Is full stop before or after quotation marks?

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Yoong Liat

#294165 Fri, 17 Nov 06 10:04 AM

The word is "clever."

The word is "clever".

Which is the correct way to punctuate the above sentence? Do the British and the Americans punctuate differently with regard to the above?

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (5,863)

Yoong Liat

Quotation marks, Regards

Mister Micawber

#294214 Fri, 17 Nov 06 11:08 AM

Yes. BrE encloses the period; AmE places it outside. That is probably a slight generalization, as style manuals may vary (and I place the period outside).

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (20,419)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Quotation marks

Yoong Liat

#294226 Fri, 17 Nov 06 11:32 AM

Mister Micawber wrote:

Yes. BrE encloses the period; AmE places it outside. That is probably a slight generalization, as style manuals may vary (and I place the period outside).

AmE places the quotation marks outside. I think the AmE way is more logical.

Yoong Liat

Quotation marks

Marius Hancu

#294237 Fri, 17 Nov 06 12:03 PM

Yoong Liat wrote:
AmE places the quotation marks outside. I think the AmE way is more logical.

I don't think the same way, but I will comply.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Quotation marks

Yoong Liat

#294407 Fri, 17 Nov 06 06:06 PM

Marius Hancu wrote:
Yoong Liat wrote:
AmE places the quotation marks outside. I think the AmE way is more logical.

I don't think the same way, but I will comply.

On second thoughts, it is the other way round. AmE places the full stop inside the quotation marks.

The word is "clever."

Yoong Liat

Quotation marks

J Lewis

#294429 Fri, 17 Nov 06 07:01 PM

I beg to differ. In Yoong Liat's example, "clever" is a word quoted within the sentence, so the quotes close before the full stop. If you're quoting a complete sentence, the full stop comes within the quotes.

"I am clever."
The word is "clever".

In my opinion, if you put the full stop always inside the quotes, or always outside, you're over-simplifying the rule, whether in AmE or BrE.

J Lewis

Joined on Tue, Sep 5 2006

Italy

Regular Member (518)

Quotation marks, Quoting

Inchoateknowledge

#294448 Fri, 17 Nov 06 07:13 PM

Hi J Lewis,

"If you're quoting a complete sentence, the full stop comes within the quotes.If you're quoting a complete sentence, the full stop comes within the quotes."

Not always. Compare:

In the words of J Lewis, "If you're quoting a complete sentence, the full stop comes within the quotes.If you're quoting a complete sentence, the full stop comes within the quotes".

"If you're quoting a complete sentence, the full stop comes within the quotes.If you're quoting a complete sentence, the full stop comes within the quotes."

Inchoateknowledge

Joined on Wed, May 3 2006

Senior Member (2,515)

Quotation marks, Quoting

Grammar Geek

#294628 Sat, 18 Nov 06 04:30 AM

As Mr. M says, it's a matter of style. American style, for better for for worse (and most would agree it is often for the worse) is to ALWAYS place the period/full stop inside the quote marks.

I am the one who had never heard of an ergative verb before I came to this site, but I'm also the one who edits business writing all the time. If you want me to find all the citations in the AP Style Book, the Chicago Manual of Styles, etc., I will, but really, truly... American English puts the quote on the outside.

The word you are now thinking is "ridiculous."

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (15,288)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

American English, Quotation marks, Verbs

Anonymous

#294646 Sat, 18 Nov 06 05:54 AM

Where did everyone learn that AME style was to place the full stop inside the quotes? That simply isn't the case. If I did that on one of my college papers, it would be marked wrong.

Anonymous

Quotation marks

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