2. quotation marks. Abstract

Transcription

1 47 Abstract This paper aims to analyze the placement of punctuation marks, especially commas and periods, in relation to quotation marks. It suggests that the most striking point within the quote-punctuation placement is the difference between the British and American usages in the case of commas and periods. Universal American usage places commas and periods inside the quotation marks, regardless of logic, while in the British usage, punctuation marks go inside quotation marks if they relate to the words quoted, outside if they relate to the main sentence. Why the difference? It appears that the British usage upholds logic, while the American one follows convention. The findings are mainly based on the examination of articles of some major American and British newspapers as well as of stylebooks of leading U.S. wireservices.. 1. punctuation direct quotes comma period quotation marks 1) stylebook quotation marks, period, comma quotation marks stylebook 2. quotation marks Noah Lukeman (2006) A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation New York, W.W. Norton & Company 2.1. quotation marks Quotation marks distinguish between what s thought and said, between the interior and exterior of a character s mind quotation marks Quotation marks can offset individual words or phrases to indicate irony, sarcasm, or a special

2 48 PRACTICAL ENGLISH STUDIES No. 15 September 2009 meaning quotation marks Quotation marks alter the pace (Dialogue is the great accelerator). (1) So what happened, the metro editor said to me. I wish I knew. That s not good enough, the woman said. Dolly s pretty upset, Givens said. She has every right to be upset, the metro editor said. Who called in the police? he asked me. To tell the truth, I don t remember. I suppose it was somebody from the funeral home. You called them back? I don t believe I did, no. Check with the family? He must certainly did not, Givens said. No, I said quotation marks Quotation marks can allow a break from prose. Every book offers two worlds: the world of prose and the world of dialogue quotation marks Quotation marks can help indicate a passage of time. (2) a I love you, don t you know that? he said. b I love you, he said, don t you know that? c I love you, he said. Don t you know that? 2.6. quotation marks Quotation marks can help create a feeling of revelation or finality to dialogue. (3) He said, I love you, don t you know that? 2.7. quotation marks Quotation marks can help break up long stretches of dialogue. 3. Chambers Guide to Grammar and Usage, Longman English Grammar, Oxford Guide to English Grammar, Harbrace College Handbook Chambers Guide to Grammar and Usage 3.1. Chambers Guide to Grammar quotation marks words phrases highlight a word quotation marks punctuation (4) What he calls a dialect is actually a language with a large grammar and vocabulary of its own.

3 49 quotation marks period quotation period quotation mark (5) Shakespeare once said that all the world s a stage. direct speech (5) (6) (6) I think he said, I ll be there soon. quotation marks puntuation marks (material) quotation marks (surrounding) sentence quotes a, b, c (7) a He said to her family: You must help him. b You must help her, he said. c You, he said, must help her. comma period quotation marks single quotation marks double quotation marks double quotation marks 3.2. Longman English Grammar Oxford Guide to English Grammar Longman English Grammar Notes on the use of punctuation marks subject reporting verb reporting verb comma quotation (8) John said, It s good to see you. subject reporting verb quotation 2 quotation mark comma (9) It s good to see you, John said. Oxford Guide to English Grammar quotation marks Direct speech quotation marks single quotes double quotes question mark exclamation mark quotation marks quotation marks 2) (10) a Have you read the assigned short story. Flowering Judas? b No, but I did finally get around to reading last week s assignment, Where Are They Now? (11) a Did he say, Good morning, Dave? b No, he said, Where are you, Dave? colon semicolon quotation marks 3)

4 50 PRACTICAL ENGLISH STUDIES No. 15 September 2009 period closing quotation mark 4) (12 a The buried treasure was marked on the map with a large X. b The only grade that will satisfy her is an A. c On this scale, the highest ranking is a 1 not a stylebook stylebook quotation marks punctuation 4.1. Associated Press stylebook AP stylebook Punctuation quotation marks, comma, period Long-established printers rule The period and the comma always go within the quotation marks. period comma quotation marks Chambers Guide to Gramma close-quote mark open-quote mark (13) a I have no intention of staying, he replied. b Franklin said, A penny saved is a penny earned close-quote mark 2 open-quote mark (14) He said, I am shocked and horrified by the incident. I am so horrified, in fact, that I will ask for the death penalty quotes Chambers Guide to Grammar quotes (15) The debate turned into a free-for-all UPI sytlebook UPI AP stylebook AP stylebook

5 51 Close-quote mark quotation marks comma period AP stylebook The period and the comma always go within the quotation marks. UPI stylebook close-quote mark (16) Will you go? Yes. When? Thursday The Times stylebook quotation marks punctuation Punctuation marks go inside the inverted commas if they relate to the words quoted, outside if they relate to the main sentence. If the whole sentence is a quotation the final point goes inside. (17) a They love talking about beauty and truth. b So I said: Why has he stopped? c Why did he say: I have stopped? d Beauty is truth, truth beauty. e She is going to classes in health and beauty. f They said, What do you mean by beauty and truth? quotation marks (without stumbling) punctuation full stop (period) comma comma outline (18) He had not, previously, met the plaintiff, except when, in 1922, he had unexpectedly, found himself in Paris. comma if, unless, before, since, when Oxford comma (19) Our flag is red, white, and blue. and comma 5. quotation marks punctuation The Financial Times ( FT) The New York Times ( NYT) The Dallas Morning News The Daily Yomiuri ( Yomiuri) The Japan Times ( JT)

6 52 PRACTICAL ENGLISH STUDIES No. 15 September FT FT punctuation quotation marks period closing quotation mark period closing quotation mark comma quotation mark (20) a One of those arrested, Rashid Rauf, was last night named by Pakistan s interior minister as a key person. Afab Khan Sherpao, told AP Mr Rauf had ties with Al-Qaeda and added: We arrested him from the border area and on his disclosure we shared the information with British authorities which led to further arrests in Britain. (Pakistan key to plot arrests, FT Aug. 12, 2006) b As part of a package of measures, the exchange rate can play a certain role in addressing the imbalance in international payments, the bank said c It is a signal of intent, Mr. Huang said. It shows increasing readiness for further renminbi appreciation and for widening of the band. (China bank hinting at new rise in renminbi, FT Aug. 10, 2006) (21) a It s another bloodshed with equity markets in a state of panic, said Jimmy Yates, head of equities at brokerage CMC Markets. b If this doesn t rebound quickly the outlook is going to turn even more pessimistic. (Bleak day for world markets, FT March 3, 2009) 5.2. NYT NYT comma period quotation marks (22) a Capitalism will lead to the destruction of humanity, President Hugo Chavez said this month in a speech in Vietnam, during an overseas tour that included stops in Iran and Belarus. The United States, he added, is the devil that represents capitalism b There s rhetoric and there s business, said an official with the United States Commerce Department who closely follows trade with Venezuela, and asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of relations between the countries. The Venezuelans can t produce their oil without our equipment. It s simple as that. (For Venezuela, as Disaster for U.S. Grows, So Does Trade, NYT Aug. 16, 2006) (23) I thought I might die, he said. This thing tossed me up like a salad. (Stuck in Galveston, a Park Bench for a shelter, NYT Sept. 14, 2008) AP stylebook

7 The Dallas Morning News Quotation marks period NYT (24) a In some of these areas, it could be weeks before they get their power back on, Ms. Roark said. Two thirds of the transmissiion that s big hit b By the time she was done, he said. It was too late. (Shattered, The Dallas Morning News, Sept. 14, 2008) 5.4. Yomiuri JT NYT period quotation marks comma open quote close quote Reuters Yomiuri (25) a I wonder, though, Sakie said looking the memos, why the problem has not been solved after all this hard work b Sakie said, We ve done everything possible because we desperately want to bring Megumi home. ( Yokotas work hard for daughter, Yomiuri Aug. 11, 2006) (26) The purpose of the special law for Iraqi reconstruction has been fulfilled, in light of the improvement in safety there, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said at a regular press conference. (ASDF Iraq mission could end this year, JT Sept. 13, 2008, By Jun Hongo, staff writer) (27) I just performed my duty as justice minister, Yasuoka told a news conference. The current political situation is irrelevant, he added, referring to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda s Sept. 1 resignation announcement. (Three more killers hang; 08 toll at 13, JT Sept , By Minoru Matutani, staff writer) 6. comma period quotatation marks punctuation

8 54 PRACTICAL ENGLISH STUDIES No. 15 September 2009 Wikipedia The King s English (Fowler and Fowler) period comma (28) Carefree means free from care or anxiety. (American style) Carefree means free from care or anxiety. (British style) Hello, world, I said. (both styles) period comma quotation marks close quote (29) Diana, she said, put the book down and go outside for a little while. I will in a minute, she replied, as soon as I finish this chapter. question mark exclamation mark Period comma close quote formality period comma quotation marks 5) ) Chicago Manual of Style, 15 th edition, Hart s Rules for Composers and Readers at the Univesity Press, Oxford

9 55 3) edu~rgreen/grammar/quotes.htm 4) Tina Blue Quotation marks: Where Do the Commas and Periods Go-and Why? March 17, ) Lucy Kellaway Welcome back, semicolon; c u 18r; sloppy informality FT Feb. 23, Lukeman, Noah, (2006) Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation New York, W.W. Norton and Company Kirkman, John (1999) Punctuation Matters: Advice on punctuation for scientific and technical writing London, Routledge