Full Stop

The full stop or the period (.) is the strongest punctuation in the English language. It indicates, when used at the end of a sentence, a strong pause. Look at the following examples.

1. Let’s go home.
2. I like this notepad.
3. Read this book.
4. I will go home.

This is the most common and obvious use of the full stop but it is also used in some other situations.

1. After abbreviations like etc., a.m., p.m.
2. After words like “Goodbye.” “All right.” “Hi.”
   • Goodbye. I will see you soon.
   • Hi Amit. How are you?
   • All right. Let’s finish this by Thursday.
3. After titles like Mr., Mrs., Dr. etc.
4. After decimal points like:
   • The sales fell by 6.3% this week.
   • The share market index rose by 5.1% this quarter.

An ellipsis (...) is often used to indicate a pause, an unfinished sentence or when trailing off into silence. It is also a handy tool when you’re quoting and want to omit certain words.

1. He drank and drank...and then drank some more.
2. “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, ...”