Brackets are symbols used in writing and mathematics to group information or clarify meaning. In writing, they often enclose additional information or comments that are not part of the main text. For example, you might see a sentence like this: "The concert (which was sold out) was amazing." Here, the brackets provide extra details without interrupting the flow of the sentence. In mathematics, brackets help indicate the order of operations. For instance, in the expression 2 + [3 × (4 - 1)], the brackets show that you should first calculate 4 - 1, then multiply by 3, and finally add 2. This ensures that everyone interprets the equation the same way, leading to consistent results.