0
Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
Michael Quinion on punctuation and quotation marks
While consulting Michael Quinion's World Wide Words Web site, I found that among the pages identified as having recently been added was one on "Punctuation and quotation marks" at
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pun1.htm
Quinion makes a point which I don't recall having been made in recent discussions in these newsgroups about punctuation and quotation marks: "At one time Britain and America agreed. The convention used to be, and in American English still is, to put full stops (periods) and commas inside the quotation marks, irrespective of the sense."
The article is well worth a look.
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pun1.htm
Quinion makes a point which I don't recall having been made in recent discussions in these newsgroups about punctuation and quotation marks: "At one time Britain and America agreed. The convention used to be, and in American English still is, to put full stops (periods) and commas inside the quotation marks, irrespective of the sense."
The article is well worth a look.
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
E-mail: mplsray @ yahoo . com
Top answer
[nq:1]While consulting Michael Quinion's World Wide Words Web site, I found that among the pages identified as having recently been ... "[/nq] Interesting, although I'd have liked him to quote some examples of the claimed earlier British practice (or even to offer a date/period when the change occurred). Cheers, Harvey Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years; Southern England for the past 22 years.
- [nq:1]While consulting Michael Quinion's World Wide Words Web site, I found that among the pages identified as having recently been ...
- "[/nq] Interesting, although I'd have liked him to quote some examples of the claimed earlier British practice (or even to offer a date/period when the change occurred).
- Cheers, Harvey Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years; Southern England for the past 22 years.
- van)
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
37 Answers
0
[nq:1]While consulting Michael Quinion's World Wide Words Web site, I found that among the pages identified as having recently been ... in American English still is, to put full stops (periods) and commas inside the quotation marks, irrespective of the sense."[/nq]
Interesting, although I'd have liked him to quote some examples of the claimed earlier British practice (or even to offer a
Interesting, although I'd have liked him to quote some examples of the claimed earlier British practice (or even to offer a
00
[nq:1]On 18 Jan 2005, Raymond S. Wise wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]While consulting Michael Quinion's World Wide Words Web site, I ... and commas inside the quotation marks, irrespective of the sense."[/nq]
[nq:1]Interesting, although I'd have liked him to quote some examples of the claimed earlier British practice (or even to offer a date/period when the change occurred).[/nq]
You should e
[nq:2]While consulting Michael Quinion's World Wide Words Web site, I ... and commas inside the quotation marks, irrespective of the sense."[/nq]
[nq:1]Interesting, although I'd have liked him to quote some examples of the claimed earlier British practice (or even to offer a date/period when the change occurred).[/nq]
You should e
00
[nq:1]While consulting Michael Quinion's World Wide Words Web site, I found that among the pages identified as having recently been ... put full stops(periods) and commas inside the quotation marks, irrespective of the sense." The article is well worth a look.[/nq]
I think I mentioned on another occasion that this seems to be the practice of The Complete Letter-Writer , 1755 and subsequ
I think I mentioned on another occasion that this seems to be the practice of The Complete Letter-Writer , 1755 and subsequ
00
[nq:2]On 18 Jan 2005, Raymond S. Wise wrote[/nq]
One of his examples does not conform to the punctuation style described in the Oxford Style Manual , and in other British guides I've seen:
* "The police," he protested, "have always been fair to me."
The rule is that if there would not have been a comma in the sentence quoted, then the comma goes outside the quotes in the interrupted qu
One of his examples does not conform to the punctuation style described in the Oxford Style Manual , and in other British guides I've seen:
* "The police," he protested, "have always been fair to me."
The rule is that if there would not have been a comma in the sentence quoted, then the comma goes outside the quotes in the interrupted qu
00
Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to put the comma outside the inverted comma in this case?
'Is it not extremely absurd', said Lucinda, etc.?
I don't recall ever seeing that, but maybe I'm just not being observant (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).
'Is it not extremely absurd', said Lucinda, etc.?
I don't recall ever seeing that, but maybe I'm just not being observant (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).
00
[nq:2]recent (periods) I think I mentioned on another occasion that ... on p.145 the comma clearly doesn't belong to the quotation.[/nq]
[nq:1]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to put the comma outside the inverted comma in this case? ... ever seeing that, but maybe I'm just not being observant (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).[/nq]
The rule if rule it may be
[nq:1]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to put the comma outside the inverted comma in this case? ... ever seeing that, but maybe I'm just not being observant (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).[/nq]
The rule if rule it may be
00
[nq:2]recent (periods) I think I mentioned on another occasion that ... on p.145 the comma clearly doesn't belong to the quotation.[/nq]
[nq:1]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to put the comma outside the inverted comma in this case? ... The quote is not, "Is it not extremely absurd, for mankind to complain of the short duration of their lives..."[/nq]
Ray
[nq:1]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to put the comma outside the inverted comma in this case? ... The quote is not, "Is it not extremely absurd, for mankind to complain of the short duration of their lives..."[/nq]
Ray
00
[nq:1]added used sense." edns, sides deceit comma absurd,'[/nq]
[nq:2]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to ... (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).[/nq]
[nq:1]The rule if rule it may be called is that a comma at the end of ... if there had been no interruption, it's placed inside the quotation marks: [/nq]
Yes, but. There is a further rule covering the quota
[nq:2]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to ... (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).[/nq]
[nq:1]The rule if rule it may be called is that a comma at the end of ... if there had been no interruption, it's placed inside the quotation marks: [/nq]
Yes, but. There is a further rule covering the quota
00
That's true, and the first ellipsis should be, if anywhere, inside the quote now following it. As the sentence is written, what omission could the ellipsis possibly stand for? It would be an omission by the writer, not by Lucinda.
[nq:2]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to ... (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).[/nq]
[nq:1]It's the only way that makes sense to
[nq:2]Wait, are you saying that current BrE practice is to ... (and I don't read many books printed in the UK).[/nq]
[nq:1]It's the only way that makes sense to
00
[nq:1] That's true, and the first ellipsis should be, if anywhere, inside the quote now following it. As the sentence is written, what omission could the ellipsis possibly stand for? It would be an omission by the writer, not by Lucinda.[/nq]
[nq:2]It's the only way that makes sense to me. The ... mankind to complain of the short duration of their lives..."[/nq]
[nq:1]The important thing t
[nq:2]It's the only way that makes sense to me. The ... mankind to complain of the short duration of their lives..."[/nq]
[nq:1]The important thing t
0
Related Questions