FULL STOP The full stop (known as a period in American English ) is used like a knife to cut the sentences

to the required length. Generally, you can break up the sentences using the full stop at the end of a logical and complete thought that looks and sounds right to you. USE THE FULL STOP: 1. to mark the end of a declarative or imperative sentence Rome is the capital of Italy. Go to the store and buy a loaf of bread. 2. to indicate an a reviation in an abbre!iation the last letter of the word and of the abbre!iation are not the same"# I will be in between $ a.m. and % p.m. &o. &ompany", etc. et cetera", '.(. 'ember of (arliament" If an abbre!iation occurs at the end of a sentence, do not use two periods. Correct: )e was thinking about mo!ing to the *.+. Incorrect: )e was thinking about mo!ing to the *.+.. !. The full stop is normally placed inside quotation marks in *+", while in *,, the stop is outside the quotation marks. I -ust said# .I don/t want to go to the show.0 *+" I -ust said# .I don/t want to go to the show0. *," )owe!er, if the quotation is part of another statement, the full stop goes outside the quotation marks in *,"# 'rs )igginbottam whispered .They1re coming0. "O #OT USE THE FULL STOP: In both 2ritish and American English, if you are using initial i.e. first" letters to represent words, you don1t normally need to put a full stop after them e.g. 22&, *,, 3AT4" In American English, howe!er, it is common to use a full stop as an alternati!e style for certain abbre!iations, in particular# *+A or *.+.A., *+ or *.+. 5ith contractions in a contraction the last letter of the word and of the contraction are the same" e.g. 6td 6imited", 7r 7octor", +t +aint" 'r and 'rs and 's, +t +treet"" 888 In the *.+., a period is always used in such a situation 7r., 'r., 'rs."

$OLO# The colon is used to introduce an answer or resolution. Typical uses include pro!ing, listing, or e9plaining something. Proving I had ruled out everyone else: she was definitely guilty. )ere we ha!e resol!ed that e!eryone else was innocent, and then introduced the consequence of this. Listing I have three dogs: Noisy, Barky and Woofy. )ere we are pro!iding the sub-ect of a list, which is to be dogs, and then we are using the colon to introduce a list of their names. Explaining And then it occurred to e: I had left the keys in y !acket "ocket# 5ith this e9ample we ha!e -ust realised something, and then we ha!e e9plained what has happened. %%% "o not place the colon after the ver in a sentence& even 'hen (o) are introd)cin* somethin*& eca)se the ver itself introd)ces and the colon 'o)ld e red)ndant. For e+ample& (o) 'o)ld not 'rite: $y three favorite friends are: %velyn, $arlyne, and &onni. Introducing quoted material.
'he director often used her favourite (uotation fro $onty )ython: *I wasn*t e+"ecting the ,"anish In(uisition.* Style. )a!ing mastered the correct use of the colon, it is useful to make it work for you in your writing. *sing a colon can add emphasis to an idea. :or e9ample, consider the following two sentences# 'he one thing ankind cannot live without is ho"e. 'here is one thing that ankind cannot live without: ho"e. 2oth sentences are grammatically correct, but the second makes the point a little more forcefully.