Was That Meant Parenthetically? (Part 1 of 3)

The parenthesis has largely disappeared from informal, commercial writing. Remember that parentheses always come in pairs—before and after the punctuated material. They include explanations, digressions, and examples that, although helpful or interesting, aren't essential for the meaning of the sentence.

* The theater tickets (ranging in price from three dollars to twelve) will go on sale Friday.

* Edna is a troublesome guest because she's allergic to all my favorite snacks (like chocolate, popcorn, and potato chips) and complains because I don't like what she prefers to eat.

The dash (composed of two typed hyphens) has become a strong punctuation mark with most commercial writers and has largely replaced the parenthesis.

If you delete the parenthetical expressions, the sentences make sense and still convey the information you want. 

I use parentheses to include information 

that isn't vital for the intended meaning.