End Punctuation

Periods

Most student writers use periods effectively to end statements. However, some writers may be confused about when to use periods with abbreviations and indirect quotations. Here are some rules to follow:

Do not double the period at the end of the sentence if a statement ends with an abbreviation. The following sentence is punctuated correctly:

We visited the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

Do not drop the period after an abbreviation at the end of a sentence when the sentence is a question or exclamation. These sentences are punctuated correctly.

Have you been to Washington, D.C.?
Our flight leaves at 5:00 a.m.!

Use appropriate punctuation after an abbreviation that comes within a sentence, as in the following example:

Although Jenny has not finished her M.A., she should have no difficulty
finding a job.

Question Marks

Use a question mark to end a sentence that is a direct question. When a sentence ends with a direct question that is a quotation, be sure to put the question mark inside the closing quotation marks. Here are some examples:

Do you want to watch a movie tonight?
How many Clint Eastwood movies have you seen?
Why is my tuition so high?
Jerry asked, “Why is my tuition so high?”

Do not use a question mark at the end of an indirect question. Indirect questions are actually statements about some inquiry. Note the period at the end of the following indirect question:

Jerry wondered why his tuition was so high.

Use a question mark at the end of a compound sentence that begins with a statement but ends with a question. For example, consider the following sentences:

The strategy looked fine on paper, but would it work on the battlefield?
You were grounded for three weeks, so why did you go out to the movies last night?

Be sure to use a question mark at the end of a question that is set off from the rest of the sentence by parentheses, dashes, or quotation marks, as in the following examples:

“Is that Rebecca’s car?” her father asked when he saw the wreckage.
She wandered about the village for hours (Didn’t she ever get tired?) trying to capture the real story of the people on film.

Finally, place the question mark outside the closing quotation marks when the entire sentence needs a question mark. However, if the question ends with a quotation that is a question, put the question mark inside the closing quotation marks. Consider these sentences:

Was it Thoreau who said, “Simplify, simplify”?
I stopped to ask myself, “Is this really where I want to go?”

Exclamation Points

An exclamation point provides emphasis. Use exclamation points only for strong reactions or commands, as in the following example:

I won a two-week trip to Italy!

Don’t use other punctuation after an exclamation point that appears in the middle of a sentence.

Incorrect: “Check your records again!,” I demanded.
Correct: “Check your records again!” I demanded.

Finally, never use more than one exclamation point at the end of a sentence.

Incorrect: Don’t shout!!!
Correct: Don’t shout!

Which sentence is correct? Does she have any clue to the meaning of the phrase “share and share alike?” When you planned this trip, did any of you bother to ask, “Can we all get along for more than two days?”