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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Speech marks and capital letters

51 replies

snice · 17/01/2011 21:17

Can you tell me which of these sentences is correct please:-

"Help me wash the dishes," said Mum, "then you can go out to play."

"Help me wash the dishes," said Mum, "Then you can go out to play."

OP posts:
Coleysworth · 17/01/2011 21:17

The first one

Original poster
snice · 17/01/2011 21:20

(1-0 to me then)

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 17/01/2011 21:23

The first one..... except it should be:

"Help me wash the dishes", said Mum, "then you can go out to play".

Grin [uber-anal pedantic emoticon] Blush
Hassled · 17/01/2011 21:23

The second.
"Help me wash the dishes" could be a complete sentence. So "Then you can go out to play" should start with a capital letter.
It couldn't be "Help me wash the dishes then you can go out to play" as a complete sentence - you'd need some sort of conjunction in there for it to be correct.
Am I right?

Coleysworth · 17/01/2011 21:26

But you'd have to have a full stop in there to warrant a capitalised 'then'.

"Help me wash the dishes, then you can go out to play."

If that's the complete sentence then the comma would go inside the first set of speech marks. Imho Wink

Original poster
snice · 17/01/2011 21:27

Ok Pacific-yours looks better with the comma outside the speech marks. I hadn't even thought of that variation!

OP posts:
Original poster
snice · 17/01/2011 21:28

Oh now I'm floundering- you all sound right. I need an informed consensus here people

OP posts:
winnybella · 17/01/2011 21:35

The first one.

Also, if they were to separate sentences, there would have to be a full stop after 'Mum'.

winnybella · 17/01/2011 21:35

two

winnybella · 17/01/2011 21:37

So basically the second one would be ok if there was a full stop after "mum'.

PacificDogwood · 17/01/2011 21:38

Mine looks better because I am right.
Grin

winnybella · 17/01/2011 21:40

Whatever Grin

As they are, the first is correct, but if you put full stop after 'Mum', the second will be correct as well.

N'est ce pas, Pacific?

stewmaker · 17/01/2011 21:41

Surely the full sentence should read

"Help me to wash the dishes, and then you can go outside to play."

Wink
Coleysworth · 17/01/2011 21:41

What is the full quoted sentence, OP?

Is it:

"Help me with the dishes, then you can go out to play."

or:

"Help me with the dishes then you can go out to play."

or:

"Help me with the dishes. Then you can go out to play."

?

winnybella · 17/01/2011 21:41

the first one and the second one, that is

PacificDogwood · 17/01/2011 21:42

I could possible concede that what you are suggesting is not entirely incorrect, winnybella Wink.

Coleysworth · 17/01/2011 21:43

ahem ahem winny

Original poster
snice · 17/01/2011 21:43

Back story to this is I helped DD with her homework and convinced her that version 1 was right. My reasoning was that the two sections in the speech marks are two parts of the same sentence.

Homework was returned corrected as per version 2 with the added comment

Remember a capital letter ALWAYS comes after "

OP posts:
Original poster
snice · 17/01/2011 21:46

The homework was to put the correct punctuation into the following sentence:

help me wash the dishes said mum then you can go out to play

OP posts:
winnybella · 17/01/2011 21:48

You talking to me, Coley?

Coleysworth · 17/01/2011 21:50

That's really annoying. There are several correct ways to punctuate that sentence. Grrr.

Original poster
snice · 17/01/2011 21:52

but the bit about ALWAYS (teacher's capitals) having a capital letter after " isn't correct is it?

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 17/01/2011 21:52

If it was stipulated that is was all one sentence then you cannot put any full stops, can you?

So, I am right, see?

You'll all be glad to hear I am now going to bed and butt out.

Coleysworth · 17/01/2011 21:54

You are right, Pacific.

The teacher is definitely wrong.

Original poster
snice · 17/01/2011 21:59

teacher isn't putting a full stop in but is claiming that there is an automatic capital letter after " in all sentences without exception.

With your input I am now ruling her to be wrong

OP posts: