July 31, 2013

How to Use a Full Stop (Period): English Tips

Of all the mistakes the people of Kerala make in written English, the incorrect usage of punctuation is the most common. In this post, I will share tips on how to use the full stop (period).

Take a look:

Incorrect:
My name is Jennifer . I am from the USA . My hometown is Rochester , New York.

Correct:
My name is Jennifer. I am from the USA. My hometown is Rochester, New York.

Rules for full stops:

There IS NO space between the last word in a sentence and the full stop. For example:
Wrong: I am Jennifer .
Right: I am Jennifer.
There MUST be a space after the full stop and the first word of the next sentence.
Wrong: I am Jennifer.My office is in Kochi.
Right: I am Jennifer. My office is in Kochi.
The word that starts the next sentence after the full stop must be capitalized. For example:
Wrong: I am Jennifer. my office is in Kochi.
Right: I am Jennifer. My office is in Kochi.

Note: The pronoun I is always capitalized wherever it falls in a sentence. For example:
I have to go to the store.
He said that I have to go to the store.

I have also shown a similar problem with the comma above. I will discuss comma usage in an upcoming e-mail.

Thank you Preethi for helping me to edit this article.

Related Posts:
8 Mistakes to Avoid in E-mail Communication
Ways to Say Thank You in E-mails

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