This document discusses the proper use of periods and commas in academic and scientific writing. It begins by stating the learning outcomes, which are for students to understand the importance of punctuation and how to appropriately use periods and commas. Several examples are provided of how periods are used at the end of sentences and with abbreviations. Guidelines are given for comma usage, such as separating clauses, items in a list, and appositives. Common punctuation mistakes like comma splices are also outlined.

2. SUBJECT NAME: academic writing and reading
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: MS FARHANA TABASSUM

3. USES OF period and comma in scientific writing
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this lecture, students will be
able to
Know the importance of punctuation marks
 use of period and comma in scientific writing
appropriately.

4. PUNCTUATION MARKS
• Punctuation marks are the “traffic signals” of a language.
• When correctly used, they guide the reader through the text and
makes comprehension easier.
• However, when incorrectly placed, they can also change the
meaning of a sentence.
• A punctuation mark is a mark, or sign, used in writing to divide
texts into phrases and sentences and make the meaning clear.

5. EXAMPLE: 1
I. John is on leave.
II. John is on leave?
III. John is on leave!
• The first sentence is a reply, whereas, the second
sentence is a question.
• All three sentences have the same content, the only
distinction is the punctuation mark at the end of the
statement.

6. COMMON PUNCTUATION MARKS
I. period (full stop) ( . )
II. comma ( , )
III. question mark ( ? )
IV. exclamation mark ( ! )
V. colon ( : )
VI. semicolon ( ; )
VII. single quotation marks ( '
' )
VIII. double quotation marks (
" " )
I. parentheses ( ), brackets [
] and braces { }
II. hyphen ( ‐ )
III. en dash (–)
IV. ellipsis (. . . )
V. apostrophe ( ' )
VI. slash ( / )

7. USES OF PERIOD/FULL STOP
• A period (called a "full stop" in the United Kingdom) is a
punctuation mark used:
• At the end of a declarative sentence (i.e., a sentence that makes
statement).
• For example: Lee likes pies.

8. USES OF PERIOD/FULL STOP
• At the end of an imperative sentence (i.e., an order) that is not
forceful enough for an exclamation mark.
• For example: Please keep off the grass.
• In an abbreviation (including initialisms(an abbreviation consisting
of initial letters pronounced separately) contractions).
• The story is on every major news channel, e.g., C.N.N. and B.B.C.

9. USES OF PERIOD/FULL STOP
•In an abbreviation
• In addition to ending a sentence, the period is used with
certain abbreviations.
• The current style is to use periods with most lowercase and
mixed-case abbreviations
(examples: a.m., etc., vol., Inc., Jr., Mrs., Tex.) and to omit
periods with most uppercase abbreviations

10. USE A PERIOD (NOT A QUESTION MARK) TO END A
DECLARATIVE SENTENCE THAT CONTAINS AN INDIRECT
QUESTION.
• Do you know what time it is.
• Would you mind telling me how you made that
cake.
• Do you know whether she is French (or not).
• I was wondering if there's any progress on the issue.
• The instructor asked the students what they were
doing.

11. PERIODS (FULL STOPS) IN ABBREVIATIONS
•It is considered untidy to mix abbreviations with
periods and ones without periods in the same
article.
• These two examples have been marked as correct
because the writer has been consistent.
•The band travelled around UK and USA last year.
•The band travelled around U.K. and U.S.A. last year.

12. PERIODS (FULL STOPS) IN ABBREVIATIONS
• These next two examples are marked wrong because the
writer has been inconsistent.
• It was only shown on ITV and not B.B.C.
• (This is an inconsistent use of full stops (periods). It is
considered untidy.)
• The M.D. insisted that his PA had left by 4 o'clock.
• (Untidy)

13. THE TENDENCY: USE PERIODS ONLY IN UPPERCASE
ABBREVIATIONS
• Abbreviations made up of capital letters tend not to have
periods, but abbreviations made up of lowercase letters tend
to have them. For example:
• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
• LRS (Linear Recursive Sequence)
• CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System)
• a.m. (ante meridiem - before midday)
• p.m. (post meridiem - after midday)

14. BRITISH VERSUS AMERICAN ABBREVIATIONS
• Should you write "Mr Smith" or "Mr. Smith?
• Should you write "Dr Jones" or "Dr. Jones?
• If you're following US convention, put a period (full
stop) after the title (known as a contraction). For
example:
• Mrs., Mr., Ms., Dr., Prof., Capt., Gen., Sen., Rev., Hon.,
St.

15. BRITISH VERSUS AMERICAN ABBREVIATIONS
• In UK convention, you have a choice whether to use a period
or not. Even though lots of British now follow the US style,
most adhere to the following ruling:
• If the last letter of a contraction is the same as the last letter
of the whole word, then don't use a period. For example:
• Mister > Mr
• (The last letters are the same.)
• Professor > Prof.
• (The last letters are different.)

17. WRITE UPPERCASE ABBREVIATIONS WITHOUT
PERIODS AND LOWERCASE ONES WITH.
• In other words, you can write C.N.N. or CNN, or e.g. or eg.
Whatever format you choose, be consistent.
• By far the most common format is to write uppercase
abbreviations without periods (for example, CNN, LRS) and
to write lowercase abbreviations with periods (for example,
a.m., e.g.).

18. DON'T USE TWO PERIODS AT THE END OF A SENTENCE.
• If a sentence ends with an abbreviation that ends with a
period, don't use a period to mark the end of the sentence.
• In other words, one period suffices.
• I need milk, bread, cheese, etc.
• Question marks and exclamation marks are not affected.
• You were meant to be here at 4 o'clock a.m. not p.m.!

19. USES OF COMMA (,)
• 1. Separating Adverbial or Introductory Phrases from the
Main Clause
• This is a very common use in academic writing, which relies
on transitional and adverbial phrases to develop a line of
argument.
• However, the…
• Therefore, researchers argue…
• As a result, participants…
• After this occurred, the…

20. USES OF COMMA
• 2. Separating Dependent Clauses from the Main
Clause
• The subordinate clause can be in the middle of the sentence,
which requires a comma before and after it.
• For example:
Even though she was tired, Abby knew she had to finish the
race and she ran to meet her team.
Because my coffee was too cold, I heated it in the
microwave.

21. USES OF COMMA
• 3. We can use them to separate two independent clauses that
are joined fanboys’ words. Like and, but, or, nor, so , etc.
• The climb was hard and tiring, but the women were determined
to get to the top.
• The men packed up their bags and their tools, and the timber was
put away.

22. USES OF COMMA
• 4. Separating a List of Items
• This is the most well-known use of the comma.
• In American English, it is mandatory to have the Oxford
comma, whereas, in British English, this comma is required
only when you require clarity in a given list of items.
• Using the Oxford/Serial comma helps improve clarity in a
given list although it may simply be a matter of style.

23. USES OF COMMA
•5. To separate words, phrases and clauses in a series
I. Many U.S. firms attempt to tap emerging markets by pursuing
business in China, India, Latin America, and Russia and other
Eastern European countries.
II. Life-support machines are no different in principle from medicines,
surgery, or other treatment.

24. USES OF COMMA
• EXAMPLES
• The organization has recently expanded into China, Brazil,
India, and Russia.
• The application can be downloaded to PCs, smartphones,
tablets, and iPods.
• The mice demonstrated higher fecundity, improved appetite,
and increased activity.

25. USES OF COMMA
5. They are used where we use an appositive phrase (i.e.
an appropriate phrase) or add further information about an
individual or an object.
The fastest driver, Jim Clarke, was first to pass the
chequered flag.
John Stone, a living legend, was reduced to begging in the
streets.

26. USES OF COMMA
• 6. They are used to enclose an extra, inessential element
that interrupts the flow of the sentence.
My brother was, in some ways, the cause of his own
problems.
She was, as far as I could see, the most talented artist
amongst them.

27. ACTIVITY (1-5MIN)
• Add commas in the given sentences
• The car or rather the remains of the car rested at the
foot of the cliff.
• The shaky boxer once so fast and strong shuffled
along the corridor.
• The results based on this evidence strongly support
Liu’s theory.

28. USES OF COMMA
• ACTIVITY 2(5MIN)
• Insert comma wherever required.
I. Ms Green the chairperson of the board refused to
countenance the idea.
II. The winning ticket holder a poet from Ashdon used the
money to buy a new computer.
III. The data collected by Ashworth the foremost expert in this
area did not support the theory put forward by the
research study.

29. USES OF COMMA- COMMON MISTAKES
• A comma cannot separate subject from predicate.
*A man of his great abilities, would always be successful.
*The number of service enterprises in wealthier free-market
economies, has grown rapidly.
*Only occupants of the deep oceans or the darkest recesses
of caves, will escape such rhythmic influences.

30. USES OF COMMA
• THE COMMA SPLICE
• A comma splice is a comma which separates two independent
clauses which should be separated by another form of
punctuation, such as a period, a semicolon or a subordinating or
coordinating conjunction.
• The use of a comma is incorrect in English because it combines
two independent thoughts that should be clearly and distinctly
separated.

31. USES OF COMMA
• EXAMPLE OF COMMA SPLICE
• The audience did not enjoy the movie, they felt the story was unrealistic.
• The audience did not enjoy the story because they felt the story was
unrealistic.
• 87% of participants agreed that they were satisfied, the test was
successful.
• 87% of participants agreed that they were satisfied because the test was
successful.

32. MISUSING "WHICH" AND "THAT"
• Do not use commas for a clause starting with "that."
• This means that we should use "that" before a clause that is
necessary for the reader's understanding of the sentence
and "which" before a clause that additional description or
detail that is not necessarily important for the reader's
understanding of the sentence.

33. EXAMPLES
The doctor prescribed oxandrolone, which is an
anabolic steroid, to the patient.
• Sometimes, you can use "that" or "which," and it
often depends on the context.
The drug that was prescribed to the patient was
oxandrolone.
The drug, which was prescribed to the patient, was
oxandrolone.

34. REFERENCES
• https://www.bookshep.com/medical/the-main-punctuation-marks-
in-scientific-writing.html
• https://www.enago.com/academy/importance-of-punctuation-in-
research-paper-part-1/
• https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/period_full_stop.htm
• https://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/scientificwriting/mistakes#:
• https://www.grammar-
monster.com/lessons/abbreviations_contractions_full_stops_periods.
htm

35. STUDENTS LEARNING OUTCOMES
• The students are able to know the uses of period and
coma in scientific writing.