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Does a full stop go before or after speech marks?

 
 
RuthA
 
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 05:41 am
If I had a sentence that said:
As someone once said "awareness is empowering."
I'm I correct to have the full stop before the inverted commas or should it be outside? I would like to know the British way please! Smile
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Type: Question • Score: 5 • Views: 17,641 • Replies: 15
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Region Philbis
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 05:44 am
@RuthA,

the period goes after the 'inverted commas'...
RuthA
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 06:13 am
@Region Philbis,
Thank you very much!
0 Replies
 
tycoon
 
  2  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 06:51 am
I don't know about British convention, but here in middle America the period would go inside the quotation marks. Also, a comma would be added after 'said', and 'awareness' would be capitalized.

As someone once said, "Awareness is empowering."
Ionus
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 07:10 am
@tycoon,
ONly in the instance where the entire sentence is in inverted commas would the full stop also be with them - at least thats what i was told - any part of a sentence using inverted commas would have the full stop outside at its very end, as stated above.
0 Replies
 
tycoon
 
  2  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 08:26 am
It does appear as though the British system would place the period outside the quotation marks. I agree it makes more sense. American convention is to place them inside, as this article explains:

Now, keep in mind that this comma and period inside the quotation marks business is strictly American usage. The British don't do it that way. They are inclined to place commas and periods logically rather than conventionally, depending on whether the punctuation belongs to the quotation or to the sentence that contains the quotation, ...

http://grammartips.homestead.com/inside.html
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Roberta
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 10:44 am
@tycoon,
tycoon wrote:

I don't know about British convention, but here in middle America the period would go inside the quotation marks. Also, a comma would be added after 'said', and 'awareness' would be capitalized.

As someone once said, "Awareness is empowering."


I totally agree with this. In the United States, periods and commas go inside the quotation marks. I also agree with the comma preceding the quote and the capital A.
roger
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 12:56 pm
@Roberta,
Well, what about this, and it's a serious question?

Did someone once say, "Awareness is empowering."?

That is, "Awareness is empowering." is a complete sentence by itself, but the entire sentence is a question.
Region Philbis
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 03:58 pm
@roger,
Quote:
Did someone once say, "Awareness is empowering."?
no period needed; the question mark ends the sentence...
roger
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 04:33 pm
@Region Philbis,
Oh. Thanks. I'm still doubtfull of the convention, but I can live with it.
plainoldme
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 05:06 pm
Canadians use the British system as well.
0 Replies
 
Roberta
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 11:39 pm
@roger,
roger wrote:

Oh. Thanks. I'm still doubtfull of the convention, but I can live with it.


Reg is right, Roger. At least according to me.

Okay, I looked it up. Reg and I are right. Here's another example from an authority:

Did you say, "I'll help you out"?
oolongteasup
 
  1  
Reply Thu 27 May, 2010 11:57 pm
@RuthA,
the british way is to lie back and think of some other apostrophe

i wonder why they call them full stops
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Fri 28 May, 2010 12:06 am
@oolongteasup,
Quote:
i wonder why they call them full stops


Because there's no more period! Wink
0 Replies
 
roger
 
  1  
Reply Fri 28 May, 2010 01:01 am
@Roberta,
I can live with it, already. I don't have to like it. Disgruntlement is still the final freedom.
0 Replies
 
RuthA
 
  1  
Reply Fri 18 Jun, 2010 04:48 am
@Roberta,
Thanks - it was just an example folks. I only wanted to know about the period, not the comma or the capital letters.
0 Replies
 
 

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