Periods

    1.    It is not necessary to place a period after a statement, which has parenthesis around it and is part of         another sentence.

 Euny gave Jim an earwich (an earwich is one piece of buttered bread slapped on each ear) and ran for her life.

2.      An ellipsis (three periods) is used to show that one or more words have been omitted in a quotation. Leave one space before and after each period when typing.

 “Give me your tired . . . yearning to breathe free.”

3.      If an omission occurs at the end of a sentence, the ellipsis is placed after the period, which marks the conclusion of the sentence.

“Ernest Hemingway was fond of fishing. . . . His understanding of that sport is demonstrated in many of his writings."

 Note:  If the quoted material is a completed sentence (even if it was not in the original) use a period, then an ellipsis.

4.      An ellipsis also may be used to indicate a pause.

“Well, Dad, I  . . . ah . . . ran out of gas. . . had two flat tires. . . and ah. . . there was a terrible snowstorm on the other side of town.”

5.      A period is placed after each part of an abbreviation—unless the abbreviation is an acronym is a word formed from the first (or first few) letters of words in a set phrase.

Abbreviations:  Mr., Mrs., A.M., P.M., Dr., A.D., B.C.

Acronyms:  WAC (Women’s Army Corps); Radar (Radio Detecting and Ranging);  NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

6.      When an abbreviation is the last word in a sentence, only one period should be used at the end of the sentence.

When she’s nervous, she bites her nails, wrings her hands, picks at her clothes, etc.