I have a real problem with quotations in written English. I'm not sure this problem persists when writing most other languages, but I believe it to be quite a nuisance in mine:
QUOTATIONS
The period ( . ) indicates the end of a complete thought. Quotation marks ( " " ) delimit text you've taken from somewhere and inserted somewhere else. But if I'm making a list of topics and one of the the elements is "bracket," then according to proper style I have to put whatever (if any) punctuation inside the quotation marks.
If my list is:
List:
full stop
bracket
quotation marks
There might be an important reason I didn't capitalize or add punctuation to the elements in my list. However, when I mention this element, "bracket--" I have to include punctuation inside the quotation as if it were a part of where it came from. Even when it looks ridiculous, as in the previous example! I propose that punctuation outside of the quotation marks becomes standard.
I like punctuation inside the quotation marks-- its cozy. Otherwise, that comma or period might be hanging out there lonely like Macaulay Culkin at the window in Home Alone.
ReplyDeleteBesides, there isn't a standard rule on punctuation inside or outside quotation. Some people do leave it out in the cold and I think that looks terrible. At my old writing lab, one tutor suggests re-ordering the sentence so you avoid the whole dilemma.
I like to think that my commas and periods are like Nordic warriors. At the vanguard of the great emptiness that comes after a sentence, they fear no amount of abyssal cold.
ReplyDeleteBut after even more research. It turns out there are *multiple* standard rules: American, British, type-setter's, logical. Whatever.