Periods, or full stops, are the stop signs of the writing
road. Their most common job is to signal an end to a complete thought. Therefore,
the most common place for periods to be used is at the very end of a sentence.
However, they are found in other places, too. Use periods:
1.
After a declarative sentence.
For example:
Bird populations in the region
have soared due to the wildlife conservation efforts.
Here, a period is placed after the
declarative sentence.
2. After
imperative sentences that do not show strong emotion. When imperative sentences
show strong emotion, use exclamation points; otherwise, use periods.
For example:
Please bring me the toolbox.
In the above example, a period is
placed after the imperative sentence without strong emotion.
3.
After an indirect question (a statement in which a question is asked).
For example:
She asked whether you were ready
to go.
In the above example, the speaker is making
a statement about somebody (she) asking a question. This is an indirect
question, and thus requires a period instead of a question mark.
4. After
titles given to people (Dr., Mr., Mrs., etc.)
5. After
abbreviations (Mar., Sept., Wed., etc.)
Remember that when the last word in a sentence ends in a
period, do not use another period after the first one.
For example:
You must be in bed by 11:00 p.m.
Here, a period is already used
after the abbreviation p.m., so another period to end the sentence is not used.