Search results for 'tag:Paragraphs tag:Question marks' matching tags 'Paragraphs' and 'Question marks'

Re: Punctuation within quotes?

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:06:53 GMT

These punctuation marks (the British call them inverted commas) come in two forms, double and single. The double quotation marks (opening â and closing â) are used to enclose the words of a direct quotation: She said, âIâll never see you again.â (They are never used in indirect quotation: She said sheâd never see him again.) They are also used to enclose words or phrases quoted from others or words that may be slang or that are in some other way being used peculiarly: The speaker tried to put a favorable âspinâ on his denial. The âpacification planâ was in fact simply a euphemism for a bloody conquest. But be sparing: most editors discourage the use of such quotation marks for effect rather than for a substantive reason, and overuse of these marks in any writing is affected.	1
Convention also calls for double quotation marks around the titles of short stories, short poems, short musical compositions, and the names of plays, chapters in books, and radio and television programs: Frostâs âThe Road Not Taken,â âEye Witness News.â (Titles of longer works usually require italics instead, and sometimes the decision is arbitrary or simply conventional: books of the Bible, for example, are almost always italicized rather than placed in quotation marks, and the same is true of the titles of Shakespeareâs plays.)	2
A key problem with quotation marks is which other marks of punctuation go inside the closing quotation mark(s) and which belong outside. In the United States, most stylebooks and most editors follow these rules: periods and commas belong inside, colons and semicolons outside. Other marksâquestion mark, dash, and exclamation point, for exampleâgo inside when they belong with the quoted material, outside when they belong to the main sentence. British editorial conventions differ.	3
When quoting a long passage of two or more paragraphs, the usual procedure in written American English is to use no quotation marks and instead to set off the entire passage of quoted matter by indenting it. If you decide to use quotation marks instead, however, the usual procedure is to begin each paragraph of the long quotation with quotation marks but to use a closing quotation mark only at the end of the final sentence in the quoted passage. In any event, use only one of these methods with any given quotation. See also POETRY.	4
British publishers frequently use single quotation marks (opening â and closing â) where Americans use double quotation marks. In American writing, however, single quotation marks are restricted mainly to enclosing a quotation within a quotation: The dealer said, âIâm sorry, I thought you said âI pass.ââ Note that a period goes inside both final quotation marks when the two quotations end together.

Re: Diary passage

Mr Wordy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:04:39 GMT

Cute572
I want to know why we don't use question mark in such context you have explained. I have seen this type before but i don't know the exact reason for usage.

"I was confused about what to write" (for example) is not a question, it's a statement. It therefore does not need a question mark. A sentence that is a question usually starts with one of the words What, Who, Why, Where, When, How, Which, Whose, or with the verb and the subject round the other way (for example, Am I happy?, rather than I am happy). (This isn't intended to be a complete list of ways to ask a question.)

When I got in to (the) 2^nd grade, my father bought me a beautiful diary. I loved its pink colored pages and in some way it encouraged me to write something special on in it. ... I go [If you're talking about your present situation then "go" is fine. If you're describing what happened in the past then you should use "went", but you'll have to change some of the other verbs too] to school and study usually ["Usually" here is not wrong, but I suspect it's not quite what you are trying to say], but I canât write school notes on in it. I have a good life. ... ["good life" is OK, but has a completely different meaning to what you had before. Rather than choosing words randomly, it might be better to decide which idea you want to express, and then try to find the correct words to express it.]

Cute572
After this sentence we would continue same paragraph or start with the new line? As after dialogs new paragraph begin but since it is the same speaker (me) what will we do here?

There is no need to start a new line here (it's not a dialogue). If you think it's a good place to start a new paragraph then you can, but it's not mandatory.

Re: Diary passage

Cute572 — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:39:53 GMT

Thank you Mr. Wordy

I want to know why we don't use question mark in such context you have explained. I have seen this type before but i don't know the exact reason for usage.

When I got in 2^nd grade, my father bought me a beautiful diary. I loved its pink colored pages and in someway it encouraged me to write some thing special on it. ... I go [should we applied went] to school and study usually, but I canât write school notes on it. I have a good life. ...

i try to correct them, see if it works

"What else is important to me?", I often say to myself.

After this sentence we would continue same paragraph or start with the new line? As after dialogs new paragraph begin but since it is the same speaker (me) what will we do here?

Thanks again !

Re: Parenthetically challenged.

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:09:55 GMT

I came across this post in searching for an answer to my similar question.

Do I understand correctly that even if the entire sentence in parenthesis is the final sentence of a paragraph, page or chapter of a book, there is no need for additional punctuation outside the parenthesis?

It looks so incomplete, and yet I'm working with a writer who is wedded to her parenthesis which are frequently complete sentences ending with exclamation or question marks.

Thanks for any advice.

Bronwyn Robertson

Re: Punctuation within quotes?

rvw — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 00:14:57 GMT

To me, the rules regarding punctuation around quotation marks are not always logical. To 'remember' them, I extracted the following from Webster's Third New International Dictionary:

13.1 Direct quotations: "When I am dead," said one of the keenest minds, "lay a sword on my coffin."

13.2 In long quotations, left-hand marks are placed at the beginning of every paragraph, as well as at the end of the selection.

13.3 Quotation marks are usually not used when the quoted matter is set in smaller type or in paragraphs indented on both sides.

13.4 Single quotation marks enclose a quotation within a quotation. The witness said, "I heard him say, 'Don't be late'; then I heard the door close."

13.5 Quotation marks enclose titles of short poems, paintings, lectures, articles, and parts or chapters of books. (Titles of whole books, periodicals, and newspapers are usually italicized in context.)

13.5.1 In American usage printers usually place a period or comma inside closing quotation marks whether it belongs logically to the quoted matter or to the whole sentence or context.... But when a logical or exact distinction is desired in specialized work in which clarity is more important than usual (as in this dictionary), a period or comma can be placed outside quotation marks when it belongs not in the quoted matter but to a larger unit containing the quoted matter. The package is labeled "Handle with Care".

13.5.2 Only one other mark accompanies closing quotation marks, whether the quotation and the whole sentence or context call for the same mark or for different marks. We shouted, "Where do you think you're going?" Why did you bellow, "Get out of here!"

13.5.3 A colon or semicolon is usually placed outside of quotation marks. "Fame is proof that people are gullible"; with this quotation, he retired in silence.

13.5.4 A colon or semicolon is sometimes placed inside the quotation marks when it belongs inseparably to the quotation. However, a terminal colon or semicolon of quoted matter incorporated in a sentence usually gives place to appropriate end punctuation. "Sirs:" is a salutation....

13.5.5 A question mark or exclamation point is usually placed inside or outside the quotation marks according to whether it belongs to the quoted matter or to the whole sentence or clause that includes the quotation. Can you forget his angry exit after he shouted "Include me out"? "And what do you think of this new novel?" his friend asked.

13.6 Quotation marks, often single quotation marks, sometimes enclose technical terms unfamiliar to the reader; words used in an unusual sense; and coined word, trade or shop jargon, or slang for which the writer implies a slight apology. An "em" is a unit of measure used in printing. He is "goofy" according to their lingo. 'Strangeness' is a property of elementary particles.

Re: Another Punctuation Question

Mister Micawber — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 07:24:28 GMT

And how about this, from the second paragraph of the 'Eats Shoots etc' excerpt?--

Cruelty to punctuation is quite unlegislated: you can get away with pulling the legs off semicolons; shrivelling question marks on the garden path under a powerful magnifying glass; you name it.

Shouldn't those semicolons be commas? I haven't time at the moment to read more of her excerpt, but thanks for pulling it up, MH-- I've been meaning to take a look at that book for a long time now, and will get back to this site soon.

Re: High blood pressure I- Search Paper/ To Mountainhiker

anon1 — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 23:06:39 GMT

Hi Daniel,

You need to review your spelling. It is very poor. MS Word or a similar program should catch many of the errors.

You have to understand the correct verbs to use.

We have...
I have...
My family has...
He has...

Looking at and revising your first paragraph...

There are many diseases that affect people ranging from mild, such as the common cold, and to serious, such as high blood pressure. Because my family HAS a history of high blood pressure, I knOW that I have a high probability of getting it. I wanted know how to protect myself against high blood pressure. Therefore, I decided that high blood PRESSURE would the perfect topic for me to search. As I began my I-Search paper I was shocked to know that it is called the "Silent Killer." But the more I searchED, THE MORE I UNDERSTOOD why it has that name.

I am not sure that the common cold is a disease.

Even this revised paragraph leaves a lot to be desired.

Because my mother is afflicted with the high blood pressure, also known as the silent killer, I decided to learn more about this ugly and deadly disease and to share my knowledge with you [in this essay.] --> you can omit the last three words if you wish.

There, that's it. That would be my entire opening paragraph. From there I would go on and write my essay.

1.Do you follow youre doctor's advice"
2.Do you exercise?
3. What type diet do you eat?
4.Do you have a healthy weight
5.How would you describe high blood pressure
6.Do you pray
7. What are some ways that yo help your children under stand high blood pressure
8. What are your children chances of getting high blood pressure.

Are those all questions? If so, why do some have question marks and others not?

In your essay, you are story telling. Once upon a time...and they all lived happily ever after. The End.

I would shift your focus to information sharing. Rather than having your 8 questions in the middle of your essay, I would simply encompass the results in your essay.

As you can see, there is lots of room for improvement.

If nothing else, make sure your spelling is correct. And make sure your verbs and nouns agree.

Good luck.

MountainHiker

Re: Parenthetically challenged.

taiwandave — Thu, 10 Jun 2004 16:59:47 GMT

Sorry for the delay -- I wanted to check first with a real editor to get an authoritative answer.

He used a gerund in his last sentence (whatever that is!).

In the above sentence, the full stop is definitely needed after the right parenthesis. The parenthetical information is part of the sentence, and is treated the same way regardless of whether it happens to be terminated with a question mark or an exclamation mark.

(Blue should never be used as the primary colour in compositions.)

If a full sentence is parenthesized, the period, as shown above, is placed inside. The purpose of parentheses is to exclude extraneous or interrupting material from a sentence or paragraph. There is nothing wrong with parenthesizing an entire sentence.

So, there you have it.

The Punctuation FAQ

rommie — Tue, 17 Feb 2004 20:56:49 GMT

The (incomplete) Punctuation FAQ

Hopefully this will grow in time, as other questions are asked and answered, and other people add to this.
Hopefully (!) some kind moderator or adminstrator will mark this thread as sticky.

INTRODUCTION
In grammar, the rules are forged in a delicate balance between history and culture. History defines the formal rules, culture defines the usage rules, and most of the English-speaking world resides somewhere between the two. You can make a new usage rule merely by inventing it and using it, but the only way to make a new formal rule is wait for a very long time - these rules do change, but they change slowly.

Punctuation rules, on the other hand, change much, much faster. These rules are set by publishers, newspapers, and so on, and so can vary from publisher to publisher, let alone from country to country. For example, the Sunday Times prints "the home secretary", wheras the Times prints "the Home Secretary". Who is right? Well, there are the people who effectively set the rules, so perhaps the question is moot.

I am personally inclined to the view that punctuation doesn't matter much, largely because of the reasons stated above, but also because punctuation is an artifact of writing. Our language had beauty, structure, and the logic of real grammar, long before anyone ever dreamed of writing it down. However, punctuation rules do exist in practice, and people keep asking for them (so these really ARE frequently asked questions), so, here goes with what I've been able to look up.

The sources for this information are the Oxford Language Reference (British) and the Harbrace College Handbook, Ninth Edition (American). Both are accepted reference standards.

Rommie

TRUE GRAY AREAS

These can't really be called "rules", because disagreement exists among the rulemakers. These are the areas in which you must make up your own mind.

CAPITALIZATION
The fixed rules are that sentences and proper nouns are must be capitalized. Beyond that, you pretty much have to decide for yourself. Some people think that words derived from proper nouns should be captialized (like "Boolean" or "Pasteurized" / "boolean" or "pasteurized"), others disagree, arguing that there is no such thing as a "proper adjective". Some people think that abbreviations which are pronouncable should be treated as ordinary vocabulary words and therefore lowercased, others disagree ("ufo", "Nato", etc. versus "UFO", "NATO", etc.). The capitalization of book and film titles is a total free-for-all. You can capitalize pretty much any word you want.

RULES COMMON TO BOTH BRITAIN AND AMERICA

APOSTROPHE-S
In general, plurals are formed with an -s (no apostrophe), and possessive case is formed with an -'s (apostrophe-s). However, there are exceptions to this rule, as follows:
1. The pronoun "its" (possessive case of it) requires no apostrophe. The entirely separate word "it's" is short for "it is".
2. It is CORRECT to write: "My name contains two m's" (with an apostrophe) - basically because, without it, the sentence wouldn't read correctly.

BRACKETS
Round brackets () enclose a relatively unimportant piece of information.
Square brackets [] enclose an explanation by someone other than the author/speaker of the surrounding text.
Punctuation marks that refer only to the parenthetical material go inside the parentheses.
Punctuation marks that refer to non-parenthetical material go outside.

HOW TO SEPARATE CLAUSES
A comma is used to separate the main clauses of a compound sentence, and to separate words and phrases which do not belong together. A comma is not "powerful" enough to completely separate clauses on its own, however - you need a conjunction as well.
A semicolon unites clauses which are of similar importance and closely related.
A colon separates clauses when there is a step forward, for instance from introduction to main point. It is also used to introduce a list. Sentences, and even paragraphs, may end in colon.

QUOTES
If a quotation contains the end of a sentence (and would normally require a period), but is not itself the end of a sentence, use a comma instead of a full stop.

Question marks and exclamation marks go within quotes if they refer to the quoted material only; place them outside when they apply to the whole sentence.

You are supposed to use a comma before quotes, like this:
He said, 'hello.'
In practice, this is often dropped if the quoted material is not at least one whole clause.

RULES UNIQUE TO BRITAIN

QUOTED MATERIAL
Quoted material is enclosed in single quote marks: 'like this'
Alternate quote marks when nesting, as in: he said 'she said "they said 'I said "hello"'"'.

In Britain, the following is correct. Observe the placement of the first comma. This would be incorrect in America;
'That', he said, 'is nonsense.'
The comma goes outside the closing quote - IF the contatenated quote wouldn't contain it. (In other words, he said 'That is nonsense', not 'That, is nonsense'.)

In Britain, actual quotations (extracts from literary works, etc.,) should be quoted exactly, including punctionation, so, if there was no comma in the original, there should also be no comma in the copy. If the sentence demands one, it must go outside the quotes.

RULES UNIQUE TO AMERICA

QUOTED MATERIAL
Quoted material is enclosed in double quote marks: "like this"
Alternate quote marks when nesting, as in: he said "she said 'they said "I said 'hello'"'".

Periods and commas go inside the quotation marks. Colons and semicolons go outside the quotation marks.