Re: Editor on Board (TECHWR-L Digest - 4 Jul 1999 to 5 Jul 1999 (#1999-80))

[Michael S Larson <mike_l3 -at- JUNO -dot- COM>]

I've never understood the reason for/concept of having it all one way or
all the other.  If someone quotes an entire sentence:
        "I can't believe were're discussing rules for using quotes."
it doesn't seem to make sense to apply the same rule as when someone
quotes only one word:
        The use of quote marks in that case was deemed "silly".
It seems in the first case that the period is clearly part of the quoted
text while in the second it is just as clearly not part of the quoted
text.  I know that we don't apply different rules, but I don't know why.

Which leads to the question, is there a reason for the rule (or is it
entirely an arbitrary creation of the Gods of English).
(And is the use of parentheses any different?)

Mike Larson

Lisa:

I recently queried this myself with my old editing instructor. This
person is
always my absolute source as she's been editing for many years in many
genres.
Anyway, she says if you have made the stylistic desicion to put your
punctuation
inside the quotes then it is always inside the quotes, even for single
words. If
you have decided to put punctuation outside the quotes, then it's always
outside.

Barbara Hubert


Is there an editor on board?  I have a pet peeve, and I want to know if
it is based in fact or opinion.
I have often seen periods used outside of quotation marks as in the
following example:
        The girl said "Arrrgh".
This has appeared so often that I am now questioning my own understanding
of puntuation rules which, as I recall, say that periods must be placed
within the quotation marks at the end of a sentence as in this example:
        The girl said "Arrgh."
Pondering the greater questions of life in St. Louis...

Lisa Miller
Technical Writer
lisa -dot- miller -at- anheuser-busch -dot- com


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