Skip to main content

Punctuation: full stop, question mark and exclamation mark

Sentence division​

Full stops (AmE periods), question marks and exclamation marks (AmE exclamation points) are used to close sentences. After one of these, a new sentence has a capital letter.

  • I looked out of the window. It was snowing again.
  • Why do we try to reach the stars? What is it all for?
  • We need more houses! Not one day, not next year – now!

We do not normally use full stops, question or exclamation marks to close grammatically incomplete sentences.

  • She phoned me as soon as she arrived. (not She phoned me. As soon as she arrived.)
  • In his job he has to deal with different kinds of people. (not In his job. He has to deal with different kinds of people.)
  • Did you understand why I was upset? (not Did you understand? Why I was upset?)

However, sometimes we can emphasise a clause or phrase by separating it with a full stop and capital letter.

  • People are sleeping out on the streets. In Britain. In the 21st century. Because there are not enough houses.

Abbreviations​

Full stops can be used after many abbreviations (see here). But they are often dropped in modern British English.

  • Dr. Andrew C. Burke, M.A. (or Dr Andrew C Burke, MA)

Indirect questions​

We do not use question marks after indirect questions (see here).

  • I asked her what time it was. (not … what time it was?)