# The use of full stop/period **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648 "2012-12-10T22:56:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/1 "2012-12-10T22:56:59Z")
Hello, Should I use the full spot if the sentence ends with a quote? If there is a “full stop”(BrE)/period(AmE) at the end of the quote, do I have to use one more “full stop”(BrE)/period(AmE) right after quotation marks? He says “I was innocent\*\*.\*\*” or He says "I was innocent\*\*. **"**.\*\* or He says “I was innocent” **.** Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/2 "2012-12-10T22:58:41Z")
> [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > He says “I was innocent.” > > or > > He says “I was innocent.” **.** According to the traditional rules, this sentence would be punctuated: He says\*\*,\*\* “I was innocent\*\*.\*\*” This particular sentence would be punctuated the same way in both British and American English. The double period is pretty common around the SDMB (and perhaps elsewhere), but there aren’t too many grammar authorities that approve of it. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/3 "2012-12-10T23:13:54Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > This particular sentence would be punctuated the same way in both British and American English. I don’t believe that to be the case: [Link.](http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2011/may/19/mind-your-language-punctuation-quotations) > [@](#): > > Both sides are understandably protective of their version of the language, so it was a pleasant surprise to find Ben Yagoda of Slate praising the “logical punctuation” that we are said to use in the UK. Specifically, he notes a “punctuation paradigm shift” away from the traditional US practice of placing commas and full points (periods) inside quotation marks. > > He calls moving the punctuation to the right of the quotation marks “the British style”, which “rules on message and bulletin boards”. Jolly good. It has also been adopted by Wikipedia and the journal of the Linguistic Society of North America. > [@Radical Pi](#): > > The double period is pretty common around the SDMB (and perhaps elsewhere), but there aren’t too many grammar authorities that approve of it. I bet it is because many smartphones have a feature that automatically adds a period after two spaces. So if you type out a quote and put the punctuation inside the quote, then hit the space bar twice, the phone will add another period outside of the quotes. Let’s not discuss whether two spaces are actually required after a sentence. We should try to be civil. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/4 "2012-12-10T23:16:12Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Let’s not discuss whether two spaces are actually required after a sentence. We should try to be civil. **I… ah… urk… grrrm…** Damn you. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/5 "2012-12-10T23:35:31Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I don’t believe that to be the case: [Link.](http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2011/may/19/mind-your-language-punctuation-quotations) From further down in the link: > [@](#): > > The Guardian style guide, which reflects widespread practice in the UK, says: > > Place full points and commas inside the quotes for a complete quoted sentence; otherwise the point comes outside - > > "Anna said: ‘Your style guide needs updating,’ and I said: ‘I agree.’ " That last sentence is punctuated in the same way as my response to the OP. (Well, except for the colons.) ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/6 "2012-12-10T23:42:51Z")
The differences between the American and British styles comes out mostly in things like: The film was described as “silly\*\*, **” “nonsensical** , **” and “weird**.**” (American) The film was described as “silly” **,\*\* “nonsensical”** , **and “weird”**.** (British) ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/7 "2012-12-10T23:52:17Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > **I… ah… urk… grrrm…** > > Damn you. yeah, civility with regards to this is hard. grrrr ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-use-of-full-stop-period/643648/8 "2012-12-11T01:25:03Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > yeah, civility with regards to this is hard. > grrrr It’s an academic argument anyway, at least for vBulletin users. You can put as many blank spaces as you like after a period (or anywhere else), and vBulletin removes all but one of them. grrrr