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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010Quotation mark placement question
If, following University of Chicago style, I end a sentence by saying ... to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" does the period come before or after the closing quotation mark? > If, following University of Chicago style, I end a sentence by > saying ... to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" does the period come before > or after the closing quotation mark? I don't know what the University of Chicago style book says, but commonly the standard in the U.S. is to put the period inside the quotation marks. The British standard says to put the period where it logically belongs. "O Tannenbaum" is not a sentence, therefore it requires no period and the period should go outside the quotation mark. My version of these standards is this: "Put periods inside the quotation mark, but put full stops where they logically belong." Bill in Kentucky >> If, following University of Chicago style, I end a sentence by >> saying ... to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" does the period come before [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Bill in Kentucky In this instance the full stop should be placed after the quotation marks. That is the end of the sentence. > If, following University of Chicago style, I end a sentence by > saying ... to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" does the period come before > or after the closing quotation mark? Inside (as I understand previous insistence by advocates of the CMOS), but I may be wrong. Keep in mind some publishers have their own style manuals. For whom are you writing? Personally, I learned to put the period _outside_ the quotation marks. And if the nuns knew it was right, then I deferred to their abiding faith, (and contacts in the power struggle). But, in addition, my quite Protestant high school English teacher taught us the same thing. I graduated from HS in 1954.  SignaturePat Durkin durkinpa at msn.com Wisconsin In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. -------------------------------------------------------------- Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random! Grammar Geek: http://www.englishforums.com/user/hvrb/profile.htm -------------------------------------------------------------- > In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though > it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. Not everyone in the U.S. subscribes to our standard. I decided to place periods and commas logically, long before I ever heard that the British did it that way. Other than some typists that I had to have redo some of my work because they moved the punctuation, I've never had anyone comment on how I place the commas and periods. Bill in Kentucky >> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though >> it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. > Not everyone in the U.S. subscribes to our standard. I decided to place > periods and commas logically, long before I ever heard that the British > did it that way. Other than some typists that I had to have redo some > of my work because they moved the punctuation, I've never had anyone > comment on how I place the commas and periods. Hey, logic at last! Well done, Bill in Kentucky. O si sic omnes. With best wishes, Peter. SignaturePeter Young, (BrE, RP), Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004. (US equivalent: Certified Anesthesiologist) Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK. Now happily retired. http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk >> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though >> it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > have redo some of my work because they moved the punctuation, I've > never had anyone comment on how I place the commas and periods. I'm witchoo, kid. > >> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though > >> it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > I'm witchoo, kid. Would anybody put a question mark inside the quotation marks? Were you singing "O Tannenbaum?" Paul >>>> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though >>>> it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> >> I'm witchoo, kid. > Would anybody put a question mark inside the quotation marks? > Were you singing "O Tannenbaum?" Yes, if "O Tannenbaum?" were the question, and not if "Are you singing?" were the question. This seems logical to me, though apparently not to many Leftpondians. With best wishes, Peter. SignaturePeter Young, (BrE, RP), Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004. (US equivalent: Certified Anesthesiologist) Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK. Now happily retired. http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk >>>>> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though >>>>> it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >singing?" were the question. This seems logical to me, though >apparently not to many Leftpondians. Why did she ask "Were you singing O Tannenbaum?"? He said 'Why did she ask "Were you singing O Tannenbaum?"?'. >With best wishes, > >Peter. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.english.usage) >>>>>> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though >>>>>> it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > He said 'Why did she ask "Were you singing O Tannenbaum?"?'. At least in the U.S., the inner question mark is all that is needed in both of those sentences. A question mark or exclamation mark is a stronger mark than a period (full stop), so if the logic of the sentence calls for both, the period is omitted. Why did you say "I think you're stupid"? She asked "Do you think this dress makes me look fat?" Did she ask "Do you think I'm overweight?" I'm not sure what the convention is if one of the main sentence and quotation requires a question mark and the other an exclamation mark. Bill in Kentucky >>>>> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even though >>>>> it doesn't make sense, in the U.S. the period always goes inside. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > singing?" were the question. This seems logical to me, though > apparently not to many Leftpondians. Absolutely. In British English, in the example given, the question mark would definitely be placed outside the quotation marks. Although, I gather that the Americans have different 'rules' (placed in inverted commas, because they are often inconsistent as well as illogical on these matters). >> >> In the U.S., inside the quotation mark. Always. Always. Even >> >> though [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Were you singing "O Tannenbaum?" Dr Peter and I are in tune here. > > "Bill McCray" <mccrayb...@springmind.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Paul The American "rule|" is: periods and commas always inside the quotation mark; colons and semicolons always outside the quotation mark; question marks and exclamation points either inside or outside, depending on whether they are part of the quoted material or belong to the sentence the quoted material is part of. >> > "Bill McCray" <mccrayb...@springmind.com> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > to > the sentence the quoted material is part of. Please! No rules! I mean, the confusion over US practices is based on people "passing rules" based on arguable authorities, such as the CMOS, which is a manual for people wishing to publish theses in the U of C Press. Chicago Tribune had its own rules. Modern Language Association had its own rules. Now, when all the publications in the US decide to obey a uniform code, one _might_ say there is an American Rule. But that "rule" would be disputed by those of us who insist that commercial publication does not overrule personal communication. And, considering the apparent future of the printed-on-paper-word, the likelihood of all the newspapers and book publishers agreeing before their imminent demise is rather dim. |
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