Use periods correctly at the end of declarative and imperative sentences, courteous requests, and indirect questions.. Identify miscellaneous uses of the period.[r]
(1)(2)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Objectives
Use periods correctly at the end of declarative and imperative sentences, courteous requests, and indirect questions
Identify miscellaneous uses of the period
Use commas correctly between items in a series and in compound sentences
(3)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Objectives continued
continued
Use commas correctly to set off appositive and parenthetical expressions
Use commas correctly with introductory expressions
Use commas correctly with nonrestrictive clauses
(4)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Declarative Sentences
Use a period at the end of a declarative sentence
Rick finds job openings on the Internet.
(5)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Imperative Sentences
Use a period at the end of a sentence that indicates a command or a strong suggestion
Proofread your cover letter carefully.
(6)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Courteous Requests
Use a period at the end of a sentence that makes a courteous request
Will you please call the applicants to tell them that the position is filled.
(7)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Indirect Questions
Use a period after an indirect question
I wonder whether Bob applied for the accounts payable position.
(8)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Decimal Points
Use a period to separate dollars and cents
$5.59 $178.25 $14,382.38
Do not place a period after a dollar amount if there are no cents involved
$5 $802 $78,455
Use a period as a decimal point to express whole numbers and fractional amounts
(9)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Abbreviated Words and
Measurements
Use a period at the end of an abbreviated word
assn. association
asst. assistant
bldg. building
intl. international
mfg. manufacturing
(10)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Abbreviated Words and Measurements
Do not use a period after a measurement that is abbreviated on most business or technical forms
Ft foot, feet oz ounce, ounces
gal gallon qt quart, quarts
hr hour, hours yr year, years
continued
continued
(11)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Small and Capital Letters
Use a period after each letter in abbreviations that consist of small letters
a.k.a. also known as
c.o.d. collect on delivery
f.o.b. free on board (within sentences)
Do not use a period after each letter in most abbreviations that consist of all capital letters CEO chief executive officer
(12)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Small and Capital Letters
Exceptions
P.O. post office
U.S. United States M.A. Master of Arts
M.D. Doctor of Medicine B.C. before Christ
continued
(13)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Personal Names and
Corporate Names
Use a period after the initials or with abbreviations of most names
J. C. Williams Thos. C. McGraw
Do not use a period with a nickname Skip Jenner Red Stocker
Use the same format that an individual uses in a
signature or that a company uses on its letterhead as its official designation
(14)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Titles, Academic Degrees, Professional Identification
Use a period after an abbreviation of a person’s title
Mrs. Ms. Mr. Dr.
Use a period after each element in the abbreviation of an academic degree or professional identification
(15)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Titles, Academic Degrees, Professional Identification
Examples
Dr Carole Bennett accepted a position as a technical writer.
Sara Wong, M.D., hired Rose to work as a receptionist.
Gretchen Carpenter, M.B.A., uses the Internet to post company job openings
continued
(16)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Seniority Designations
Use a period after an abbreviated seniority designation
Jason Harrison Jr. accepted a position in Nevada. Anthony Biasi III applied for an international
(17)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma The Period and
Geographic Locations
Use a period after an abbreviation of a country, state, or province unless the abbreviation
appears in ZIP Code format
NC North Carolina N.C
AR Arkansas Ark
ON Ontario Ont
ZIP Code State or Standard
(18)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Shortened Forms of Words
Do not use a period after shortened words or foreign words that are not abbreviations
info information
rep representative
specs specifications
temp temporary
ad hoc for a particular purpose
(19)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Outlines and Lists
Use a period after the numbers or letters that identify items in an outline or list unless the numbers or letters are in parentheses
I. EMPLOYMENT MATERIALS A. Resume
1. Chronological
a. Advantages
(20)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Outlines and Lists
Use periods after complete sentences,
dependent clauses, and long phrases in a list or outline
continued
continued
The keys to salary negotiation are the following: 1 Discuss salary at the end of the interview.
(21)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Outlines and Lists
Do not use periods after short phrases listed on separate lines if the lead-in statement is complete
continued
continued
Avoid the following job-hunting methods: 1 Unsolicited resumes
2 Employment agencies
(22)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Compound Sentences
Use a comma to separate two independent clauses in a compound sentence
Place the comma before the coordinating
conjunction (and, or, nor, but) that joins the two clauses
Most public libraries have company directories, and most online services also offer access to these directories.
(23)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Compound Sentences
Omit the comma before a coordinating
conjunction in a compound sentence if either or both of the two independent clauses are very short (four words or less)
Read the job description and fax your résumé
continued
continued
Do not omit the comma if it is necessary for clarity
(24)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Compound Sentences
Use a comma before the coordinating
conjunction when a subject is not expressed (but implied) in one or both clauses in an
imperative sentence
Call companies that interest you, and ask to speak to people who can give you specific information about available positions.
Prepare a portfolio of your best work, and bring it with you to the interview
continued
(25)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Compound Sentences
Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins a compound subject, predicate, object, or subject complement
Stress educational achievements and extracurricular activities in your cover letter.
Working in temporary positions will introduce you to different industries and help you discover the types of jobs available.
continued
(26)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Series
Use commas to separate words, phrases, or clauses in a series
Include the comma before the coordinating conjunction
Be selective when listing job duties, skills, and accomplishments on your résumé.
Please bring your résumé, a sharpened pencil, and a list of references to the interview.
(27)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Series
Do not use commas to separate items when each item is connected by a conjunction
Cover letters require the exact last name of the person and the exact spelling of the name and
the title of his or her position.
continued
(28)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Series
Use commas in a series of names in an organization
exactly the way that the organization uses the commas on its letterhead or on another verifiable source
Do not use a comma before the ampersand (&) in the name of an organization unless the company itself does
The firm of Farrell, White, and Jones specializes in recruiting hospital employees.
Henderson, Hernandez, & Holmes fills its positions through networking
continued
(29)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma The Comma and Etc
Use a comma before and after the
abbreviation etc. When etc. appears at the end of a sentence, use a comma before the abbreviation only The abbreviation etc.
means and so forth or and others.
Do not use the phrase and etc.
(30)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Independent Adjectives
Place a comma between independent adjectives that precede a noun unless they are already
separated by a coordinating conjunction To determine whether adjectives are
(31)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Independent Adjectives
Examples
continued
continued
James offered vague, disorganized answers to the interview questions.
Anne conducted a successful, well-organized job search.
(32)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Appositives
Use commas to set off an appositive if it is not essential to the meaning of a sentence
Kris Hing, CEO of Hing and Associates, looks for candidates who speak at least three
languages.
JOBS, an online listing of professional
(33)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Appositives
Do not use commas to set off an appositive that explains or clarifies the noun preceding it
The newspaper National Business
Employment Weekly offers job hunting strategies.
The year 2001 was the year that I was promoted to assistant manager
continued
(34)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Parenthetical Expressions
Parenthetical expressions interrupt a
sentence These side remarks not add to the clarity of a sentence, and they are set
(35)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Parenthetical Expressions
Below is a partial list of parenthetical expressions
continued
continued
after all as a consequence as a matter of fact as a result
as a rule as you know at any rate believe me by the way for example
however I am sure
(36)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Parenthetical Expressions
Examples
continued
continued
Being unemployed, as you can see, allowed me to return to school.
Unfortunately, Jack lost his disk that contained his résumé.
(37)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Introductory Expressions Dependent Clauses
Use a comma to separate an introductory dependent clause from the independent clause
If I have to move to another state, I will turn down the job offer.
Although the competition was intimidating,
(38)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Introductory Expressions Dependent Clauses
Generally, not use a comma when the dependent clause follows the independent clause or when the comma is necessary for the meaning of the sentence
Do thorough research on a company before any job interview.
continued
(39)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Introductory Expressions Prepositional Phrases
Use a comma to set off an introductory
prepositional phrase from the independent clause that follows
Within one year, he received a promotion to the position of accounts payable supervisor.
From an employer’s standpoint, a thank-you
(40)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Introductory Expressions Infinitive Phrases
Use a comma to set off an introductory infinitive phrase from the rest of the sentence
To save time, more companies are using résumé
scanning software
Do not use a comma when an infinitive phrase is the subject of a sentence
To purposely lie on your employment application may
(41)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Introductory Expressions Participial Phrases
Use a comma to set off an introductory participial phrase from the rest of the sentence
Surprised by the results of my skill tests, I decided to
set new goals.
Reviewing my cover letter, I realized that I had used an
(42)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses
Use commas to set off a nonrestrictive
adjective clause from the rest of the sentence
Drug testing, which is becoming more
prevalent, is a requirement for some occupations. I carry my resume in a leather portfolio, which
(43)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Restrictive Adjective Clauses
Do not set off a restrictive adjective clause (necessary for the meaning of the word it modifies) from the rest of the sentence
Job applicants who arrive late for their
interviews are usually not hired at our firm. A college degree that emphasizes
(44)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Contrasting Expressions
Use commas to set aside a contrasting
expression from the rest of the sentence A contrasting expression often begins with the word not or never A contrasting expression contradicts the noun or idea it follows
(45)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Direct Address
Use commas to set off the names of
individuals who are being addressed directly
You will be pleased to know, Larry, that you will receive a bonus this year.
(46)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Tag Questions
Use a comma to separate a tag question from the rest of the sentence
We have five job candidates to interview today, don’t we?
(47)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Quotations
Use a comma to introduce a direct quotation or set it off from other parts of a sentence
Mr Bertoli asked me, “How you define success?” “Success,” Mr Bertoli said, “depends upon your own definition.”
Do not use a comma to set off an indirect quotation
(48)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Dates
Use a comma before and after the year when a date includes a month, day, and year
I hope to graduate by June 30, 2005, or at the latest December 31, 2005
Do not use a comma if only the month and day or only the month and year are in a sentence
Mr Elias indicated that he would notify me by August 5 about the position.
(49)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Addresses
Use commas to separate parts of an address or geographical location
Do not place a comma between a state name or a two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP Code within a document or on an envelope
I applied for a position at Sonoma State
(50)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma
Occupational Designations, Academic Degrees
Use commas to set off occupational designations or academic degrees when they follow a person’s name Do not use both a personal or job title before a name and a job or academic degree designation after the name
Pamela Guzman, M.S., refers her clients for vocational assessment.
(51)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Seniority Designations
Do not use commas to separate seniority
designations from the name unless the person being referenced prefers to use commas
Lonnie Lamont Jr. works for Diamond Lane Communications.
Nielson Electronics promoted Richard Whitmore II to the position of comptroller of their Canadian
(52)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Company Names
Do not use commas to separate Inc or Ltd from the rest of the company name unless the company’s letterhead or other official source indicates commas are necessary
(53)The Period
The Period
and the Comma
and the Comma Numbers
Use a comma in a whole number with more than four figures Some prefer to insert a comma in a number such as 3,482
Rhonda discovered 12,325 career sites on the Internet
Do not use a comma in a policy, account, page, serial, model, or check number or in a house
number in an address
(54)