KS3 Punctuation | Learn to use Full Stops in Abbreviations

English Quiz - Punctuation (Full Stops) 01 (Questions)

A full stop marks the end of a sentence and it is also used after an abbreviation. If you abbreviate words such as "Avenue" to "Ave.", then don't forget the full stop! You'd be surprised how many people forget about the full stop, given its importance in a sentence.

This tricky quiz tests your ability to use full stops correctly, not only to show where sentences end, but also to mark abbreviations. The reason this is more difficult than it would appear is because abbreviation rules are not exactly straightforward and also vary between countries. In the UK (or U.K.), abbreviations which begin and end with the same letters as the word being abbreviated do not have a full stop. Therefore, "Mister" is abbreviated "Mr" (although you will very often see "Mr." being used), but "Honourable" is abbreviated "Hon." The rules are not consistent, though, because "Right Honourable", which you might think should be "Rt Hon.", according to the rules, is sometimes "Rt. Hon." and sometimes "Rt Hon". And both MP and M. P. are correct! As are U.S.A. and USA....Confused yet?

See how good you are at spotting full stops in this quiz.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Mr j jones is an m p he lives next door to my gran

[ ]	Mr J. Jones is an MP. He lives next door to my gran
[ ]	Mr J Jones is an MP He lives next door to my gran
[ ]	Mr J Jones is an MP. He lives next door to my gran.
[ ]	Mr J. Jones is an M.P. He lives next door to my gran.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Smith and co are at 42 green st by the park

[ ]	Smith and Co. are at 42 Green St by the park.
[ ]	Smith and Co are at 42 Green St by the park.
[ ]	Smith and Co are at 42 Green St. by the park.
[ ]	Smith and Co. are at 42 Green St by the park

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Who is best at cricket hants or wilts or maybe leics

[ ]	Who is best at cricket? Hants Or Wilts. Or maybe Leics.
[ ]	Who is best at cricket? Hants. Or Wilts Or maybe Leics.
[ ]	Who is best at cricket? Hants. or Wilts. or maybe Leics.
[ ]	Who is best at cricket? Hants Or Wilts Or maybe Leics.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
One euro is worth a little less than a pound

[ ]	One euro is worth a little less than a pound.
[ ]	One Euro is worth a little less than a pound
[ ]	One euro is worth a little less than a Pound.
[ ]	One Euro is worth a little less than a Pound

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Find the uk and the usa on the map please

[ ]	Find the UK and the U.S.A. on the map please
[ ]	Find the U.K. and the U.S.A. on the map please.
[ ]	Find the U.K. and the U.S.A. on the map please
[ ]	Find the U.K. and the USA on the map please.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Visit our website at wwweducationquizzescom

[ ]	Visit our website. At www.educationquizzescom
[ ]	Visit our website at www.educationquizzescom!
[ ]	Visit our website at wwweducationquizzes.com!
[ ]	Visit our website at www.educationquizzes.com!

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Thomas is tired he needs to sleep he worked hard

[ ]	Thomas is tired He needs to sleep He worked hard.
[ ]	Thomas is tired. He needs to sleep He worked hard.
[ ]	Thomas is tired He needs to sleep. He worked hard.
[ ]	Thomas is tired. He needs to sleep. He worked hard.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Prof row, rev white and col green are neighbours

[ ]	Prof. Row, Rev. White and Col. Green are neighbours.
[ ]	Prof Row, Rev White and Col Green are neighbours.
[ ]	Prof. Row, Rev. White and Col. Green are neighbours
[ ]	Prof. Row, Rev White and Col Green are neighbours.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
mr smith, mrs white, ms rose etc are all on the list

[ ]	Mr Smith, Mrs White, Ms Rose etc are all on the list.
[ ]	Mr Smith, Mrs White, Ms Rose. etc are all on the list
[ ]	Mr Smith. Mrs White. Ms Rose. etc are all on the list.
[ ]	Mr Smith, Mrs White, Ms Rose, etc., are all on the list.

10.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Time is passing it is getting late the sun has set

[ ]	Time is passing It is getting late The sun has set.
[ ]	Time is passing. It is getting late. The sun has set.
[ ]	Time is passing. It is getting late The sun has set.
[ ]	Time is passing. It is getting late. The sun has set

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Punctuation

English Quiz - Punctuation (Full Stops) 01 (Answers)

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Mr j jones is an m p he lives next door to my gran

[ ]	Mr J. Jones is an MP. He lives next door to my gran
[ ]	Mr J Jones is an MP He lives next door to my gran
[ ]	Mr J Jones is an MP. He lives next door to my gran.
[x]	Mr J. Jones is an M.P. He lives next door to my gran.

Initial letters and abbreviated titles use full stops. Although you will often see "Mr." with a full stop to indicate abbreviation, this is an American usage. Abbreviated words which begin and end with the same letters as the full word - i.e. Mister (Mr), Missus (Mrs), Doctor (Dr), and Street (St) - should not be followed by a full stop in UK English. Both MP and M.P. are correct

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Smith and co are at 42 green st by the park

[x]	Smith and Co. are at 42 Green St by the park.
[ ]	Smith and Co are at 42 Green St by the park.
[ ]	Smith and Co are at 42 Green St. by the park.
[ ]	Smith and Co. are at 42 Green St by the park

"St" begins and ends with same letters as the word for which it is an abbreviation, so does not require a full stop (in the UK)

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Who is best at cricket hants or wilts or maybe leics

[ ]	Who is best at cricket? Hants Or Wilts. Or maybe Leics.
[ ]	Who is best at cricket? Hants. Or Wilts Or maybe Leics.
[x]	Who is best at cricket? Hants. or Wilts. or maybe Leics.
[ ]	Who is best at cricket? Hants Or Wilts Or maybe Leics.

Abbreviated counties such as "Hunts." (Huntingdonshire), "Derbys." (Derbyshire) and "Leics." (Leicestershire) all need full stops

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
One euro is worth a little less than a pound

[x]	One euro is worth a little less than a pound.
[ ]	One Euro is worth a little less than a pound
[ ]	One euro is worth a little less than a Pound.
[ ]	One Euro is worth a little less than a Pound

Currencies are sometimes capitalised, although you should be consistent and capitalise all named currencies in such a case

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Find the uk and the usa on the map please

[ ]	Find the UK and the U.S.A. on the map please
[x]	Find the U.K. and the U.S.A. on the map please.
[ ]	Find the U.K. and the U.S.A. on the map please
[ ]	Find the U.K. and the USA on the map please.

Both UK and U.K. are correct, as are USA and U.S.A. What is not correct, however, is to punctuate abbreviations inconsistently

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Visit our website at wwweducationquizzescom

[ ]	Visit our website. At www.educationquizzescom
[ ]	Visit our website at www.educationquizzescom!
[ ]	Visit our website at wwweducationquizzes.com!
[x]	Visit our website at www.educationquizzes.com!

Internet addresses use full stops but they are called "dot" when reading the address aloud. In the correct answer above you would say "w w w dot education quizzes dot com"

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Thomas is tired he needs to sleep he worked hard

[ ]	Thomas is tired He needs to sleep He worked hard.
[ ]	Thomas is tired. He needs to sleep He worked hard.
[ ]	Thomas is tired He needs to sleep. He worked hard.
[x]	Thomas is tired. He needs to sleep. He worked hard.

Here there are three short sentences

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Prof row, rev white and col green are neighbours

[x]	Prof. Row, Rev. White and Col. Green are neighbours.
[ ]	Prof Row, Rev White and Col Green are neighbours.
[ ]	Prof. Row, Rev. White and Col. Green are neighbours
[ ]	Prof. Row, Rev White and Col Green are neighbours.

These abbreviated titles all use full stops because although they begin with the same letters as the full words, the abbreviations do not conclude with the final letter (i.e. "Reverend" ends with a d, not a v). They therefore require full stops

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
mr smith, mrs white, ms rose etc are all on the list

[ ]	Mr Smith, Mrs White, Ms Rose etc are all on the list.
[ ]	Mr Smith, Mrs White, Ms Rose. etc are all on the list
[ ]	Mr Smith. Mrs White. Ms Rose. etc are all on the list.
[x]	Mr Smith, Mrs White, Ms Rose, etc., are all on the list.

"Etc." should be preceded and followed by commas

10.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Time is passing it is getting late the sun has set

[ ]	Time is passing It is getting late The sun has set.
[x]	Time is passing. It is getting late. The sun has set.
[ ]	Time is passing. It is getting late The sun has set.
[ ]	Time is passing. It is getting late. The sun has set

Each sentence begins with a capital letter and ends in a full stop