Difficult punctuation question

stinkynuts

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Jan 4, 2005
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Ok, I am a pretty strong writer, but am stumped about the following punctuation problem.

How do you end a sentence where there is already a period at the end of it?

For example: I graduated from Anywhere Elementary P.S.

Do you add another period? If so, does it immediately follow the last one, or is there one space after, or two? Or do you just leave it?

For example:

I graduate from Anywhere Elementary P.S.. Beginning of second sentence....

I graduate from Anywhere Elementary P.S. . Beginning of second sentence....

I graduate from Anywhere Elementary P.S. Beginning of second sentence....
 
The third example. One period will suffice.
 
It's an interesting question, but also one of those pesky problems that many of us would just recast, so that the problem vanishes.

I'd say: I graduated from Anywhere Elementary Public School.

Or else: I graduated from Anywhere Elementary P.S., a fine place to begin my educational career.
 
einar said:
Or else: I graduated from Anywhere Elementary P.S., a fine place to begin my educational career.

This would be better

"I graduated from Anywhere Elementary P.S; a fine place to begin my educational career."
 
I think the type of composition also makes a difference. Specifically, if you are writing a letter, it is considered bad form to use short forms at all. It is considered to be a demonstration of laziness or lack of regard toward the addressee, which is not something you would want to convey. This would include words like "don't" etc...
 
A.J. Raven said:
I think the type of composition also makes a difference. Specifically, if you are writing a letter, it is considered bad form to use short forms at all. It is considered to be a demonstration of laziness or lack of regard toward the addressee, which is not something you would want to convey. This would include words like "don't" etc...

contractions and short forms are not for use in "formal" writing.
 
stinkynuts said:
I graduate from Anywhere Elementary P.S. Beginning of second sentence....

Your grammar has issues of more than simple punctuation.

I WILL graduate from Anywhere Elementary.
I DID graduate from Anywhere Elementary school.
I graduated from Anywhere, despite having slept though all spelling and grammar classes.
I graduate from Anywhere Elementary P.S. in April. I will be the only thirty two year old in my class, but only because Esco failed middle English again.
 
two are technically correct but one is accepted as appropriate as it is less intrusive.