Business Writing Center

Tools

End Marks

The “end mark” helps your reader know when you have completed a thought in your writing.  End marks include periods, question marks, and exclamation marks. 

A period ( . ) is similar to a stop sign when you are driving.  Just as a driver comes to a complete stop at a stop sign, a reader will make a mental “stop” when he or she encounters a period at the end of a sentence. (Ex. The board held its regular annual meeting on July 25th.)

A question mark ( ? ) indicates a direct question.  (Ex. Why do we leave the office lights on overnight?)

An exclamation point ( ! ) indicates strong feeling or can be used when the sentence structure is inverted.  (Ex. What an effective use of e-mail!)  Business writers should not use exclamation points in formal writing.