The period is a punctuation mark which is represented by a point (.)
3
votes
1answer
44 views
Punctuation for a Shakespeare quote
I am putting a quote on a plaque, but am uncertain how to punctuate it. Any help would be appreciated.
This above all: to thine own self be true
Do I put in a comma (which is in the original ...
0
votes
0answers
58 views
Should a sentence ending with “Ph.D.” end with one or two periods? [duplicate]
Should a sentence ending with the word Ph. D. end with one or two periods?
He has a Ph.D.
He has a Ph.D..
Is there some established formatting rule for this situation? It might be a ...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
Use semicolon or period when telling a result of an action?
If you look at these sentences, the second one is result of the first:
Alex shouts and feels pain in his leg, and he rubs the place with hand and looks at the leg. His leg swelled little bit.
So ...
0
votes
3answers
94 views
Comma or full stop after ''come on''?
I’ve always wondered whether you should put a full stop or a comma after come on.
Come on, it’s just over there!
Come on. It’s just over there!
Which one is right?
1
vote
2answers
204 views
Should I use a full stop at the end of text in a table?
The table has a mix of fragments and full sentences. I'm concerned that if I have full stops after the sentences and none after the fragments it will look inconsistent to the reader.
1
vote
1answer
205 views
When to use or omit periods in acronyms, abbreviations, and initials [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it OK to drop the periods in abbreviations?
I don't understand when or where to use or discard a period when writing short forms.
For example, my college is the ...
4
votes
2answers
256 views
Period or colon? [closed]
Say, I have the following sentence: "The Gaussian Sobolev spaces are as expected defined as follows" and then you do a definition environment after. The question is: how do you end "as follows"? With ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
How to use a comma with double quotes? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Punctuation of direct speech, edge cases
I have learned that it prefers to place a comma inside double quotes in American English. For example, I like "Khao Man Gai," ...
2
votes
0answers
427 views
How to punctuate a quote within a quote? [duplicate]
Duplicate of:
What’s the difference between using single and double quotation marks/inverted commas?
How are embedded quotations used?
And:
When should end punctuation go inside quotes?
...
2
votes
1answer
146 views
Punctuation outside of quotes [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How should I punctuate around quotes?
When should end punctuation go inside quotes?
Here is what I have written:
Is it too late to say, "Don't go. I'm sorry"?
Here ...
6
votes
2answers
212 views
How to correctly assimilate dots, if at all?
I see this sentence:
There are many examples like mining, farming, foresting etc., that are dangerous to society because they cause environmental damage.
Shouldn't "etc.," be written instead ...
3
votes
0answers
73 views
If a question ends in the abbreviation of et cetera, do you still add the period before the question mark? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When “etc.” is at the end of a phrase, do you place a period after it?
Example:
How do I pay for the bananas, oranges, etc.?
or
How do I pay for the bananas, ...
7
votes
3answers
272 views
Period after “fax”
What are the rules for putting a full stop after a fax abbreviation?
Sometimes I see:
Tel.: xxx-xxx-xxx
Fax.: xxx-xxx-xxx
Is "fax" here an abbreviation?
1
vote
2answers
748 views
How to punctuate a quoted rhetorical interrogative sentence that ends a declarative sentence?
Below is the sentence I am writing. I am not sure whether I should just end it with an interrogation mark within the quotes, with a period within the quotes, no in-quote punctuation except ...
1
vote
4answers
896 views
How do I deal with quotation marks, parenthesis and period all at the end of a sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where does the period go when using parentheses?
I have never seen this particular issue addressed; I looked around and couldn't see anything that specifically addresses ...
0
votes
7answers
737 views
Full stop, double stop, period and colon
At different times I see "full stop" used online. Does this just mean a period, or is it something more or less? I would assume it refers to a period specifically at the end of a sentence, but does it ...
11
votes
3answers
826 views
Does the abbreviation for Saint in a church name require a period?
In referring to a local church, does the name "St Giles" require a period after the "St"? I was told that to add a period confuses it with the abbreviation for street.
2
votes
5answers
1k views
Semicolons at the end of list items
In school, we were taught to end each list item with a semicolon. But I have never actually seen this. Can somebody please confirm this? Should we end each list item with anything at all?
I've seen ...
6
votes
2answers
644 views
How does using a semicolon or a full stop change meaning?
Federal agencies and Wal-Mart are investigating the charges; C. J.’s Seafood did not respond to The Times’s request for comment.
In this statement, what is the effect of semicolon in the meaning ...
5
votes
1answer
861 views
Punctuation of direct speech, edge cases
I recently learned that I have developed a consistent, but entirely wrong approach to punctuating direct speech in fiction. I am in the unenviable position of trying to relearn.
Previously I wrote ...
5
votes
1answer
263 views
What is the name for punctuation marks such as commas and periods that separate things like clauses or sentences?
When I'm editing people's writing, I recently started writing the comment "put an article here" rather than "put a 'the' or 'a' here".
Similarly, right now I have to put, "you need a comma or period ...
9
votes
6answers
3k views
Is there a term for the period between midnight and sunrise?
The period between sunset and noon is called "morning", between noon and sunset is "afternoon". Is there a term for the period between midnight and sunrise?
Edit/Clarification:
Wikipedia defines ...
5
votes
2answers
375 views
“Don't worry, …”
"Don't worry, it won't hurt much."
Is the comma the correct punctuation mark to use after "Don't worry"? This seems to be the norm, but I feel like there almost two sentences there and that ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Why put a period after your name in the closing of a communication/E-mail? [closed]
I have several co-workers in Europe and all of them tend to put a period after their names in the closing of E-mails, e.g.:
Thanks,
Matt.
I've never seen this, so I am curious if it is proper ...
1
vote
2answers
202 views
What is the proper way to punctuate “but no”?
I'm trying to figure out the proper usage and punctuation of "but no". I think it's one of the following:
You figure I would have made at least one post about Arthur C. Clarke’s “2010” during ...
2
votes
1answer
399 views
Punctuation after valediction [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should you use a comma/period after “Thanks”/“Regards” in email signatures?
When writing a letter, do we put a comma or a period after the ...
4
votes
1answer
205 views
Differentiating comma/period use in mid-dialogue
Best shown by example:
(From Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle)
"But I still felt bad," she went on. "So I dragged myself all the way to your house later--like an idiot.
"Don't worry," I ...
6
votes
2answers
439 views
When a phrase ends with a period, do you put … or .. after it?
I was just reading this question: When "etc." is at the end of a phrase, do you place a period after it?
And it brought to mind something similar. If a phrase ends with a . (such as e.g. or ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
Usage of double dots (..) Is it formal?
I am sure that this wouldn't have much meaning, but still want to get acknowledged whether usage of double dots is formal.
I have observed people using double dots in business Emails. Usually while ...
1
vote
3answers
453 views
Abbreviations and Full Stops
What are the rules for putting a full stop after an abbreviation.
For instance, I want to say the following on my business card.
Tel: xxx-xxx-xxx
Do I need to put a full stop after the Tel?
Tel.: ...
6
votes
2answers
6k views
Use of capitals and full stops in bullet points [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Capitalization for a bullet list
Let's say I have a bullet point list e.g:
Point 1.
Point 2.
Point 3.
Notice I have put a capital letter for the starting letter of ...
5
votes
2answers
537 views
Spaces after periods in abbreviations
Should I put spaces after periods in the following examples?
A.B. Buffington (between the initials)
Vol.2, No.6, pp.195-200
I see people missing spaces in their academic writing all the time and I ...
-5
votes
0answers
121 views
If parentheses close the sentence, where should period be? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
In which cases is a comma/period placed inside or outside of parentheses?
Consider the following sentence:
Now, it is highly attributable that professionally I never ...
14
votes
1answer
444 views
Why is there a period after a royal title?
In The Wealth of Nations, whenever a royal name appears, there is a period after the roman numeral. Why is this, and why has the practice been discontinued? If you search this online copy for a royal ...
4
votes
4answers
609 views
How do I manage periods for abbreviations with parentheses, right before a period?
"In the case of medical diagnostics, there is a cost associated with each medical procedure that provides additional information (blood test, x-ray, etc.)."
Should that end with "etc.).", "etc)." ...
4
votes
1answer
343 views
Punctuating a Sentence Containing a Question
If a sentence contains a complete question, but ends with a statement, should it be punctuated with a question mark?
Example:
Could she go to the store, he wondered
8
votes
4answers
1k views
If you're using a quote with a period but do not want to end the sentence, do you keep the period?
For example. If I want to quote a passage from a writing, that says
The cake is not a lie.
and my sentence is:
The book by author states that "The cake is not a lie." however studies show ...
15
votes
5answers
1k views
What do you do when a sentence ends with a decimal?
In a sentence like "The answer is 0.8." the period looks awkward after "0.8". Is there a rule for a situation like this? Sometimes I put a space before the period like this: "The answer is 0.8 ." ...
0
votes
3answers
2k views
The use of “e.g.” at the end of a sentence
I was reviewing an English text as an exercise, English not being my mother tongue, and I came to this sentence:
(...) with the two other articles that conclude several things about customers ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Name and origin of writing with period after each word
It may be limited to the web ecosystem, but I've read a lot of those sentences lately, where each word is followed by a period.
Examples:
Oh. My. God.
Best. Job. Ever.
No. F***ing. Way.
...
3
votes
5answers
4k views
Correct punctuation in company names
My father's company is named the following:
Xyz Trading Co. (L.L.C.)
I find the use of periods excessive, at the abbreviation of company and the last period in the parenthesis.
Is it ...
5
votes
3answers
845 views
Should a period be placed within quotation marks if it would conflict with a punctuated item that should be used or typed verbatim?
Gee whiz! Just when I thought I had the "period within quotation marks" rules set firmly in my personal punctuational code, I hit upon this sentence:
All message IDs are pre-pended with the value ...
9
votes
2answers
2k views
Should I use a period at the end of a headline?
I am working on copywriting for my website, and am wondering whether or not I should use periods at the end of my headlines. The headlines will probably be used both as headlines for news articles, ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
Where should the period be put when an entire sentence is quoted at the end of a sentence?
As in the following:
A common proverb is: “A rolling stone gathers no moss.”
A common proverb is: “A rolling stone gathers no moss”.
A common proverb is: “A rolling stone gathers no ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Should there be a period after an equation?
This isn't a pure English question, but it is about writing style: Sometimes entities that aren't words end up being in sentences.
I know that when mathematical expressions are inline as follows:
...
17
votes
5answers
39k views
Should I write “PhD” or “Ph.D.”?
Question pretty self-explanatory. Should the abbreviation of the Latin term philosophiae doctor be written as PhD (no periods) or Ph.D. (with periods)?
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Punctuation with “The question is…” '.', '?' or ' “… ?” ' [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Position of question mark when sentence doesn't end with question
Take this statement for example:
That's not the question. The question is what was Colonel ...
0
votes
1answer
139 views
AVC or A.V.C or A.V.C [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it OK to drop the periods in abbreviations?
Okay, so in School I was always tought that when we want to abbreviate, we must use a full stop "." inbetween each letter, ...
2
votes
4answers
679 views
Punctuation around the word “OK” at the end of a sentence
If a sentence ends in "OK", and the sentence is a request, usually there is a comma before the OK and a question mark after it.
The comma signifies a pause, correct? What if there was no pause, then ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Where to put the periods when using a parenthetical sentence?
I have two complete sentences; the second is in parentheses, essentially a comment on the first. Where do I place the periods? I would use this:
They played opera. (I covered my ears.)
Is this ...
