| Quotation
Marks: Are you up to date?
Do you have trouble remembering whether to place the period
inside or outside the quotation mark?
If so, relax. The North American rules surrounding quotation
marks are now quite simple. All periods and commas go inside
the quotation marks; colons and semicolons are placed outside.
Incorrect:
Time magazine says it’s “the best ice cream in
the world”. (I learned it this way when I went to school
-- but that was back in the days of the dinosaurs.)
Correct:
Time magazine says it’s “the best ice cream in
the world.”
Correct:
Time magazine says it’s “the best ice cream in
the world,” and we plan to use the statement in our
advertising campaign.
Correct:
In the minutes, she recorded, “Paul Smithers agreed
to contribute $100,000 to the fund”; we were extremely
grateful.
Note:
I realize a number of people will be upset about this change.
But grammar is not static; it changes with the time. Please,
don't shoot the messenger! I am
supported by any
North American grammar book published within the past ten
years.
Be
careful if you proofread your kids’ homework.
Following your old rules may cause your kids grief.
One workshop participant told me her son lost five marks
when she corrected his essay and moved the periods outside
the quotation marks. It would have been okay 10 years ago
but not today.
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