The Grammar Grind: Periods

Periods are pretty simple. They go at the end of a sentence when a statement is made, either declarative or imperative, and after an indirect question. Declarative sentences are those which state fact or observation. An imperative sentence is a type of non-urgent command. For example: Please take out the trash. Note even without the word please, this sentence would still be considered imperative, because there is no indication of anger or desperation. (If there were, an exclamation mark would be more appropriate.) An indirect question is a statement of a question someone else has asked. Indirect questions often start with "he asked" or "she asked" but do not have to.

Abbreviations, Parenthesis, and Lists
Periods are also used after abbreviations, such as "Mr." and Mrs." (except after cardinal directions). If a sentence has an abbreviation or quote with a period that falls at the end of a sentence, you do not put a second period after it. Example: The time is currently 8:01 p.m. Nevertheless, there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to using periods after all abbreviations. Some organizations prefer to exclude them, especially when all capital letters are used.

When using parenthesis, whether or not a period falls inside or outside depends on the context. If the information within the parenthesis forms a complete sentence, a period should be placed inside the parenthesis; an example of this can be seen in the first paragraph of this article. If the information within the parenthesis simply gives additional information but does not form a complete sentence on its own, a period should be placed outside the parenthesis (like in this sentence).

When making bulleted lists, periods should be placed at the end of each list item if complete sentences are used. Lists items that are fragments or single words do not require periods. However, your list should be consistent; use either complete sentences or fragments throughout your list, not both. For numbered and lettered lists, you will also need a period after each number or letter to set it apart from the items in the list.

Example 1:
While I'm away, my cat will need

• Food 
• Water 
• Fresh Litter

Example 2:
Writers should carry with them

      a. Writing utensils
      b. Erasers
      c. A notebook

Example 3:
When you get stuck writing a scene,

1. Take a break and come back to it later. 
2. Ask a friend for some input. 
3. Read some tips and articles for inspiration. 

For more examples and further information on making lists, check out Grammar Girl's post: http://bit.ly/1eRzItD.

Quotations and Spacing
One of the most frequently asked questions involving periods is whether or not they go inside quotation marks. The U.S. has a very straight-forward rule on this: Periods alwaysgo inside quotations marks with no exceptions. Other countries, as well as the journalism field, do not follow this rule.

As far as spacing after a period--and any other ending punctuation--you should only put ONE space after it. In the days of typewriters, block letters (letters of an equal width) were used, so an extra space was needed to mark the beginning of a new sentence. However, with the introduction of word processors a few decades back, the ability to automatically detect different widths for each letter came about. This ability eliminated the need for the manual addition of an extra space. So question it no further: No matter how you were taught, it is now considered incorrect to use two spaces after a period. I realize this habit is difficult to break for a lot of people, and in truth, most people won't say anything if you use double spaces. The habit can be broken though!


Quick Overview of Periods

1. Periods are used at the end of declarative and imperative sentences, and after indirect questions. 
2. Periods are used after abbreviations, except cardinal directions. 
3. There should only ever be one period at the end of a sentence. 
4. Periods can be placed inside or outside of parenthesis depending on the context. 
5. Periods are used after numbers and letters when making lists. 
6. For U.S. standards, periods always go inside quotations. 
7. Only one space should be used after a period.

The Grammar Grind: Introduction

With texting and social networking playing such a big part in our daily methods of communication, particularly among adolescents, it's easy to see why grammar takes a backseat. There are even some who believe punctuation and grammar are overrated and don't make a bit of difference. But I'm here to you that just the opposite is true. Especially if you're a writer. A great storyline and well-developed characters are only part of what makes a good book good. The use of correct punctuation and grammar will help give your book a fighting chance in the publishing world; a book that is a grammatical nightmare will likely just be fed to the shredder, or it will be tossed in a slush pile, buried by thousands of other books just like it.

Skeptical? The next time you come across a story with little or no punctuation, or even massively incorrect punctuation, take note of how quickly you tire of it when trying to decipher the sentence. You may even give up on it after a paragraph or two. In a previous series of mine, Why Good Writing Matters, I briefly touched on the subject of grammar and how it can affect one's writing. In this series, The Grammar Grind, I'll go more in depth with the rules of grammar and present a few tips for remembering them. After all, what good does it do to mention the rules if they don't stick? By the end of this series, I hope to clearly explain the basic rules of punctuation and grammar so that they etch themselves into your brain...or at the very least, adhere to it.

The Thesaurus: Evil or Not Evil?

Overuse of a thesaurus is a common problem among writers. And it's understandable. When you're in a bind and just can't think of an alternative word to the one you've written, thesauruses are an easy way to get new ideas. The problem with thesauruses isn't the actual use or intent behind using them; it's how the words are then incorporated. If you've spent a lot of time working on a piece and have established a sound voice and style of narrative, you don't want it to be ruined by something simple like a word that doesn't quite fit. An error like that has an amateur feel to it, even if the rest of the piece is written well. It will be especially clear to the reader if you suddenly throw in some big words into the middle of otherwise everyday language.

Here are some tips for incorporating new words into your writing without relying on a thesaurus:

• Follow/Subscribe to blogs with daily vocabulary posts. Even if you just glance at the posts for these, you'll be taking in new information. It's also the easiest way of checking out new words, as there is little to no effort on research involved.

• Use interactive sites to learn new vocabulary. Interactive sites offer a valuable learning tool when it comes to unfamiliar words. Not only do they provide the word and definition, but they challenge you to see if you're really retaining the information. Some, like freerice.com, actually use the traffic to donate to others in need. It's a great way to learn and to give back.

• Look up words you don't know or are unsure of. There is no shame in not knowing a word or in being unsure about it. It doesn't mean you're dumb or that you're bad at writing. I actually do it myself frequently. Writers and editors are responsible for questioning everything that goes into a story, and a bit of extra research is part of that responsibility. Plus, if you don't know a word well and use it incorrectly, you'll probably get some grief for it. Be sure to pay careful attention to the part of speech when you're looking up a new word; correct usage is what trips people up most often.

• Use learned words in everyday conversations. As is the key with everything else in writing, practicing use of these new words is essential. It's comparable to learning a foreign language. The phrase, "If you don't use it, you'll lose it," holds very true in this case. You can further increase your skills by incorporating the new words into your writing. The more practice you have using uncommon words, the more easily they will mesh with your prose and dialogue.

Sometimes a thesaurus simply cannot be avoided. It's one of those tools that every writer needs from time to time, and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, if done consistently and in conjunction with the style of writing/prose, using one to find more sophisticated words (generally a big no-no) is okay.

Here are some tips for when you do use a thesaurus:

• Pick the word that fits best, not just one that sounds neat. Specifically, use the word that is most consistent with the style of the prose and/or dialogue. Try out a few different ones to make sure the one you pick is really the best option. Get a second opinion if need be.

• Keep thesaurus use to a minimum. Relying too heavily on a thesaurus can not only set you back after a while, it can alter your writing style and unique voice as an author.

• If you use a word from the thesaurus, take the time to learn it. Doing so will allow you to make better use of it in your future writing, and you will likely become more adept at incorporating it.

Contrary to what you might think or have heard, thesauruses are not the spawn of Satan. They do not take away from writing when used correctly; they are often a great utensil for writers, barring a few reservations. The trick is being able to distinguish when their use is an advantage and when it's a crutch.

Detailed Dialogue

In my Why Good Writing Matters series, I covered dialogue as a whole. Now I'd like to go more in-depth with dialogue and give suggestions for sprucing it up and making it natural and easy to follow. Just as variation in  prose shapes good writing, so does variation in characters' speech. Sentence length and style, topics of conversation, and vocabulary/language are the main areas where dialogue can be enhanced. That dialogue can then be used to accent the surrounding prose.

Dialogue as Prose
One of the great things about dialogue is that it can be used for manipulating the reader and building plot. For instance, if you have a scene where you are unraveling delicate information, incorporating backstory, introducing new conflicts, or a combination of these, one option is to explain the actions of the events through characters' conversations. Take this scene from Catching Fire (Book 2 of The Hunger Games trilogy):

             She [Madge] saw my reflection behind her and smiled. "Look at you. Like you came right off the streets of the Capitol."
            I [Katniss] stepped in closer. My fingers touched the mockingjay. "Even my pin now. Mockingjays are all the rage in the Capitol, thanks to you. Are you sure you don't want it back?" I asked.
            "Don't be silly, it was a gift," said Madge. She tied back her hair in a festive gold ribbon.
            "Where did you get it, anyway?" I asked.
            "It was my aunt's," she said. "But I think it's been in the family a long time."
            "It's a funny choice, a mockingjay," I said. "I mean, because of what happened in the rebellion. With the jabberyjays backfiring on the Capitol and all."

Notice all of the context surrounding this short stretch of dialogue. There is mention of a place called the Capitol, and it is clear by Madge's comment that Katniss looks out of place. By the next few sentences, one can ascertain the Capitol is a place of influence. A small amount of backstory regarding the pin is then mentioned, and the subsequent dialogue serves as an introduction for more history on the symbol and the place called the Capitol. It is clear from their conversation the symbol has become somewhat taboo and holds a dark past directly tied to the Capitol. All of this information is revealed to the reader through simple conversation, and the style allows the author to control how much of the information the reader absorbs in this scene.

Although this wasn't true for the above excerpt, sentences in dialogue don't always have to be completed and can actually be very useful in building suspense and tension. Take this short exchange from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5 of the Harry Potter series):

            "Don't call them that!" Hermione said furiously, but Umbridge did not appear to have heard her. Still pointing her shaking want at Magorian, she continued, "Law Fifteen B states clearly that 'Any attack by a magical creature who is deemed to have near-human intelligence, and therefore considered responsible of its actions—'"
            "'Near-human intelligence'?" repeated Magorian, as Bane and several other roared with rather and pawed the ground. "We consider that a great insult, human! Our intelligence, thankfully, far outstrips your own—"
            "What are you doing in our forest?" bellowed the hard-faced gray centaur whom Harry and Hermione had seen on their last trip into the forest. "Why are you here?"

Each time a character speaking is cut off, tension and anger emits from the other characters, shown through the intense remarks and accompanying body language. The suspense then builds, as inevitable confrontation approaches.

Reasons one might choose this method of prose:

1.      This is a great way to control which parts of the plot unfold and what information is relayed to the reader.

2.      This method can be used to switch from one character's thoughts to another (reserved mainly for limited omniscient narrative). For example, if Character A is the main focus of a story, a conversation with Character B can then act as a bridge into Character B's thoughts and point of view.

3.      Dialogue can simply be used as an alternative kind of prose to keep the reader's interest.

Vocabulary and Accents
Vocabulary and accents can clue readers into a number of attributes about a character, including educational background, origin, and preferences in friends. However, it can also be used to purposely lead the reader astray. At some point in our lives, most of us make our own choices about accents, whether consciously or subconsciously. And although it's true that cultures and subcultures have a great influence on our speech, so does peer pressure.

During college, I had a professor who taught linguistics. In his first lecture, there was nothing out of the ordinary about him or his lesson; he taught us the basics of how language worked and spoke with the same accent as everyone else. At the end of his first class, he turned and informed us that the whole lesson had been an experiment. When he spoke next, his accent was no longer the one we'd heard all throughout the lesson; it was unmistakably West Virginian, something none of us were accustomed to. The reaction was immediate. Several students giggled quietly. Others started whispering to their friends. After several moments of the commotion, the professor raised his hand to signal silence to the class and resumed speaking with a Midwestern accent, the one he'd been using.

He informed us that he could tell many of us weren't used to second accent. He went on to confess that accent he had been using to teach us during the whole lesson was in fact not his own, that he actually spoke with a West Virginian accent. However, like our class, his peers in school often laughed and him and judged him. It was at that point he chose to teach himself how to speak with a Midwestern accent so that he would be viewed as normal.

Just as with my professor, characters sometimes choose the way in which they speak. Incorporating dialects in writing can provide a richness that no other method will. However, the dialect should be consistent and not overdone; you'll know you've done a good job if others can easily follow the text and understand what the character is saying without having to pause to figure out articulation. A great example of a well-written accent is Hagrid's in the Harry Potter series.

Incorporating Body Language
Body language is also a topic mentioned in my previous article on dialogue, but it's important enough to repeat. One sure sign of amateur dialogue is the occurrence of talking heads. This term can be applied when characters engage in conversation without having accompanying body language or action to propel the plot. Often when talking heads emerge in a book, it's unclear who is speaking. You don't need to have a tag on every line of dialogue, but they are necessary when clarifying identity or when there is an abundance of action. Even when few tags are needed, body language should take the place of adjectives and adverbs.


Dialogue is difficult to master, even for the best of writers. It's a fine balance between exposing plot while remaining concise. Use a combination of all the aforementioned methods to achieve the most efficient and natural dialogue. Also, keep dialogue short and appropriate for the character/scene, and avoid stating the obvious. Pay particular attention to dialogue in tense action scenes; a character will not have time to stop and ramble when they are under attack. Judgements, and therefore words, will likely be quick and brash during these scenes.