A period is a dot that is usually placed at the end of a sentence. It signifies the end of a declarative or imperative sentence. It goes by many names. It can be called a period in American usage. However, in British usage, it is known as a full stop.
A period should be separated by a single space between sentences. Besides ending sentences, a period may also come after a single word or a phrase that stands alone.
Here are examples of how periods are mainly used in writing:
1. Using periods in relation to parentheses
When a stand-alone or independent sentence is enclosed in parentheses or square brackets, place the period inside the closing parentheses or brackets. When the material inside the parentheses or brackets is included within another sentence, the period should go outside.
This is true even when the sentence in the brackets are grammatically correct or complete. For example:
1. He hated this new country. (People were so rude and would look you straight in the face without saying hi.)
2. Natasha had a mark on her neck (he noticed as she stretched across him to get the book).
In the first example, the sentence in the parentheses can stand on its own. However, in the second example, the sentence in parentheses although grammatically whole as a sentence is part of the wider meaning of the sentence outside parentheses.
2. When to omit the period
You should leave out the period for:
A display line, e.g., headings and subheadings
A running head
A column head in a table
A phrase used as a caption
A signature
An address
However, you should use a period for subheadings that are run-in located at the beginning of a paragraph.
3. Periods in ellipses
An ellipsis is a series of three periods (. . .). They are also known as suspension points and are typically used to show where material has been left out in a quotation. Also, they could be used to represent an incomplete thought.
Example:
According to Marion et al. (2021), “The reasons . . . for the poor performance of the policy were myriad.”
4. Periods used in Quotation marks
Here are two schools of thought when using periods for quotation marks in academic writing. In US English, the period should be included inside the quotation mark, whereas in UK English, it should be outside.
US English | UK English |
He calmly said, “Let go of my hand.” | He calmly said, “Let go of my hand”. |
However, in blog writing and other forms of informal writing, for aesthetic purposes, some people opt to include the period outside the quotation marks even when writing in US English.
5. Should I capitalize “And” after the period?
This question is more or less the same as asking to begin a sentence with “and.” In certain forms of academic writing, such as scientific papers meant for journal publication, you probably shouldn’t. Journals are typically strict and rigid when following punctuation style guides.
However, for other forms of academic writing, there are several cases where it’s justifiable to use “and” to begin a sentence. Always be aware of the context in which you are writing to make these decisions.
Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, August 26). Using Periods. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/periods-in-writing |
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