Period (punctuation) facts for kids

A period is a small dot (.) used in writing. It is also called a full stop. We use it at the very end of a sentence. It tells you that the sentence is complete. Every sentence needs a verb (an action word) and a subject (who or what is doing the action).

Using the Period

Periods in Numbers

When you see a period in numbers, it is called a decimal point. It shows that the numbers after it are smaller than one. For example, in 1.234, the ".234" part is less than a whole number.

Periods are also used when writing about money. They separate the whole amount from the smaller parts. For instance:

"Elizabeth bought a soda for $1.28."

This means Elizabeth paid one dollar and twenty-eight cents for her drink.

Periods in Abbreviations

Sometimes, a period is used when a word has been made shorter. This is called an abbreviation. For example, "Pty. Ltd." is a shorter way to write "Proprietary Limited".

Common titles like "doctor" or "mister" are often shortened with a period when used with a name:

• "Dr. Smith" means Doctor Smith.
• "Mr. Banerjee" means Mister Banerjee.
• "Mrs. Smith" means a married woman named Smith.
• "Miss Jones" means an unmarried woman named Jones.
• "Ms. Davis" can be used for any woman, whether married or not.

A period is also used after a first or middle initial. For example, "J. Citizen" means someone whose first name starts with J. However, you do not put a period after a last name.

Ellipsis

When you see three periods together (...), they are called an ellipsis. An ellipsis shows that some words have been left out of a quote or sentence.

Related Pages

• Punctuation

Images for kids

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  A point used as a thousands separator on a sign in Germany.

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  A New Testament manuscript showing high dots used as full stops.

See also

In Spanish: Punto (puntuación) para niños