As we’ve already covered, there are different ways in which we can use a full stop. Below we’ll look at this in slightly more detail, and hopefully, you’ll be better able to see why we use full stops in that way. We’ll also cover some more instances that we haven’t yet covered.

For Declarative Sentences

Again, a declarative sentence simply makes a statement. Unless you are using another specific sentence type (more on that later) then you’re probably using a declarative sentence and a full stop should be used. Here are some examples:

• I like chocolate.
• Tim’s favorite color is blue.
• The wedding will take place next Friday.

After Titles

Remember though, this is common in American English, but much less so in British English. Here are some more examples:

• Mr. Richards was a kind man.
• Dr. Martin was always honest.
• Mrs. Smith was a powerful boss.

As A Decimal Point

We also use full stops as a decimal point in numbers when we are trying to show a number with a decimal. For example:

• He won 1.3 million dollars on the lotto.
• Sales were up 13.5% on last year.
• Hot days are 1.5x more likely in winter now, compared to a decade ago.

For Abbreviation

When we shorten words or abbreviate them, we most often use full stops to show that we are omitting some letters within a word. We’ve already discussed the differences in British and American English (UK vs U.S.A.) but there are some situations that abbreviations and full stops are used in both countries. For example:

• etc.
• i.e.
• e.g.