What is a period or full stop?

Full stops are a form of period that finalises a sentence (.). Other forms include the exclamation point (!) and the question mark (?). These ubiquitous punctuation marks signify to the reader when a sentence is about to end (as the eye scans ahead to locate the dot), making the words easier to follow.

Writers should always use a full stop at the end of a full sentence (with the exception of non-paragraph text as discussed below).

Use a question mark at the end of a question. Use an exclamation mark sparingly.

An exclamation mark is for signifying shouting in dialogue. It is unnecessary to use exclamation points in non-fiction writing unless your words don’t stand up for themselves. That being the case, work on the words that are too weak, and leave out the exclamation marks.

Non-paragraph text

If you're looking for rigid rules about periods in non-paragraph text, you've just found a fantastic guide, however some flexibility will be needed to suit all types of text.

Here's the simple explanation:
Do not use a full stop on non-paragraph text unless there's more than one sentence.

This rule can be modified to suit different texts and the key is to decide on a rule, understand it, and implement it as globally as possible.

If you feel that the phrase will be confusing (read poorly), be grammatically incorrect, be noticeably inconsistent or look strange without a full stop, then add one.

Here's the more complex explanation:
It isn't possible to have absolute rules in relation to periods that will apply to all cases and types of writing. If you want your book, website, magazine, article, DVD, etc. to be as consistent as possible, a good rule to follow is what we call ‘NPT2’.

PT vs NPT
Paragraph Text (PT) is usually two or more sentences sitting together or one after the other in the same text section. A paragraph can (rarely) have one sentence, but it is usually identifiable by being preceded by and/or followed by another paragraph. Non-paragraph Text (NPT) is often, but not always, found in:

  • Titles
  • Headings
  • Bulleted lists
  • Numbered lists
  • Table cells
  • Credits
  • References and bibliographies
  • Footnotes and end notes
  • Captions
  • Block quotes
  • Pull quotes
  • Boxes
  • Glossaries
  • Appendices
  • Definitions

The above kinds of text are often seen without periods at the end, but how do you decide? Use rule ‘NPT2’.

Rule NPT2
Non-paragraph text with two or more sentences per bullet or cell needs to include a full stop at the end.

Examples
You would not normally see full stops at the end of sentences in a cookbook (e.g. in the instructions or ingredients list). However, you might like to add a full stop at the end of a table cell that contains two sentences. The first sentence has a full stop, so the second one should as well.

In the same table, you might see other pieces of text without any periods because they are not in full sentences or because there is only one sentence. It would be acceptable not to add a full stop on any non-paragraph text (e.g. a single sentence inside a single table cell). It is not inconsistent to do this because the rule is to only use a full stop when there is more than one sentence.

Grey area of NPT2
If any given section of non-paragraph text would look strange without full stops, include them. Do this even if made up of bullets or cells of one sentence only. In the case of captions, block quotes, pull quotes, boxes, glossaries and appendices, they should have full stops even if they only consist of one sentence. Some lists may be easier to follow if they contain full stops even though they consist of only one sentence in most points. The writer and/or editor will need to make a judgement call. If this section of bullet points overall looks like paragraphs of text (e.g. large amounts of text per bullet even though they are only one sentence each), it would look strange without full stops. So include them.

Remember: any points that do not contain a sentence at all should not have a period at the end.

These subtleties of periods in non-paragraph text, and the bending of the rules, are a good example of why you need to engage at least one editor for at least one round of editing.

If you care enough about the grammatical accuracy and consistency of your piece of text to read this article, then multiple rounds of editing are called for.

EXCLAMATION MARK ( ! )

Exclamation Marks should be used to indicate a high degree of strong emotion or surprise, and instead of a full stop. For example:

Oh, my God!
Look out!
Stop!
Call the fire brigade!

Do not add he (or she) exclaimed after an exclamation mark. The punctuation says it all. Overuse of the exclamation mark should be avoided. If everything is made exclamatory nothing emerges as being emphasised.

FULL STOP ( . )

Once a very busy punctuation mark, it is now reduced to a sentence terminator unless the sentence ends with a question mark, an exclamation mark, dash or ellipsis. It is no longer used after honorifics such as Mr, Mrs and Dr, or in contractions of place names such as QLD, NSW, NZ, UK, ACT, Ave, Rd, St, and Crt. The full stop is sometimes used for Latin abbreviations such as etc., e.g., i.e. and q.v., but has been discarded in acronyms such as NASA, ASIO, WHO and TAB. As a matter of interest, compare the 1940s format with the modern method of addressing an envelope:

John J. Jones, Esq.,

John Jones

   13, Rathbone Street,

13 Rathbone St

         DARKWAY,

DARKWAY 2020

                  N.S.W.

  

QUESTION MARK ( ? )

A full stop with a squiggle on top, used to end an interrogative sentence or part of a sentence.

When it is necessary to insert a question into the body of a sentence, that question, duly punctuated, should be isolated by two dashes or parentheses, for example:

We met Jodie’s boyfriend—what was his name?—at the christening.
We met Jodie’s boyfriend (what was his name?) at the christening.

A question mark may be used to indicate some information is unverified, for example: The two uncles of William Oakstead (Peter ? and Francis ?) were charged with forgery and later transported to New South Wales.

Reported questions, for example: He asked me my name and address, do not require a question mark.

QUOTATION MARKS (see Inverted Commas) ( “ ” )

Please contact me for details.

Request a free quote

Please email
greensladecreations@gmail.com
Sorry, but due to scammers and spam, I am unable to share my mobile number any more. If you want to talk, please just put that request into your email and I’ll get back to you when I can.