Period (BrE: Full-stop)

a.     Use in vertical listings of numerals or letters:

e.g.
1.
2.
3.

Do not use periods in combination with parentheses/round brackets. See Parentheses (BrE: Round brackets)

b.    With in-text references

Place the period after the reference.

e.g. “For Luther the most radical thing one could do was to learn the basics of the faith with the simple trust of a little child” (p. 27).

e.g. The shortest verse in English Bibles is “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

c.   With closing quotation marks.

(AmE) Periods are always placed inside quotation marks (even if a quotation is only a portion of the sentence).

e.g. The dog barked, “Woof, woof.”

e.g. The survey response said, “We always look forward to getting Japan Harvest in our mailbox.”

(BrE) Full stops are placed outside inverted commas unless a quotation stands by itself as a full sentence.

e.g. The dog barked, “Woof, woof”.

e.g. The survey response stated, “We always look forward to getting Japan Harvest in the post.”

d.   Place periods after initials and abbreviations. (AmE), e.g.:

Mrs. Susan C. Smith

*  Exceptions: SI units eg kg, g; compass points eg NW; chemical symbols; currency symbols

e.   (BrE) Use full stops after abbreviations but not contractions (CanE–suspensions).

e.g. Rev., incl., a.s.a.p., Mr, Mrs

f.   Lists.

No period/full stop after list items unless one item forms a complete sentence. (If so, use periods for all items within that list, even fragments.)

e.g.

1. Buy eggs.

2. Pizza.

3. Find a good rental agent.