FSM Online
- FSMHome
- Introduction
- 1. Research and Writing Responsibly
- 2. APA Documentation
- 3. APA Document Formatting
- 4. APA Conventions for Grammar and Mechanics
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4.1. Punctuation and Spacing
Use one space after ending punctuation (periods, exclamation points, and question marks). Note that official APA recommendations ask for two spaces after the punctuation at the end of a sentence (APA, 2010, p. 88)—this is not the standard at Franklin, where we recommend one space.
Other guidelines:
4.1.1. Commas
APA specifies that commas should be used in specific instances, including:
- before a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) connecting independent clauses;
- to separate three or more items in a series (cereal, milk, and butter);
- after an introductory phrase at the beginning of the sentence (After 2006, . . .);
- before a comment or question tacked on to the end of a sentence;
- around phrases that interrupt the flow of the sentence (however, moreover, therefore); and
- around additional information NOT considered essential to the meaning of the sentence (Jones, who is also a noted actor, wrote a song…).
4.1.2. Quotation marks
Quotation marks go around titles of shorter pieces: magazine and journal articles, book chapters, articles from edited collections, television episodes, and song titles (see Section 4.2). Please review Section 2.2 for further information on using quotation marks to set off original material.