The Ink Spot
Academic Center for Writing
EDITING FOR PERIODS
Adapted from The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus
Period

Place a period at the end of complete sentences containing a subject and
verb.
Juan tutors in the Math Lab.

If the last word in a sentence ends in a period, do not follow it with another
period.
A doctoral degree is called a Ph.D.

Use a period after an indirect question.
He asked where the Writing Center was.

Include a period at the end of certain abbreviations.
Give me a call if you need more info.

… and in decimals
Her GPA is 4.0.

Use ellipsis marks when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more
from a quoted passage to show that something has been left out.
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth . . . a new nation,
conceived in liberty. . . .”
Exercises:
Place periods in the proper location in each of the following sentences. If there should not be a
period, explain why:
1. The Loch Ness Monster is reported to be 20 ft long
2. Many of the local residents have seen the monster visitors to the island have seen it also
3. A local park in the Dallas area has a sculpture of the monster they named it Nessie
4. Scientists say it’s just a submerged log
5. They claim, “The monster is only a legend”
6. Which is what I said
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