Punctuation For Beginners: All About Full Stops

Welcome to the second post in the series: Punctuation For Beginners. Last week, we discussed what punctuation is and why we need it. This post is all about full stops.

Punctuation marks are tools that have set functions and they give sentences meaning and rhythm.

These are the most common punctuation marks:

1. The Full Stop
2. The Comma
3. The Question Mark
4. The Exclamation Mark
5. The Semicolon
6. The Colon
7. The Hyphen
8. The Em Dash
9. The Bracket or Parenthesis
10. The Inverted Comma/Quotation Mark
11. The Ellipsis
12. The Bullet Point
13. The Apostrophe

In this post, I will be writing about The Full Stop

What is a full stop?

A full stop is a punctuation mark (.)

It can also be called a period.

Full Stops:

1. Indicate The End Of A Sentence

A sentence always contains a subject and a finite verb. In order to check if you have a subject, ask who or what before the verb. A pronoun may replace this subject. A sentence always starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. Example: She asked him to slow down.

2. Indicate The End Of A Fragment

If there is no subject or verb, it is a fragment, not a sentence. It also begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. The full stop marks the end of a group of words that are used for emphasis. Examples: The children slept. No sound. A time of peace and contentment. Tip: In formal writing, avoid using fragments. In fiction, use them often for specific effect.
Suggested reading: What Is A Sentence Fragment?

3. Are Used In Some Abbreviations

An abbreviation is a shortened version of a word. It usually ends with a full stop. However, in British English we only add a full stop if it does not end with the last letter of the word. Examples: Use the full stop for Jan. and Prof., but not for Mr and Mrs
Suggested reading: Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms and Commonly Confused Abbreviations

4. Are Used In Website Addresses

Example: www.writerswrite.co.za

In the next post, I will write about The Comma.

[If you need practical help with your grammar, buy The Complete Grammar Workbook]

by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson

If you enjoyed this post, read:

1. Punctuation For Beginners: What Is Punctuation?
2. Grammar For Beginners: All About Parts Of Speech
3. 10 Extra Ways To Proofread Your Writing Like A Boss
4. Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms
5. 30 Examples To Help You Master Concord
6. The Passive Voice Explained

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