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Hi there everyone!

This question actually has to do with the use of the full stop.

Someone is about to leave the house and shouts out from the living room to someone else in the kitchen saying, "Where's the car key?" The person in the kitchen yells back saying, "On the table."

Is 'On the table" considered a complete thought and can it be punctuated  with a full stop?

Thank you so much for your help.

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Hi, Gilbert—In the context of its being a reply to the question "Where's the car key?," "On the table" is a truncated sentence, meaning "It's on the table." Thus, "On the table" expresses a complete thought and would naturally be followed by a period in written dialogue, just as the short answer "Gilbert" would be if you gave it in reply (in written dialogue) to the question "What's your name?"

Thus, "On the table" expresses a complete thought and would naturally be followed by a period in written dialogue, just as the short answer "Gilbert" would be if you gave it in reply (in written dialogue) to the question "What's your name?"

Hi, David!

Thank you so much for explaining that to me. You can always trust the Grammar Exchange to give you the most well grounded answers! Your help is much appreciated.

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