Full Stop (.

)
A full stop should always be used to end a sentence. The full stop indicates that a point has
been made and that you are about to move on to further explanations or a related point.
The most common use of the period is, of course, to end a declarative sentence.
Interrogative sentences (questions) end with a question mark.

Example: I like dogs. My dog is named Charlie. Charlie is the coolest dog who has ever lived;
that’s a fact and not just my opinion.

Periods and Quotation Marks

When writers get confused about periods, it’s usually because they aren’t sure where to put
them in relation to other nearby punctuation. In American English, the period goes inside
the closing quotation mark at the end of a sentence.

Example: My mother loved to remind me of the old saying “waste not, want not.” Phillip said, “I
can’t remember where I heard about the banjo concert, but I sure want to go.”

Periods and Parentheses

When a complete, independent sentence is entirely enclosed by parentheses, the period goes
inside the closing parenthesis.

Example: Charlie scarfed up every Cheeto that fell out of the bag. (I wasn’t fast enough to stop
him.) At least we won’t have to sweep the floor.

But, if the parenthetical material is nested inside another sentence, the period should go on the
outside.

Example: Charlie barked wildly when he caught the scent of fresh bacon (his favorite).

Ellipses

An ellipsis (plural: ellipses) looks like three periods in a row with spaces in between them.
There are two main uses for ellipses. One is to show that part of a quote has been omitted.
Example: Hamlet asked whether it was “nobler . . . to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles.”

In the sentence above, the words “in the mind” have been omitted from the quote. Occasionally,
you might need to leave out part of a quote because it’s irrelevant or makes the quote hard to
understand in the context of the sentence. The ellipsis shows that you have left something out.

You can also use an ellipsis for literary effect, to represent a dramatic pause or a thought that
trails off. Sometimes, this type of ellipsis is also referred to as “suspension points.”

Example: The bus was supposed to come at 3:00 so we waited and waited . . . and waited. Wait a
minute . . . If you’re not watching Charlie, who is? I guess we could meet you there later. If
there’s time . . .

This usage is fine in fiction, but you should avoid it in formal writing.

Full stops are used:

​ - to mark the end of a sentence.
​
​ Example 1: Let’s have some lunch.
​ Example 2: I have to catch a bus in ten minutes.
​
​ - to mark the end of a sentence fragment
​ Example 1: Are you cold? – Yes, a bit.
​ Example 2: Do you like this sort of music? Not really.
​
​ - in initials for people’s names, although this practice is becoming less frequent
​

J.K. Rowling Iain M. Banks

M.C. Hammer Ronald G. Hardie

​
​ - after abbreviations, although this practice is becoming less frequent.
​
1. P.S. Do pop in next time you’re passing.
2. She’s moved to the I.T. department
3. R.S.V.P. to Helen Douglas on 01234 676240.
4. The U.S. government reacted strongly to the accusation.
 - When an abbreviation consists of a shortened word such as Re. or Prof., a full stop is
needed.
1. Re. your suggestion that we shorten the lunch hour, could we arrange a quick meeting
to discuss the various options?
2. Prof. John Johansson will be speaking on the subject of ‘Discourse in the Electronic
Age’.
3. Flight BA 345: dep. 09.44 arr. 11.10.

- When an abbreviation contains the last letter of the shortened word, a full stop is not
needed.

Dr McDonald St Mary’s School

41, Douglas Rd Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd

● Note that full stops are not used in many common sets of initials,
1. Did you see that programme on BBC 2 last night?
2. The government has promised more funding for the NHS.

or at the end of headlines, headings and titles.

1. Fear grips global stock markets

2. Teaching grammar as a liberating force
3. Wuthering Heights

Remember that a full stop, and not a question mark, is used after an indirect question or a polite
request.

1. He asked if the bus had left.

2. Will you open your books on page 14.
3. I wonder what’s happened.
4. She asked him where he was going.