
Ben K.
How can this macro be modified to NOT enclose a trailing space after a word? I'd like the macro to check if the final character in the selection is a space, and if it is, put the closing parentheses to the left of the space.
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2020 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments