Punctuating quotations
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Punctuating quotations
Should full stops, commas and question marks, be placed inside or outside quotation marks?
In US English, the full stop is placed inside the closing quotation mark, although, there are few exceptions.
For example,
1. "Come here," said Rosemary.
2. "She is fine," David said.
3. "She said 'I was responsible for it.' I was surprised!"
In British English, these punctuation marks are placed outside the quotation marks, with exceptions also.
For example,
1. "Hello", she said.
2. No one heard when she said " I need help".
3. Is it true that she said "How much is mum's salary"?
An example of the exceptions is that in both US and British English, it's proper to write; " She is doing well." You can see the full stop inside the closing quotation mark.
Confusing? Please, your contributions to this topic are highly appreciated. Some of us have such grammar challenges, and we are in this forum to groom our English grammar. Thanks.
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I'm glad you got something from the topic.Insightsintobooks729 wrote: โ15 Dec 2017, 11:52 I didn't know the differences between British and American punctuation. That is interesting, thank you.
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English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England. I don't think reviews are scored using American English standard alone. If any editor does that, I see it as ignorance and the affected reviewer should inform Scott or any other site admin.Christina Rose wrote: โ24 Jan 2018, 05:03 Iโve always been taught that punctuation should be placed inside the quotation marks. However, I do speak, read, and write American English, so those are the grammar rules I am familiar with. As far as I know (and, I could be wrong), reviews are scored using American English standards. Like I said, I could be wrong on this. I would love to find out if there is a definitive answer.
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I agree. Regardless of which standards are being used, each team member scoring the reviews should be on the same page. Consistency is key.CatInTheHat wrote: โ24 Jan 2018, 18:54 When I first started writing reviews here, it was made clear that the punctuation is to go inside the quotation marks. My first few reviews were definitely marked off for this issue. I'm fine with it. Consistency is important.
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1.Use a comma to introduce a quotation after a standard dialogue tag,a brief introductory phase or dependent clause.
2.Put commas and periods within quotation marks except when a parenthetical reference follows.
3.You can place colons and semicolon outside closed quotationsb mark.
Reference:http:owl.English.purdue.edu/owl/resource
/57
Yours sincerely,
Bok48.
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Oh my goodness, as a proofreader (and self-proclaimed grammar nerd!), I absolutely love this post! Thank you!Rosemary Wright wrote: โ13 Dec 2017, 06:47 Hello,
Should full stops, commas and question marks, be placed inside or outside quotation marks?
In US English, the full stop is placed inside the closing quotation mark, although, there are few exceptions.
For example,
1. "Come here," said Rosemary.
2. "She is fine," David said.
3. "She said 'I was responsible for it.' I was surprised!"
In British English, these punctuation marks are placed outside the quotation marks, with exceptions also.
For example,
1. "Hello", she said.
2. No one heard when she said " I need help".
3. Is it true that she said "How much is mum's salary"?
An example of the exceptions is that in both US and British English, it's proper to write; " She is doing well." You can see the full stop inside the closing quotation mark.
Confusing? Please, your contributions to this topic are highly appreciated. Some of us have such grammar challenges, and we are in this forum to groom our English grammar. Thanks.
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