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One very common and important punctuation mark
( . ) looks like a small, dark circle. This mark has
several different names, depending on how it is used:
1.
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When ( . ) is used with numbers, it's called
(and read as) a point:
1.2 = one point two
2.31 = two point three one
6.4028 = six point four oh two eight
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2. |
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When ( . ) is used with e-mail address
or URLs (WWW addresses), it's called
(and read as) a dot:
sperling@eslcafe.com = Sperling at
ESL cafe dot com
www.eslcafe.com = WWW dot
ESL cafe dot com
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3. |
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When ( . ) is used to end statements,
it's called (but not usually read as)
a period:
He came. ( . ) = period
He saw. ( . ) = period
He conquered. ( . ) = period
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Special Notes
1.
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Numbers after a ( . ) can also be read
as decimals:
1.2 = one and two tenths
2.31 = two and thirty-one hundredths
6.4028 = six and four thousand twenty-eight
ten thousandths
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2. |
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When ( . ) is used to end statements,
it's also called (but not usually read as)
a full stop. This term is not common
in American English, however. |
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3. |
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Note that there is no extra space before
a period:
yes: |
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He came. |
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no: |
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*He came . |
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