MS Excel - Using Parentheses

1. Using Parentheses in Formulas

Parentheses () in Excel are mainly used to group operations and control calculation order.

a) Basic Arithmetic

=(10+5)*2

• Excel calculates inside parentheses first → (10+5)=15

• Then multiplies by 2 → Result = 30.

b) Nesting Parentheses

You can use multiple levels:

=((20+10)*(5-2))/2

Steps:

• (20+10)=30

• (5-2)=3

• 30*3=90

• 90/2=45.

Rule: Excel calculates inside-out.

2. Parentheses for Negative Numbers

Parentheses are commonly used in accounting to display negative numbers:

How to apply accounting style:

• Select cells → Home → Number Group → Accounting.

3. Custom Number Formats with Parentheses

You can automatically format negative numbers inside parentheses.

Steps:

1. Select cells → Ctrl+1 → Number tab.

2. Go to Custom.

3. Use a format like:

   #,##0.00;(#,##0.00)
   

Explanation:

• First part → positive numbers → #,##0.00

• Second part → negative numbers → (#,##0.00)

• Example: 1234.56 → 1,234.56
-1234.56 → (1,234.56)

4. Adding Parentheses Around Text

If you want to display parentheses in text or formulas:

a) In a formula:

="(" & A1 & ")"

If A1 = 2025, result → (2025).

b) Using TEXT function:

=TEXT(A1,"(0)")

If A1=50, result → (50).

5. Parentheses in Functions

Many Excel functions require parentheses for their arguments:

Tip: Always ensure parentheses are balanced — Excel shows color-coded pairs when editing formulas.

6. Conditional Formatting with Parentheses

If you want numbers to automatically show parentheses based on a rule:

1. Select cells → Home → Conditional Formatting → New Rule.

2. Use Custom Number Format:

   [>=0]#,##0;(#,##0)
   

• Positive numbers → no parentheses.

• Negative numbers → inside parentheses.