The periodic wave solutions for a class of nonlinear partial differential equations, including the Davey-Stewartson equations and the generalized Zakharov equations, are obtained by using the F-expansion method, which can be regarded as an overall generalization of the Jacobi elliptic function expansion method recently proposed. In the limit cases the solitary wave solutions of the equations are also obtained. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.