Are Double Periods a Thing?

While reviewing a legal contract, a friend saw a sentence that ended “etc..” She called and asked, “If a sentence ends in an abbreviation, do you add a second period?”

• The short answer is…NEVER.
• The long answer is…NEVER EVER!

For once, the style guides agree! No matter how a sentence ends, it never ends in two periods – even if it ends with an abbreviation. Examples: “The concert starts at 7 p.m.” or “We’re bringing chairs, blankets, etc.”

Just be careful when the sentence-ending abbreviation occurs within a parenthesis. Here’s how The Chicago Manual of Style sums up the rule: “An abbreviation that ends with a period must not be left hanging without it (in parentheses, e.g.), and a sentence containing a parenthesis must itself have terminal punctuation (are we almost done?).”

Even attorneys can make mistakes…