LANGUAGE LINKS

 

 

SPACING RULES

ALWAYS SPACE ONCE . . .

• After a semicolon.
• After a period following someone’s initials.
• After a period following the abbreviation of a single word.
• After a period at the end of a sentence.
• Before a zip code.
• Before and after an ampersand (and sign--&)
• After a question mark.
• After an exclamation point.
• After a colon.

 

A sentence can end with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point. Periods end declarative sentences. Question marks follow interrogative sentences. Except in direct quotations, avoid exclamation points in research writing.

 

Place a question mark inside a closing quotation mark if the quoted passage is a question. Place a question mark outside the closing quotation mark if the quotation ends a sentence that is a question. If a question mark occurs where a comma or period would normally be required, omit the comma or period.