Periods have many
uses:
·
Complete
Thoughts
·
Abbreviations
·
Ellipsis
·
Decimal
Points
Complete Thoughts
Periods are used to signal the end of a complete thought.
·
The
photocopier is broken.
·
I
have never visited the museum.
A complete thought can
include the following:
Declarative Sentences
·
I
like hockey.
·
She
lives in France
Indirect Questions
·
My co-worker asked me
if I had the file.
·
She asked him about
his project.
Imperative Sentences (Instructions)
·
Please bring the documents to the meeting.
·
Do not arrive late.
Abbreviations
Periods are used to show a shortened
version of a word.
Titles
Mr.
|
Mrs.
|
Ms.
|
Dr.
|
Initials
William M. Johnson
|
J.R. Rider
|
Places
P.E.I.
|
St.
|
Ave.
|
Dates
Mon.
|
Tue.
|
Wed.
|
Thu.
|
Fri.
|
Sat.
|
Sun.
|
Jan.
|
Feb.
|
Mar.
|
Apr.
|
May
|
Jun.
|
Jul.
|
Aug.
|
Sep.
|
Oct.
|
Nov.
|
Dec.
|
Time
· a.m.
· p.m.
Measurements
· kg.
· lbs.
Etcetera
·
etc.
If a sentence ends in
an abbreviation, it is not necessary to add another period.
I have never visited P.E.I..
I have never visited
P.E.I.
However, if the
abbreviation is at the end of a question, include the period and the question
mark.
Have you ever visited
P.E.I?
Have you ever visited
P.E.I.?
Common abbreviations
with all capital letters do not normally take periods. For example,
·
WHO
(World Health Organization)
·
IMF (International Monetary Fund)
Ellipsis
3 periods together are
called an ellipsis. This is used with
quotations to show missing words.
·
"The
current world economy will improve next year...jobs will be created at a faster
pace."
Decimal Points
Use periods as decimal
points to separate numbers.
·
3.4
·
2.57
·
$19.99, $17.34
Spacing
Periods are followed
by either 1 or 2 spaces between sentences.
The most important rule is to stay consistent. If you follow a period with 2 spaces, do not
change to 1 space in the same document.
Period Test
|
Place periods in the following sentences.
1. Please bring your passport to the
appointment
2. I have the results from the survey They are not very good
3. He asked her if she had any experience
with Microsoft Excel
4. The two prices were under $10. They were $899 and $750.
5. Dr Young and Dr Franks have worked
together for 13 years
6. The wedding is on Jan 25, 2012
7. My teacher's name is Mrs Kline
8. We can meet on Tue or Wed
9. He weighs 60 kg, but he is very strong
10. His name is DJ James It stands for David Junior
|
