On using a period

[someoneyouknow]

It took me a few moments to realize the author of the following piece meant a period when he talked about a full stop. One again, the differences in linguists between British English and American English.

Regardless, while the author talks about the need to use a period, and its banishment in the day of texts, emails, and anti-social media posts, his last four paragraphs are what matter. For those aspiring to be a writer, or those who already are, his words should hold true. But do they? What writers do you believe do not follow his advice, and do you yourself follow his words?

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20181017-the-goal-towards-which-your-words-adamantly-move

 

[SimonDoom]

Like many "rules" of writing, I would say this writer's advice to put stress on the last syllable of a sentence is a good guideline but not a rule. It's always good to end well. But it's also good to mix up the rhythm of one's sentences. Sometimes a pleasantly mixed-up rhythm may call for a sentence to end on an unstressed syllable, and that's O.K.

 

[SamScribble]

There is a certain truth to the idea of putting the most important part at the end of the sentence.

The first time that Andrew kissed Mary was on Thursday afternoon is very different from On Thursday afternoon, Andrew kissed Mary for the first time. One puts the emphasis on 'Thursday afternoon'; the other on 'the first time'.

 

[NotWise]

There is a certain truth to the idea of putting the most important part at the end of the sentence.

I don't disagree with the advice, but I don't have that many opportunities to use it.

If I think about crafting a sentence, I'm usually thinking more about how one sentence leads to the next, and how images and ideas flow, rather than about placing emphasis at the end of a sentence. Maybe if it were the last sentence in a paragraph it would be more important to me.

 

[rjordan]

I have no idea what the author is referring to here:

"A full stop on an old-fashioned typewriter was a large black blob as wide as a letter. When computers arrived they brought in typefaces with proportional spacing and the full stop diminished to a small dot."

When I started writing books, I used a mix of mechanical and electric typewriters. I don't remember any of them having "a large black blob as wide as a letter".

The period/full stop/whatever I used at the end of the last sentence was the only character for that use. It didn't come in when computers arrived. We did that on the typewriters I used in high school and college.

Frankly, the whole piece is suspect other than the point SimonDoom and SamScribble pointed out.

rj

 

[ElectricBlue]

It's not something I actively think about, although every now and then in edit I find myself resequencing phrases. Like SimonD, I'm more thinking about the beat and cadence of my text - perhaps the sentence focus just comes naturally.

I can't see us losing punctuation any time soon though. I think there are enough people around who appreciate the craft of writing, rather than talking up their latest picture of food and telling someone they'll be home in five minutes. Just eat the bloody food, and I think I'll still know who you are when you turn up at the door!

 

[SimonDoom]

I have no idea what the author is referring to here:

"A full stop on an old-fashioned typewriter was a large black blob as wide as a letter. When computers arrived they brought in typefaces with proportional spacing and the full stop diminished to a small dot."

When I started writing books, I used a mix of mechanical and electric typewriters. I don't remember any of them having "a large black blob as wide as a letter".

The period/full stop/whatever I used at the end of the last sentence was the only character for that use. It didn't come in when computers arrived. We did that on the typewriters I used in high school and college.

Frankly, the whole piece is suspect other than the point SimonDoom and SamScribble pointed out.

rj

I didn't say anything about it, but I don't remember those big blobs, either, and I'm old enough to remember using mechanical and electric typewriters when I was young, before word processors existed. I would have been alarmed at a big black blob in the place of a period.

 

[rjordan]

Like many "rules" of writing, I would say this writer's advice to put stress on the last syllable of a sentence is a good guideline but not a rule. It's always good to end well. But it's also good to mix up the rhythm of one's sentences. Sometimes a pleasantly mixed-up rhythm may call for a sentence to end on an unstressed syllable, and that's O.K.

I was just referring to your picking up on this point.

rj

 

[KeithD]

A full stop is a synonym in publishing for a period. It isn't just British. It's also a term long used for a period when calling in the text of a newspaper story when remoted reporters were doing that telephonically.