Suppose I want to add a qualifier to a noun that isn't necessary for understanding, so I decide to put it in parentheses. If the adjective in parentheses would change whether I use "a" or "an" as an article, which one is correct?
For example, as in the title, I want to mention that a problem is obvious. Without the qualifier it would be "a problem", with it "an obvious problem". Would it be "an (obvious) problem" or "a (obvious) problem"?
I suspect the first one to be correct, but is that true? My understanding of parentheses is that the sentence should make sense with or without the part between them, but in this case one option sounds weird when including it and one sounds strange when leaving it out.
Edit: Please note that this is not a duplicate of a / an - adjective - noun . There, the question is about an adjective directly following the article without any parentheses. I'm asking whether the special case with parentheses changes anything. Also, this is basically a nitpicking question: I know how to rephrase the expression to avoid the issue, but I want to know what is correct.
Answer
In this specific case, I believe that you should use:
an (obvious) problem
As MετάEd wrote in the question “A/An” preceding a parenthetical statement: "A parenthesis is a remark which you insert into the middle of a sentence as if you are interrupting yourself. A parenthesis contributes to the meaning of the sentence but interrupts and stands outside its syntax. In writing, we typically use curved brackets, dashes, or commas to mark a parenthesis."
Your example, a/an (obvious) problem, is not interrupted by the word obvious, i.e., this obvious functions as an adjective modifying problem, and thus the phrase is not parenthetical.
On the other hand, this is parenthetical:
Here is a (oh, you know I'd say that it's obvious!) problem.
Having said that, I believe that reworking the wording is another good option; for example, you can remove the parentheses entirely. You can also write the parenthetical part (which is more usual in formal writing) after the noun: a problem (an obvious one).
See also: Articles: “A” vs. “An” on Stack Exchange English Language & Usage
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