Pattern confusion

[Mom of 3]

I’m having an issue understanding this round instruction.
R 6: Ch 1. (2 sc in next st. 1 sc in each of next 2 sts) twice. Join. 40sts

all the other repeats all around have *. So I’m confused about the 40 sts. 
Please help

Edited January 12, 2021 by Mom of 3
Forgot to add this part

[bgs]

40 sts is the stitch count for that round.  It means that when you complete that round you should have 40 stitches.  Its a good way to know if you made a mistake on that round.

[Granny Square]

Agree with Bgs on the end stitch count, but something is wrong or missing in that line you gave.  How many stitches were you supposed to have at the end of row 5?  This instruction tells you to repeat (2 sc in next st. 1 sc in each of next 2 sts) only twice.  Each repeat creates 4 stitches out of 3, so done twice only uses 6 stitches and yields 8--what happened to the other 32 stitches?.

It would make sense if it said (something like)--"R6: Ch 1. (2 sc in next st. 1 sc in each of next 2 sts) twice; sc across remaining stitches. Join. 40sts".  Or, some other combination of the instruction you gave plus what to do with the balance of stitches of the row below, to end up with 40 stitches.