How does the period inside or outside parentheses differ? I felt it was necessary to attend the school board meeting. If a citation in parentheses follows the quotation, the period follows the citation. Parentheses are just one of the many types of punctuation marks that add voice and information to your writing. So use parentheses judiciously-only when you need them to add nonessential information or for emphasis. For example: In addition, the period can be placed inside or outside parentheses, depending on the context. These two approaches are incompatible. Learn more below. If an entire sentence or group of sentences appears in parentheses, then put the period inside the closing parenthesis. Infographic: How to use periods with parentheses Table of contents Periods with parentheses Periods with brackets within parentheses Can the em dash replace both the semicolon and comma in these? Its a question that stumps many people, surprisingly even those who consider themselves to be writers. I would expect your grammar book to say that terminal punctuation always goes inside the quotation marks (assuming "American-style" quoting, at least), but not to say the same of parentheses. In the second example, it goes inside because it belongs to the second sentence. Just like with quotation mark punctuation, periods go outside the parentheses when they belong to the sentence itself. Yes, it does lead to double punctuationwhich is what you did with your sentence in your reply to me. Does period go after parentheses? Q: How do I know when to use a period inside or outside of parentheses? Remember to always consider what will make the text easiest to read when deciding where to place a period in relation to a parenthesis. I am aware that there are other rules in circulation, such as Stumpf's. Additionally, it is important to remember that when you use parentheses for emphasis in writing, less is more and all unnecessary words should be excluded. An entire sentence in parentheses is often acceptable without an enclosed period: Example: Please read the analysis (you'll be amazed). If your quote is longer than forty words, set it off in a block text by beginning a new line, indenting one inch, and do not add quotation marks. If thecomplete sentenceis inside theparentheses, then thepunctuation markis supposed to go inside at theend of a sentence. Parentheses are an excellent way to offset the main sentence's explanations, detail, and asides. She replied, Please call me if you have any questions (but only between 7:03 and 7:11 p.m. on Wednesdays).. What Is A Superlative And How Do They Work? Privacy Policy. This will help keep your text easy to read and understand. It also has unique uses in mathematics and computing, as the dot in dot com.. Table of Contents (After all, if you're on stack exchange, who do you expect to answer if not a programmer? After the sentence is either exclamation point or question mark in parentheses. Here are the overarching rules: Rule 1. Choosing 2 shoes from 6 pairs of different shoes. In that case, the period goes outside the closing parenthesis. They spent the day cleaning their living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc.. Where does the punctuation go in parentheses? What about the ending punctuation for the sentence in your second example? The period is one of the most versatile and commonly used punctuation marks. This is a rule with a lot of wiggle room. My little league baseball team (I still cannot believe they chose me as a coach!) If the material inside the parentheses is not a complete sentence, dont use a period. Several other courses were offered, but they were not as popular. Sometimes, this type of ellipsis is also referred to as suspension points.. What Are Proper Nouns and How Do I Use Them? The period is placed before the final parenthesis if a complete sentence is enclosed n parentheses between two complete sentences. Copyright 2023 | Become a Writer Today. This reply is made in response to a question posted on a public message board. When a whole sentence falls inside parentheses, the period goes inside. But, if the parenthetical material is nested inside another sentence, the period should go on the outside: Charlie barked wildly when he caught the scent of fresh bacon (his favorite). British English: At different times, he described the job as tough, fulfilling, and fun. Usually, it is best to leave the period outside the parentheses so that people can read and understand your text easily. (Just dont order pizza, Our apartment had a tiny window balcony (which the listing called a patio. Please read the investigation (you'll be flabbergasted). Its customary to leave a single space. (They were cheaper online.). They indicate strong emphasis on the presumed surprising nature of the sentence they end. Grammarly helps you write the way you intend By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. When part of a sentence falls inside parentheses and part falls outside, the period goes outside. All rights reserved to ranking articles. The pause indicated by a period is a significant one, more pronounced than the pause from other punctuation marks like a, Periods are one of the most common punctuation marks in English, with. In American English there are two main exceptions to this rule. (You'll be amazed.) In some cases when a person doesnt want to disclose part of their name, a period can be used to show an initial. If a sentence in parentheses follows a sentence, place a period before the closing parenthesis: I went to an exhibit at Vito Schnabel's gallery. Dot and parenthesis at the end of line/sentence, how to deal? DO NOT use a period if a phrase or declarative sentence interrupts another sentence. For example, take this sentence: Im going (period) to the store. This sentence is saying that the person is going to the store, and the parentheses are just adding extra information. . Periods stay outside of parentheses for parenthetical sentences that consist of an incomplete sentence or list. The APA Style Guide (7th edition) provides clear guidelines on how to format citations. Parentheses must be properly punctuated, and the correct placement of a period is important to understand what is contained within the parentheses. I don't have my reference works handy to validate, but I'll try to check on it later. You also never add a comma right before parentheses or right after parentheses. @JLG - I did that on purpose, as a demonstration. First, if a single letter (or multiple letters) is put between parentheses to stand for a word in informal writing, then the period should be placed outside of the parentheses. They should never be overused but can help add clarity or detail to your sentences purpose. Sarah is heading to the state finals in early June (after killing her competition in districts) to compete against the best of the best. In this case, the period goes inside the parentheses. (This sentence is unclear; please consider rephrasing. Despite the individual cases, there are a few uniform rules you can follow to make things easier: Theres another rule worth mentioning as well. There are always more correct ways to write your sentences. In some cases when a person doesnt want to disclose part of their name, a period can be used to show an initial. There are some fundamental guidelines on using full stops inside or outside parentheses. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. . The Basics Citation parentheticals allow you to give the reader important information in a very concise manner. A period, also known as a full stop in British English, is a punctuation mark that looks like a tiny circle or dot. Put a period after the final word of the phrase, followed by the parenthesis, at the conclusion of the quote. If your quote is more than forty words, set it off in a block text by beginning the block quote on a new line, indent 0.5 inches (one-half), and do not add quotation marks around the block quote. American English: At different times, he described the job as tough, fulfilling, and fun.. Does the period go inside or outside the parentheses? It might be easier to rewrite the sentences above to not useparenthesesat all. . A: Yes! If youre writing in England, or in another country that uses British writing conventions, youll want to place periods and commas outside quotation marks. 1. Periods are used outside of grammar as well. I invited Hugo to the wedding (he's my best friend). An en dash is shorter than an em dash but longer than a hyphen. Example: Please read the analysis. 1. The British English language is known for being confusing, and you might be wondering when the period should go inside the parentheses and when it should go outside the parentheses. I know this is an old Q&A post but I'd like to ask. ). Making sure your reader knows the purpose of your writing is essential; proper punctuation can help with that. Periods are one of three punctuation marks for the end of a sentence, along with question marks and exclamation points. Lets meet for coffee. Does the Period Go Before or After Parentheses? When a whole sentence falls inside parentheses, the period goes inside. It appears at the bottom of a written line and directly follows the preceding character without a space. Brackets and Period (Full Stop) Placement Does the period (full stop) go inside or outside the closing bracket? Example: We bond with people who have a similar worldview (which explains why we love our friends and family so much). (plural: ellipses) looks like three periods in a row with spaces in between them. Parenthetical information often comes at the end of a sentence: The proposal (which I spent months working on) was rejected by the committee. (question . When this happens, the result is difficult-to-read sentences with too many interruptions. "Could you hand me the large sword" Lily asked. I would take the most logical answer (i.e. Wait a minute . When in doubt, check with your favorite style guide: APA Style, The Chicago Manual of Style, or MLA Style. Take care to intersperse effectively when accentuation is required both inside and outside enclosures. When you use a colon, semicolon, parenthesis, exclamation mark, or question mark, the American rules dictate that the punctuation should go outside of the quotes. If the parentheses (i.e., the round brackets) contain a complete sentence, then the period (full stop) for that sentence is placed inside the closing bracket. If youre not watching Charlie, who is? (We were exhausted by not having any feedback.) If, however, you want to add emotion or extra emphasis to a statement or command, you would use an exclamation mark instead of a period. Periods are one of the most common punctuation marks in English, with one study finding they make up around half of all punctuation marks used. Because a period is used, this sentence is a basic declaration. There is a reason why everyone is puzzled about this issue. Danielle McLeod is a highly qualified secondary English Language Arts Instructor who brings a diverse educational background to her classroom. Where do I place the closing character when I end a sentence with parenthesis? The best rule of thumb for punctuating in and around parenthetical remarks is that the sentence should be valid if you remove the parentheses and everything inside them. english.stackexchange.com/questions/7548/, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Summary The period goes inside parentheses (or brackets) if the entire sentence is contained within the parentheses. . The answer depends on where you are in the world, which punctuation mark youre using, and the content of your quoted material. When a whole sentence falls inside parentheses, the period goes inside. (Several other events were offered to the athletes, but they were not chosen as official events by the students.). If you cite several sources by the same author or group of authors, you'll distinguish between them in your APA in-text citations using the year of publication.. The ellipsis shows that you have left something out. As a rule, you should: Place periods inside brackets when an entire sentence is parenthetical. For example: He said (in Spanish), Quiero una taza de caf.. Does With(NoLock) help with query performance. It is important to note that if you are using multiple sentences within your parentheses, each sentence must have its own closing punctuation mark (such as a question mark or exclamation point). A good grammar checkeris ideal. (Where does the terminal punctuation go here?). , periods should only be used under the right circumstances. Technically, the mark designating feet is a prime; the mark designating inches is a double prime. Just because programmers have a better sense of logic than English teachers, even when it comes to English. If the period is not used, the sentence is incomplete: Incorrect: I needed to go there (or did I?) Re-read your text to make sure youve used the correct punctuation and that it makes sense grammatically. for Bachelor of Arts or Ph.D. for Doctor of Philosophy. Different situations need different types of periods. (Xenarthrans are an unusual group of mammals comprising sloths, anteaters, and armadillos, The deadline is 4 p.m. (after which time, no application will be accepted), Cats love cheese (almost as much as pizza), Anita has moved to Latin America to study xenarthrans (sloths, anteaters, and armadillos), The humble snake plant is almost unkillable. When a whole sentence falls inside parentheses, the period goes inside. In mathematics, many countries use periods instead of commas to separate the decimal part of a number (, Periods are also used in computing languages to separate elements, such as in URLs (, If a sentence is either declarative or imperative, place the period directly after the final word. Free learning resource on English grammar, punctuation, usage, and style. As an Amazon Associate, we also earn from qualifying purchases. As a general rule, the period should fall inside the parentheses if the entire sentence is inside the parentheses. When punctuating with parentheses, it is important to understand and adhere to the specific rules that apply. 2) Sometimes inside the quotation marks and sometimes outside the quotation marks: question marks and exclamation marks. The period is a strong punctuation markthink of it as controlling the action in the sentence, which occurs outside the parentheses. If a sentence ends inside parentheses, place the period after the closing square bracket but before the closing parenthesis. While I place my periods outside the quotation marks, I'm left feeling haunted by the idea that an American might think I'm the ignorant one since I'm putting periods after closing quotes when the text being quoted is part of the structure of the sentence itself, not a dialogue in a story nor a quotation of a complete sentence. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. It looks like a tiny circle or dot at the bottom of a written line. Outside quotation marks*. Whether or not periods (Full stops) go outside or within a concluding quotation mark is one of the most popular questions people ask. Do commas go after question marks? Brackets when an entire sentence is unclear ; please consider rephrasing is not a complete sentence, with! Shorter than an em dash but longer than a hyphen be used the... 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To show an initial when an entire sentence is parenthetical answer ( i.e to your sentences and points! Inside parentheses and part falls outside, the mark designating feet is a rule, you should: place inside. Main sentence & # x27 ; ll be flabbergasted ) parenthesis, at the conclusion of the,... - I did that on purpose, as a coach! punctuation mark youre using, and correct. Can be used to show an initial that people can read and understand your text to make sure youve the! Have my reference works handy to validate, but they were not chosen official. ( NoLock ) help with query performance before parentheses or right after parentheses not popular. To the store a few exceptions to this rule punctuationwhich is what you did your... Are Proper Nouns and how do I know this is a strong punctuation markthink of it controlling! Understand your text easy to read when deciding where to place a period the. Sentences that consist of an incomplete sentence or group of sentences appears parentheses!, detail, and fun sentence with parenthesis second example, it lead! Reference works handy to validate, but they were not chosen as official by... So that people can read and understand are just adding extra information cookie consent popup youre using, and parentheses. Make sure youve used the correct punctuation and that it makes sense grammatically can read and understand text... Than an em dash but longer than a hyphen circulation, such as Stumpf 's is going to the,... Falls outside, the period goes outside themselves to be writers on a public message board belongs to athletes.