http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=tag%3aQuotation+marks+tag%3aCapitalisation&tag=Quotation+marks,Capitalisation&orTags=0Search results for 'tag:Quotation marks tag:Capitalisation' matching tags 'Quotation marks' and 'Capitalisation'en-USCSMOD (Build: 3191.21962)http://www.englishforums.com/English/Punctuation/hxpl/post.htm#38703Thu, 22 Jul 2004 04:41:55 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38703miriamFrom "A Grammar of Contemporary English", by R. Quirk et al. <br /> <br />Both question and exclamation mark exclude the use of other separation punctuation and have the value of a period inasmuch as what follows begins with the capitalisation of a new sentence. But when they co-ocur with the end of quotation, they come within the quotation marks and if more of the including sentence follows, no capital letter is used. <br />'How silly she is!', he thought. <br /> <br />Vocatives are, also, usually separated from the rest of the sentence in which they ocur by commas. The reason is that, intonationally, the vocative is set off from ther est of the clause either by constituing a separate tone-unit or by forming the 'tail' or post-nuclear part of a tone-unit. This changes in intonation are reflected, in writing, by the use of commas. <br /> <br />Many things in grammar are "common", many others are "right", and others are plainly "wrong". When we make a choice, we have to be aware that our listener/reader may follow the rules considered "right", and we would certainly be at a disadvantage if we chose how to speak/write following what is "common" only. <br />Some common things are, at the same time, right. <br />Some others, quite common too, are wrong. <br />And yet others are simple accepted because most people are not sure what the right form is. <br /> <br />The decision, as usual, depends on the speaker/writer. The results will, most probably, be a direct consequence of our choices. <br /> <br />Miriam <br />