Example sentence:
Please proceed to remove the agreed items from the list.
There was a former discussion on the items and I'd like to highlight the items again in the final action to take. Is the below sentence the right way to include the items?
Please proceed to remove the agreed items(apple, orange, banana and pear) from the list.
I would rather use a colon.
Please proceed to remove the agreed items from the list: apple, orange, banana and pear.
Colons are usually used to introduce lists while parentheses are used to give extra information.
Is it wrong? That depends on who you ask or what writting guidelines you follow. In my little experience, though, I've never seen a book use parentheses to introduce a list of more than two items.
Its fine. The parenthesis adds extra information, and isn't part of the grammar of the sentence. You're missing a space before the first bracket, but that is all.
If you find the list intrusive, you can simply add a second sentence.
We agreed that the items apple, orange, banana and pear, were not required. Please now proceed and remove these from the list.
