One for the grammar police, punctuation and abbreviations

[timps]

One for the grammar police, if you end a sentence with an abbreviation such as “etc.” does it require 1 full stop, 2 full stops or 3?

 

Just been having a discussion at work about the sentence below and have three different opinions.

 

Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc.

Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc..

Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc...

 

In addition if it’s quoted.

 

“Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc.”.

 

I go with two full stops and the quotations always before the full stop at the end of the sentence.

 

There is no point in me googling it as most come back with Americanised grammar.

[humperdingle]

Also, check density, paint film coverage and protection, etc.

 

That's how i'd write it. (Extra couple of commas)

[timps]

Thanks there were definitely too many instances of ‘and’ in that sentence, :o completely missed that whilst discussing the full stops at the end

[ajb403]

Also, check density, paint film coverage and protection, etc.

 

 

 

Aye, that's how I'd write it too.

[caballero]

One for the grammar police, if you end a sentence with an abbreviation such as “etc.” does it require 1 full stop, 2 full stops or 3?

 

Just been having a discussion at work about the sentence below and have three different opinions.

 

Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc.

Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc..

Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc...

 

In addition if it’s quoted.

 

“Also check density and paint film coverage and protection etc.”.

 

I go with two full stops and the quotations always before the full stop at the end of the sentence.

 

There is no point in me googling it as most come back with Americanised grammar.

 

Hi

 

Option 2 is strictly correct, but common usage usually goes with option 1. I prefer to use 'and so on' rather than etc.

 

With regard to full stops inside or outside quote marks - in US English the full stop goes inside the quote marks in all cases. In UK english it depends - if the quoted words end in a full stop then it goes inside the quotes. If the quoted words do not end in a full stop then the full stop goes outside of the quote marks.

[wymberley]

Also, check density, paint film coverage and protection, etc.

 

That's how i'd write it. (Extra couple of commas)

 

Yep. I think the second one would be quotations (end of) and then full stop (end) if it was a quote and the reverse if was speech.

[Billy.]

Strictly speaking, if it's a formal document, it shouldn't use abbreviations or shortened words.

[Dr W]

I'd go

 

Also check density, paint film coverage and protection etc.

 

Not sure about quotation marks I guess if it's part of a sentence then I'd do as you have

 

......."Also check density, paint film coverage and protection etc.".

[JR1960]

Hi

 

Option 2 is strictly correct, but common usage usually goes with option 1. I prefer to use 'and so on' rather than etc.

 

With regard to full stops inside or outside quote marks - in US English the full stop goes inside the quote marks in all cases. In UK english it depends - if the quoted words end in a full stop then it goes inside the quotes. If the quoted words do not end in a full stop then the full stop goes outside of the quote marks.

Spot on.

[AVB]

I had a fantastic row with somebody at work once over grammar. It went on and on and got quite personal. I was obviously right and he was wrong but would he see that? No. He ended up finding some academic at Oxford who he hassled to try to get support for his view. What was the professor's response? "Stop bothering me you fool".

[Billy.]

“Woman, without her man, is nothing.”

 

“Woman: Without her, man is nothing.”

 

Who ever said grammar isn't important?

[timps]

Thanks for the replies, the sentence that started the debate (not mine I hasten to add) was badly written, I would have used the commas but still put the double full stop at the end.

I think I will just use one from now on.

 

 

Hi

 

Option 2 is strictly correct, but common usage usually goes with option 1. I prefer to use 'and so on' rather than etc.

 

With regard to full stops inside or outside quote marks - in US English the full stop goes inside the quote marks in all cases. In UK english it depends - if the quoted words end in a full stop then it goes inside the quotes. If the quoted words do not end in a full stop then the full stop goes outside of the quote marks.

I guess I will stick to punctuation outside the quotations unless part of the word and now change to only using one full stop.

Cheers

 

Strictly speaking, if it's a formal document, it shouldn't use abbreviations or shortened words.

I don’t like to use abbreviations either on formal reports.

 

The problem I have at work is the legal types I sometimes work for like to shorten company names or product names on their instructions to me.

So at the beginning of the report I would have to write something like this “Pigeon Watch Limited (“P.W.L.”)”.

 

I personally would call it (“PWL”) but I have to use their abbreviation and often wondered the correct way at the end of the sentence or within quotations.

[Billy.]

 

I personally would call it (“PWL”) but I have to use their abbreviation and often wondered the correct way at the end of the sentence or within quotations.

 

Ah, but if you've referenced it as (PWL) then that's fine.

 

It'd be like an employment contract which would say at the start: 'House Building Company Limited' ("The Employer")

[Chris Bb]

The problem I have at work is the legal types I sometimes work for like to shorten company names or product names on their instructions to me.

 

So at the beginning of the report I would have to write something like this “Pigeon Watch Limited (“P.W.L.”)”.

 

I personally would call it (“PWL”) but I have to use their abbreviation and often wondered the correct way at the end of the sentence or within quotations.

There's nothing worse than usingTLA's that nobody else understands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's Three Letter Abbreviations.

 

[Billy.]

 

That's Three Letter Abbreviations.

 

 

[Thunderbird]

Someone on PW (sorry mate I forget who it is ) has a signature with something about grammar:

 

I once helped my uncle, Jack, off a horse...

 

or

 

I once helped my Uncle jack off a horse...

 

[timps]

There's nothing worse than usingTLA's that nobody else understands.

 

That's Three Letter Abbreviations.

 

:lol: it does my head in, I wrote a report and only this morning received an email off council with some amendments they would like.

 

First one was to change every instance of the fully typed company name mentioned in the report to a “FLA”.

 

 

That's a Four Letter Abbreviation.

[Billy.]

I was looking on a projector the other day and thought, that's a really long name to put on a device. Then I realised why...

 

Texas Institute of Technology

[yankeedoodlepigeon]

“Woman, without her man, is nothing.”

 

“Woman: Without her, man is nothing.”

 

Who ever said grammar isn't important?

 

 

you;ve put the same thing twicE,,,

[-Mongrel-]

you;ve put the same thing twicE,,,

 

 

But the punctuation gives it two completely different meanings.

[keg]

"Eats, Shoots and leaves" or "Eats shoots and leaves" was the title of a great book by Lynne Truss on the very same subject.

 

As an aside, a lad in the local many years ago was known as "Panda". Stricly speaking he did the first with most girls in the village whereas Pandas tend to do the latter.

[caballero]

 

 

And Good Grammar

 

 

 

For all my grammatically correct friends.

 

 

 

On his 74th birthday, a man got a gift certificate from his wife.

 

 

 

The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine man living on a nearby reservation who was rumoured to have a wonderful cure for erectile dysfunction.

 

 

 

After being persuaded, he drove to the reservation, handed his ticket

 

to the medicine man and wondered what he was in for.

 

 

 

The old man handed a potion to him, and with a grip on his shoulder, warned,"This is a powerful medicine. You take only a teaspoonful and then say '1-2-3.' "

 

 

 

When you do, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life and you can perform as long as you want."

 

 

 

The man was encouraged. As he walked away, he turned and asked, "How do I stop the medicine from working?"

 

"Your partner must say '1-2-3-4,'" he responded,

 

"but when she does, the medicine will not work again until the next full moon."

 

 

 

He was very eager to see if it worked so he went home, showered, shaved,

 

took a spoonful of the medicine and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom.

 

 

 

When she came in, he took off his clothes and said, "1-2-3!" Immediately, he was the manliest of men.

 

 

 

His wife was excited and began throwing off her clothes and then she asked "What was the 1-2-3 for?"

 

 

 

And that, boys and girls, is why we should never end our sentences with a preposition, because we

 

could end up with a dangling participle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2011 by caballero

[Billy.]

You'll have to click through for this video.

 

 

My favourite though

 

Edited September 13, 2011 by Billy.

[huffhuff]

If I were to include et cetera in the abbreviated form, I'd double dot that bad boy.

 

Ben has great eyes, good looks and is really funny etc..

 

One stop to show abbreviation and the other as it's the end of the sentence.

Edited September 14, 2011 by huffhuff

[twitchynik]

If I were to include et cetera in the abbreviated form, I'd double dot that bad boy.

 

Ben has great eyes, good looks and is really funny etc..

 

One stop to show abbreviation and the other as it's the end of the sentence.

It's one thing to use correct abbreviation and punctuation but telling porkies is always bad.