PhraseBook for Writing English
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Punctuation

Writing Help from the PhraseBook for Writing Papers and Research in English

Full stop (GB) or period (US)

The dot at the end of a sentence is called a full stop in British English and a period in the United States.

Punctuating abbreviations

There are sometimes differences between British and American English in punctuating abbreviations. Generally speaking, American English uses more punctuation with abbreviations than British English. For example, in American English a full stop or period is often used in:

But in British English it is usually omitted:

Some American authorities, including Merriam-Webster and the Council of Science Editors, also recommend forms without a full stop or period in some cases.

In both British and American English, full stops or periods are often omitted in acronyms, i.e. words made of letters from a longer name or title:

Comma

A simple rule of thumb for where to use a comma in a sentence is where you would pause to breathe when reading your text aloud to an audience.

Commas in series

In a series of three or more items, choose whether to use a comma before the last item:

Or not:

As always be consistent throughout your text. However, in cases of ambiguity, use a comma to make a clear distinction between items:

Commas with etc., e.g. and i.e.

A comma may be used after i.e. and e.g. and before etc., especially in American English:

Or not, especially in British English:

Semicolon

The term semicolon is misleading; it is not half a colon, but rather half a full stop or period. A semicolon is stronger than a comma and weaker than a full stop or period, for example:

A semicolon is also sometimes used to divide a complex list, for example of references, which could be confusing with a comma. However, as a semicolon is stronger than a comma, it also breaks up the flow for a reader, so it should be used sparingly in this way.

Colon

A colon is a pause like a semicolon, but it is used to introduce something that follows:

Hyphen

The use of the hyphen can be problematic, not least in words such as nonconformist, co-operation, self-regulatory etc. To be as consistent as possible, follow the spelling checker on your computer or a single dictionary, as usage and guidelines vary. The following examples illustrate common prefixes:

A hyphen can be used

To make a word easier to read, for example where the prefix and root have the same letter:

Or a confusing combination of letters:

Before a capital letter:

To distinguish different meanings:

Dash

A dash can be used to insert a phrase in your sentence:

Or as a pause for thought in your text:

A dash can be written either with or without spaces before and after, but as always be consistent throughout your text.

Exclamation mark GB or exclamation point US

Apart from subject-specific uses such as n! in mathematics, the exclamation mark (GB) or exclamation point US is rarely used in university and research writing.

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Writing Help
British and American English
Confusing words
English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
Numbers
Possessive
Punctuation
Quotations
Referring to yourself

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