Punctuation in quotes... - Writers Forum

Gizzmo0411 · 02-03-2006, 03:19 PM

I need a little clarity on the use of punctuation and quotations.

According to Strunk and White (if I remember correctly), in situations where the full sentence is within the quotation the period goes inside the quotation marks.

Quote:

Ex:

Peter thought carefully before he spoke. "I hope you know what you're doing."

But if the quotation covers part of a sentence, the punctuation goes outside the quotes.

Quote:

Ex:

Peter said carefully, "I hope you know what you're doing".

Is this right? Or is there another way it should be done?

Thanks for any info.

aisha · 02-03-2006, 03:45 PM

I'm not much on puctuation, but I have always beleived the period would indeed go within the quotations. A bit vague but I hope it helps..

bob rulz · 02-03-2006, 05:01 PM

I'm pretty sure the second one is incorrect. I always learned that punctuation always goes inside the quotation marks.

mammamaia · 02-03-2006, 07:18 PM

in the us, periods and commas always go inside the quotation marks... no exceptions... but question marks and exclamation marks can go inside or outside, as warranted... such as in:

"Did he say, 'It's okay with me,'?" Danny asked.

and the weird-looking, but correct:

"Did he say, 'Are you kidding?'?" asked Danny, with a wink.

or:

The professor asked the class, "If, as Santayana wrote, 'Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it,' then dare we ignore the lessons of the past?"

note that single quotes must be used for a quote within a quote... in the uk, it's reversed... singles are used for the quotes, and doubles for quotes within...

also, in the uk, periods and commas go outside the " "... what would you expect from a place where they drive on the wrong side of the road?

are you all sufficiently confused yet?

hugs, m

cbrmale · 02-04-2006, 03:34 AM

Australia has British English, and we drive on the 'correct' side of the road as well. In Australia; full stops, commas, questions marks and exclamation marks go inside the quotes. I am not aware of differences between Australian and British punctuation. Something I just wrote, which is gramatically correct:

“Would you have been upset if I had sex with her?” he asked.

aisha · 02-04-2006, 02:52 PM

mammamaia · 02-04-2006, 07:52 PM

as far as i know, in british usage, commas and periods sometimes go outside the " "... while in the us, they always go inside, regardless of the sentence construction and placement of the word/s in " "...

here are some british examples, by an authority on the subject:

Quote:

"The only emperor", writes Wallace Stevens, "is the emperor of ice cream."

Thomas Edison declared that genius was "one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration".

"The only thing we have to fear", said Franklin Roosevelt, "is fear itself."
http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/doc/punct...00000000000000

...he goes on to explain that the 'logical view' is the variable placement, while 'conventional view' often follows what the us standard requires... so, nothing is etched in stone, my friends... other than those things that christian folks keep trying to park in front of american state capitals, that is!

hugs, m

Gizzmo0411 · 02-07-2006, 11:40 AM

Man this is confusing...but I think I'll stick with the American usage...seeing as how I'm...well...American