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Fri 17 Aug, 2018 06:32 pm
3On Thursday, McRaven wrote that Brennan “is one of the finest public servants I have ever known.”
“Few Americans have done more to protect this country than John,” he wrote. “He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him.”
In British English, should the full stop be outside the closing inverted commas in the first sentence in relation to the second sentence?
Thanks.
In British usage, the period would be outside the inverted comma--although what you see here is correct for American usage. Note that I said inverted comma, singular. In American usage, these are called quote marks or quotation marks, and double quote marks are used for the initial quotation, with single quote marks for an internal quote.
"You heard what John said: 'Bob is not to be trusted'."
In British usage, the inverted comma or commas are used in the opposite manner.
'You heard what John said: "Bob is not to be trusted" '.
Note that as the period is placed outside the inverted comma, a space is left between the final double inverted commas and the final inverted comma.
@Setanta,
Thanks for the detailed reply.
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