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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Punctuation with abbreviation ending a quotation
I haven't seen any specific treatment of how to punctuate the following under Oxford style rules:
The list included the item "string, cord, etc." but there was no mention of rope.
One punctuation rule says a clause starting with "but" should usually be preceded by a comma.
A general rule is that if more than one punctuation mark seems to be needed on either side of a quotation mark, you use only one, choosing to omit the one that seems less important. That precludes writing
* The list included the item 'string, cord, etc.', but there was no mention of rope.
Another rule says a full stop ending a quoted string should be replaced by a comma if the ending quotation mark doesn't end the including sentence.
Based on those rules, the punctuation would be
The list included the item 'string, cord, etc,' but there was no mention of rope.
But the abbreviation seems to cry out for its full stop to be kept, which would result in
The list included the item 'string, cord, etc.' but there was no mention of rope.
That violates the rule that a full stop that appears to end the overall sentence shouldn't appear before the actual end.
All things considered, including a failure so far to find specific treatment of the question in the Oxford Style Manual , I think I would choose to write
The list included the item 'string, cord, etc,' but there was no mention of rope.
The list included the item "string, cord, etc." but there was no mention of rope.
One punctuation rule says a clause starting with "but" should usually be preceded by a comma.
A general rule is that if more than one punctuation mark seems to be needed on either side of a quotation mark, you use only one, choosing to omit the one that seems less important. That precludes writing
* The list included the item 'string, cord, etc.', but there was no mention of rope.
Another rule says a full stop ending a quoted string should be replaced by a comma if the ending quotation mark doesn't end the including sentence.
Based on those rules, the punctuation would be
The list included the item 'string, cord, etc,' but there was no mention of rope.
But the abbreviation seems to cry out for its full stop to be kept, which would result in
The list included the item 'string, cord, etc.' but there was no mention of rope.
That violates the rule that a full stop that appears to end the overall sentence shouldn't appear before the actual end.
All things considered, including a failure so far to find specific treatment of the question in the Oxford Style Manual , I think I would choose to write
The list included the item 'string, cord, etc,' but there was no mention of rope.
Top answer
[nq:1]I haven't seen any specific treatment of how to punctuate the following under Oxford style rules: The list included the ... " is there not as a syntactic stop but as simple ellision marker. This is clearly so because we if it were a bona fide syntactic full stop we'd write I quickly showered, shaved, etc.
- [nq:1]I haven't seen any specific treatment of how to punctuate the following under Oxford style rules: The list included the ...
- " is there not as a syntactic stop but as simple ellision marker.
- This is clearly so because we if it were a bona fide syntactic full stop we'd write I quickly showered, shaved, etc.
- and ran for the bus.
- as * I quickly showered, shaved, etc.
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18 Answers
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[nq:1]I haven't seen any specific treatment of how to punctuate the following under Oxford style rules: The list included the ... I would choose to write The list included the item 'string, cord, etc,' but there was no mention of rope.[/nq]
But the full stop at the end of "etc." is there not as a syntactic stop but as simple ellision marker. This is clearly so because we if it were a bona f
But the full stop at the end of "etc." is there not as a syntactic stop but as simple ellision marker. This is clearly so because we if it were a bona f
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[nq:1]But the full stop at the end of "etc." is there not as a syntactic stop but as simple ellision marker.[/nq]
But if a sentence ends with "etc.", there is normally only one full point, doing double duty, so it's not as simple as that.
David
But if a sentence ends with "etc.", there is normally only one full point, doing double duty, so it's not as simple as that.
David
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[nq:1]I haven't seen any specific treatment of how to punctuate the following under Oxford style rules: The list included the ... I would choose to write The list included the item 'string, cord, etc,' but there was no mention of rope.[/nq]
Write what you think will best convey the idea to the target readership audience forget rules. As I have stated earlier:
*
Write what you think will best convey the idea to the target readership audience forget rules. As I have stated earlier:
*
English is Munglis
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Bob and others, playing with an abbreviation at the end of a quote, looked at an example every which way but the one that's standard in the United States:
The list included the item "string, cord, etc.,"
but there was no mention of rope.
The list included the item "string, cord, etc.,"
but there was no mention of rope.
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[nq:2]But the full stop at the end of "etc." is there not as a syntactic stop but as simple ellision marker.[/nq]
[nq:1]But if a sentence ends with "etc.", there is normally only one full point, doing double duty, so it's not as simple as that.[/nq]
That's an acknowledged exception to the general rule, perhaps intended to avoid confusion with ellipses and the like. My invariable practice w
[nq:1]But if a sentence ends with "etc.", there is normally only one full point, doing double duty, so it's not as simple as that.[/nq]
That's an acknowledged exception to the general rule, perhaps intended to avoid confusion with ellipses and the like. My invariable practice w
00
[nq:1]Bob and others, playing with an abbreviation at the end of a quote, looked at an example every which way but the one that's standard in the United States: The list included the item "string, cord, etc.," but there was no mention of rope.[/nq]
I tried to make it clear that I was discussing the British system that is described in Oxford University Press publications.
Since I try to fol
I tried to make it clear that I was discussing the British system that is described in Oxford University Press publications.
Since I try to fol
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[nq:1]A general rule is that if more than one punctuation mark seems to be needed on either side of a ... important. That precludes writing * The list included the item 'string, cord, etc.', but there was no mention of rope.[/nq]
My gut feeling (I have no references on British punctuation) is that it's this star that's wrong. The dot that concludes an abbreviation like "etc." doesn't count as
My gut feeling (I have no references on British punctuation) is that it's this star that's wrong. The dot that concludes an abbreviation like "etc." doesn't count as
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&r@n &skt:
[nq:1]Which is correct? The list mentioned "string, cord, etc." or The list mentioned "string, cord, etc.".[/nq]
In the United States, the first one. Why is the answer in doubt?
[nq:1]Which is correct? The list mentioned "string, cord, etc." or The list mentioned "string, cord, etc.".[/nq]
In the United States, the first one. Why is the answer in doubt?
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[nq:2]A general rule is that if more than one punctuation ... 'string, cord, etc.', but there was no mention of rope.[/nq]
[nq:1]My gut feeling (I have no references on British punctuation) is that it's this star that's wrong. The dot that ... correct? The list mentioned "string, cord, etc." or The list mentioned "string, cord, etc.". ? -Aaron J. Dinkin Dr. Whom[/nq]
I think definitely the
[nq:1]My gut feeling (I have no references on British punctuation) is that it's this star that's wrong. The dot that ... correct? The list mentioned "string, cord, etc." or The list mentioned "string, cord, etc.". ? -Aaron J. Dinkin Dr. Whom[/nq]
I think definitely the
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[nq:1]The more interesting question would be the proper punctuation of: Did the list mention "string, cord, etc.?" or: Did the ... mention "string, cord etc?" I would probably go for the second, but I'm not at all sure that it's correct.[/nq]
It's correct. Be sure! Go for it!
It's correct. Be sure! Go for it!
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