Proper use of punctuation when using quotation marks...

[PaperclipGod]

So, I've always been taught (US schools) that punctuation marks should go WITHIN quotes, even if the quote comes at the end of your sentence and uses a punctuation mark other than what your own sentence uses, or if what you're quoting is just a fragment of a sentence.

So let's say the exact quote we want to reference is "I swear it wasn't me!"

In the following example, which method is correct?

e.g.,
The suspect then cried, "I swear it wasn't me!"
The suspect then cried, "I swear it wasn't me!".
The suspect then cried, "I swear it wasn't me."


Or, how about the full quote we want to reference is: "I was just out jogging for exercise, I wasn't trying to run away." However, we're only quoting the word "jogging".

e.g.2.,
The suspect claimed to be "jogging".
The suspect claimed to be "jogging."
The suspect claimed to be "jogging", but I think he was lying.
The suspect claimed to be "jogging," but I think he was lying.
The suspect actually tried to tell me he was just "jogging"!
The suspect actually tried to tell me he was just "jogging!"


Anyway, I've always treated whatever is between quotation marks as sort of a sacred, uneditable area, unless you use appropriate notation (brackets, etc) to indicate your change. So, I almost always stick my punctuation marks outside of the quoted material, unless the quoted punctuation happens to coincide with my own choice of punctuation. I've always gotten bitched at for it, but it just doesn't seem right to "quote" someone and change the actual quote, even if it's just a punctuation mark.

So, I'm just curious what style everyone uses... and if you're from an english speaking country other than the US I'd like to hear if your method is any different, too.

 

[CRXican]

inside

 

[BoomerD]

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/

 

[Turin39789]

I'm not going to run the letmegooglethatforyou site, but thats what I did

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/03/

Look to the OWL

Use a comma to introduce a quotation after a standard dialogue tag, a brief introductory phrase, or a dependant clause.

The detective said, "I am sure who performed the murder."
As D.H. Nachas explains, "The gestures used for greeting others differ greatly from one culture to another."


Put commas and periods within quotation marks, except when a parenthetical reference follows.

He said, "I may forget your name, but I never forget a face."
History is stained with blood spilled in the name of "civilization."
Mullen, criticizing the apparent inaction, writes, "Donahue's policy was to do nothing" (24).


Place colons and semicolons outside closed quotation marks.

Williams described the experiment as "a definitive step forward"; other scientists disagreed.
Benedetto emphasizes three elements of what she calls her "Olympic journey": family support, personal commitment, and great coaching.


Place a question mark or exclamation point within closing quotation marks if the punctuation applies to the quotation itself. Place the punctuation outside the closing quotation marks if the punctuation applies to the whole sentence.

Phillip asked, "Do you need this book?"
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: Turin39789
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Wait, what?

 

[MoPHo]

Originally posted by: Turin39789

Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Three quotations? Don't you need an even number to close?

Seems weird...

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: Turin39789
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Wait, what?

That HAS to be an error.

-edit-
Actually it's correct. Turin is using quotes to quote the entire page so that last one is just closing the first one.

 

[MoPHo]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: Turin39789
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Wait, what?

That HAS to be an error.

-edit-
Actually it's correct. Turin is using quotes to quote the entire page so that last one is just closing the first one.

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: Turin39789
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Wait, what?

That HAS to be an error.

-edit-
Actually it's correct. Turin is using quotes to quote the entire page so that last one is just closing the first one.

block quotes don't use quotation marks.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MoPHo

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

I don't see why you couldn't have nested quotations.

Mary related how Jane complained "He's always calling me "stupid and lazy"."

 

[Turin39789]

Fixed it, used the quote tag to make it clearer, I always "" anything I pull from another site, wouldn't want anyone to think I'd written it.

 

[ggnl]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MoPHo

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

I don't see why you couldn't have nested quotations.

Mary related how Jane complained "He's always calling me "stupid and lazy"."

Quotes Within Quotes

Use single quotation marks to enclose quotes within another quotation.

The reporter told me, "When I interviewed the quarterback, he said they simply 'played a better game.'"

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MoPHo

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

I don't see why you couldn't have nested quotations.

Mary related how Jane complained "He's always calling me "stupid and lazy"."

IIRC I usually give the inner quote ' marks instead of ".

edit - indeed
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/02/

Quotations within a Quotation
Use single quotation marks to enclose quotes within another quotation.

The reporter told me, "When I interviewed the quarterback, he said they simply 'played a better game.'"

 

[MoPHo]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MoPHo

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

I don't see why you couldn't have nested quotations.

Mary related how Jane complained "He's always calling me "stupid and lazy"."

That I get, there's an even number so there's pairs. But in the one above, there were 3...

 

[spidey07]

ggnl,

Thanks. Forgot about that and I freaking know better.

 

[nerp]

Originally posted by: MoPHo

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: Turin39789
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Wait, what?

That HAS to be an error.

-edit-
Actually it's correct. Turin is using quotes to quote the entire page so that last one is just closing the first one.

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

Yes, but you're supposed to use single quotes.

Like this:

"I was happy," Miller said. "I was so happy, I said 'oh my god, this is amazing.'"

And remember folks, everything needs to be packed into the quote.

"I am angry!" she shouted. "Aren't you?"

 

[nerp]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: MoPHo

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

I don't see why you couldn't have nested quotations.

Mary related how Jane complained "He's always calling me "stupid and lazy"."

This is wrong.

For one thing, that sentence should read "He's always calling me stupid and lazy."

If you were to use nested quotes and she was quoting him in her speech, it would be like this:

"He's always saying to me, 'you're stupid and lazy.'"

 

[MoPHo]

Originally posted by: nerp

Originally posted by: MoPHo

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: Turin39789
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Wait, what?

That HAS to be an error.

-edit-
Actually it's correct. Turin is using quotes to quote the entire page so that last one is just closing the first one.

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

Yes, but you're supposed to use single quotes.

Like this:

"I was happy," Miller said. "I was so happy, I said 'oh my god, this is amazing.'"

And remember folks, everything needs to be packed into the quote.

"I am angry!" she shouted. "Aren't you?"

I get what everyone is saying about the quotes, but in Turin's post, he has 3 quotation marks. Wouldn't that mean that there's another quotation mark needed...?

 

[BoomerD]

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu...ar/marks/quotation.htm

 

[Lonyo]

In US English punctuation goes inside the quotation marks, unless it's not part of the sentence.
In British English punctuation goes outside the quotation marks, unless it's part of the sentence.

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: MoPHo

Originally posted by: nerp

Originally posted by: MoPHo

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: Turin39789
Does Dr. Lim always say to her students, "You must work harder"?"

Wait, what?

That HAS to be an error.

-edit-
Actually it's correct. Turin is using quotes to quote the entire page so that last one is just closing the first one.

A quotation mark can be used on two levels?

Yes, but you're supposed to use single quotes.

Like this:

"I was happy," Miller said. "I was so happy, I said 'oh my god, this is amazing.'"

And remember folks, everything needs to be packed into the quote.

"I am angry!" she shouted. "Aren't you?"

I get what everyone is saying about the quotes, but in Turin's post, he has 3 quotation marks. Wouldn't that mean that there's another quotation mark needed...?

It has been updated.

I took a block of text, put a quote at the beginning and a quote at the end. It didn't work well because the final sentance was also a quote. The final quote at the end was matched up with the one at the very beginning.

 

[MoPHo]

Originally posted by: Turin39789
It has been updated.

I took a block of text, put a quote at the beginning and a quote at the end. It didn't work well because the final sentance was also a quote. The final quote at the end was matched up with the one at the very beginning.

Gotcha. Sorry about the mishap.

 

[PaperclipGod]

Umm... would one of you English professors mind just going back to my first post and telling me what the correct way is? Examples are easier for me to comprehend than dozens of "when/but/if" rules on that OWL page. :/

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: PaperclipGod

e.g.,
The suspect then cried, "I swear it wasn't me!"

e.g.2.,


The suspect claimed to be "jogging", but I think he was lying.

The suspect actually tried to tell me he was just "jogging"!

These work, the rest don't. I'm not the best at "proper" English, but I don't care. These convey the proper intent, and have a nice symmetry. I'd do it this way, right or wrong.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: PaperclipGod
Umm... would one of you English professors mind just going back to my first post and telling me what the correct way is? Examples are easier for me to comprehend than dozens of "when/but/if" rules on that OWL page. :/

Ummm...we're not gonna do your homework for you, but we will offer you the resources necessary to help you learn to do it yourself...