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Full stop or commas in emails

2K views 29 replies 12 participants last post by  Stickman 
#1 ·
Hi,

Someone's written to me, and it's a very important email. However, the person has left out or forgotten to put a full stop at the end of the sentence, in this case, the email is one sentence. Because of this, I doubt the person's sincerity.

Therefore, I was wondering if you could tell me if you've ever left out a full stop or comma anywhere in an email, or at the end. If you have, please explain why, and also if you haven't, please explain why. It would help incredibly.

Thanks,

S
 
#2 ·
You doubt the person's sincerity due to a grammatical mistake? I don't see why.

No, I always add the appropriate commas or periods in my emails, even if it is only one sentence or if it is the last sentence. Proper grammar promotes clarity, so that's why I do it. Clarity is the purpose of communication.
 
#5 ·
The person I received the email from has lied in the past, hence why I doubt the person's sincerity. I don't find it a strange question, it's like saying 'don't listen to him, compared to, don't, listen to him - has no importance in what the difference is.
 
#6 ·
Maybe his keyboard sucks and the punctuation keys don't work. Maybe he's writing on his phone, and it's a true pain in the ass to use those buttons, maybe, maybe, maybe... In any case, if you don't feel he is saying anything important, then why waste your time? Is there some reason he needs to show sincerity? Is he expressing love for you or something?
 
#10 ·
It is very common for people to treat email or texting with absolutely no respect whatsoever. That means essentially that because it is a new form of communication they take liberties with it. The very word OK in language is an example of this type of shorthand that gains cultural inertia and becomes ingrained. Email and text messages like:

1 B there ty

and

btw r u c?

Are normal. They certainly do not have punctuation often enough. A lot of people do not even properly understand where commas go in normal formal English let alone in informal email and text.

I suggest to you that on the surface there is no slight implied by someone not including these punctuations. I also suggest that you worry to much in general. Cut the world and everyone in it (yourself most of all) some slack.
 
#11 ·
If you have an open mind about their intent, then ask them to clarify. If you aren't going to believe their response if it is different than your presupposition, then don't waste either his or your time.
 
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