This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. English

Punctuation

English translation: yes it is

12:41 Nov 7, 2003
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
English term or phrase: Punctuation
Client has sent me an email with this question and I want to be sure I give him the right answer.

Sentence ends with a list b/t ( )

(cinema, bars, workshops, etc,.).

I think he can get rid of the comma but is it correct to have a period after etc and then another one outside the ) in order to close off the whole sentence like this:

cinemas, bars, workshops, etc.).

?
mbc
Spain
Local time: 02:00
Selected answer:yes it is
Explanation:
Mike :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2003-11-07 12:46:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The first peroid is because et cetera is an abbreviation. See Random House:

et cet·er·a (et setÆÃr Ã, seÆtrÃ), adv.
and others; and so forth; and so on (used to indicate that more of the same sort or class might have been mentioned, but for brevity have been omitted): He had dogs, cats, guinea pigs, frogs, et cetera, as pets. Abbr.: etc.
[1100–50; late OE < L]
—Usage.ET CETERA, a Latin phrase, appears in English writing most frequently in its abbreviated form, ETC. This phrase is used frequently in technical and business writing, somewhat less frequently in general informal writing, and sometimes in literary or formal writing. Expressions such as and so forth and and so on are useful substitutes. Because “and” is included in the meaning of ET CETERA, the expression and et cetera is redundant.

The second period, the one outside the parenatheses, is because it is used at the end of the sentence.

Mike :)
Selected response from:

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 20:00
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +19yes it is
Michael Powers (PhD)
4 +12Yes, that's correct
IanW (X)


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +12
punctuation
Yes, that's correct


Explanation:
Yes, that's correct if the whole sentence isn't in bracket. Example:

"I bought some food (cakes, chocolate, etc.)."

IanW (X)
Local time: 02:00
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 235

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Empty Whiskey Glass
6 mins
agree  NGK
28 mins
agree  RHELLER: absolutely!
44 mins
  -> Hey Rita!
agree  AngieD
1 hr
agree  DGK T-I
3 hrs
agree  Refugio
3 hrs
agree  Rajan Chopra
3 hrs
agree  Sally van der Graaff
4 hrs
agree  Margarita
9 hrs
agree  esma: that`s right
11 hrs
agree  melayujati
13 hrs
agree  Jörgen Slet
1 day 4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +19
punctuation
yes it is


Explanation:
Mike :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2003-11-07 12:46:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The first peroid is because et cetera is an abbreviation. See Random House:

et cet·er·a (et setÆÃr Ã, seÆtrÃ), adv.
and others; and so forth; and so on (used to indicate that more of the same sort or class might have been mentioned, but for brevity have been omitted): He had dogs, cats, guinea pigs, frogs, et cetera, as pets. Abbr.: etc.
[1100–50; late OE < L]
—Usage.ET CETERA, a Latin phrase, appears in English writing most frequently in its abbreviated form, ETC. This phrase is used frequently in technical and business writing, somewhat less frequently in general informal writing, and sometimes in literary or formal writing. Expressions such as and so forth and and so on are useful substitutes. Because “and” is included in the meaning of ET CETERA, the expression and et cetera is redundant.

The second period, the one outside the parenatheses, is because it is used at the end of the sentence.

Mike :)

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 20:00
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 1174
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Anna Bittner
1 min
  -> thank you, Anna - Mike :)
agree  Empty Whiskey Glass
7 mins
  -> thank you, Svetozar - Mike :)
agree  Paula Vaz-Carreiro
14 mins
  -> thank you, Paula - Mike :)
agree  NGK
28 mins
  -> thank you, Norbert - Mike :)
agree  jerrie
44 mins
  -> thank you, jerrie - Mike :)
agree  RHELLER: tough one - you both got it at the same time :-)
45 mins
  -> thank you, Riga - Mike :)
agree  cologne
47 mins
  -> thank you,
agree  Louise Mawbey
1 hr
  -> thank you, Louise - Mike :)
agree  AngieD
1 hr
  -> thank you, Angie - Mike :)
agree  vixen
2 hrs
  -> thank you, vixen - Mike :)
agree  ZAMOLXIS
2 hrs
  -> thank you, Zamolxis - Mike :)
agree  DGK T-I: yes, correct - as Michael says (although if it hadn't been there,I wouldn't say that was necessarily incorrect either,nowadays)
3 hrs
  -> thank you, Dr. Giuli - Mike :)
agree  Rajan Chopra
3 hrs
  -> thank you, langclinic - Mike :)
agree  Sally van der Graaff
4 hrs
  -> thank you, Sally - Mike :)
agree  Jackie Bowman: Correct, but avoid it. More common in semi-decent Spanish than in semi-decent English. I'd prefer "and so on" or equivalent.
5 hrs
neutral  kendra46: Umm.. I'm going with both agree and disagree, because etc. has a period but the period after the ) is not needed in my opinion.The bracket ends the sentence as long as there was punctuation before the first bracket.
5 hrs
agree  Margarita
9 hrs
agree  Fuad Yahya
16 hrs
agree  Jörgen Slet
1 day 4 hrs
agree  Ivana UK: agree with Jack, best avoided although grammatically correct
1 day 10 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search