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Full stop seen as rude in text messages

Full Stop - Level 0

A language expert says using a full stop can look rude. The expert said younger people who use messaging apps will send a new message instead of using a full stop. She said: "If you're a young person...the default way to break up your thoughts is to send each thought as a new message."

The full stop is 2,300 years old. Teachers use red ink if a student forgets to use it. Technology is changing how we write. People now write 'LOL' instead of 'laugh out loud,' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than 'for your information'. This can save time. The expert said a full stop can make the writer look a little angry.

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Full Stop - Level 1

A language expert says ending sentences with a full stop can look rude. In American English, a full stop is called a period. The expert said younger people who use messaging apps prefer to send a completely new message instead of ending a sentence with a full stop. She said: "If you're a young person and you're sending a message to someone, the default way to break up your thoughts is to send each thought as a new message."

The full stop is 2,300 years old. It is necessary in writing. Teachers use red ink if a student forgets the full stop. Technology is changing how we write. Most people now use abbreviations, emojis or emoticons :-) People use 'LOL' instead of 'laugh out loud,' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than 'for your information'. Not using the full stop in text messages saves time. The expert said a full stop can also make the writer look a little angry.

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Full Stop - Level 2

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A language expert says ending sentences in text messages with a full stop can look rude. In American English, a full stop is called a period. The expert says more people think ending messages with a full stop is rude. She said this is most common in younger people who use instant messaging apps like Twitter. She added that people prefer to send a completely new message instead of ending a sentence with a full stop. She said: "If you're a young person and you're sending a message to someone, the default way to break up your thoughts is to send each thought as a new message."

The full stop goes back 2,300 years. It is an essential part of writing. Teachers can put comments in red ink on a student's writing if he or she forgets the full stop. However, technology is changing how we write. Most people now use abbreviations, acronyms, emojis or emoticons :-) People might use the acronym 'LOL' instead of 'laugh out loud,' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than 'for your information'. Not using the full stop in text messages helps the writer save time. The expert said a full stop can also make the writer look a little aggressive.

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Full Stop - Level 3

A language expert says using a full stop to end sentences in text messages can look rude. A full stop is used in British English; in American English, this punctuation mark is called a period. Linguist Gretchen McCulloch says more and more people think ending messages with a full stop is rude. She said this view is most common in younger people who use instant messaging apps like Twitter and Facebook Messenger. Ms McCulloch said people prefer to send a completely new message instead of ending a sentence with a full stop. She said: "If you're a young person and you're sending a message to someone, the default way to break up your thoughts is to send each thought as a new message."

The full stop dates back around 2,300 years. It is an essential part of writing today. School teachers can put lots of comments in red ink on a student's writing if that student forgets to add the full stop at the end of his or her sentence. However, technology is changing the way we write. Most people now use abbreviations or acronyms in text messages. They might use the acronym 'LOL' instead of writing 'laugh out loud,' or the abbreviation 'fyi' rather than typing 'for your information'. Ms McCulloch says not using the full stop helps the writer save time. She also says that a full stop can make the writer look a little aggressive. Many people prefer to end a sentence with an emoji or emoticon instead of a full stop :-)

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