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Speech marks and commas homework, argh!

67 replies

amidaiwish · 29/09/2013 08:49

Homework help!!
Where would you put the comma in this sentence, in or out of the speech marks?

"I am going to the park", said Peter
Or
"I am going to the park," said Peter

Thanks!

OP posts:
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valiumredhead · 29/09/2013 09:49

Comma inside speech marks.

eddiemairswife · 29/09/2013 09:55

And a full-stop after Peter.

valiumredhead · 29/09/2013 09:58

I'm 43 and remember this being drummed into us!Grin

hopingforbest · 29/09/2013 09:58

Wikipedia has an unusually helpful entry re the difference between US/UK and Fiction/Non-fiction usage: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotation_mark

This is the sort of question that drove me nuts as a child - a question that has more than one possible answer but no space below to write your either/or explanation..

bamboostalks · 29/09/2013 10:01

Am shocked at how wrong so many people are on this thread and how sure they are in their incorrect ness! It's not like there an option or a choice. There is only one correct answer and that of course is 2, no exceptions.

amidaiwish · 29/09/2013 10:04

i am 40 and we were definitely the "skipped grammar" generation
My DDs are taught it more rigidly than we ever were.
I still have to correct dh's grammar, esp apostrophes, before he can submit any documents at work!

OP posts:
amidaiwish · 29/09/2013 10:05

it doesn't help that the grammar monkey website is wrong, it's not as black and white as it seems. Maybe UK has adopted the US way of writing.

OP posts:
Wallison · 29/09/2013 10:06

Just have a look at any book you have in the house - that will confirm that the 2nd example is correct. Punctuation is always before speech-marks.

amidaiwish · 29/09/2013 10:06

summary from grammar monster regarding use of punctuation and speech marks:

The rules governing whether to place punctuation inside or outside speech marks are complicated. The quick summary is:
Semicolons and colons – outside
Exclamation marks and question marks – according to logic
Commas and periods/full stops – inside in the US, outside in the UK.

OP posts:
CecilyP · 29/09/2013 10:09

I stand corrected; inside the speech marks is the preferred style in English fiction publishing.

tiggytape · 29/09/2013 10:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

valiumredhead · 29/09/2013 10:11

Grammar monkey is a load of bolloxGrin

Ds is a grammar whizz, he says INSIDEGrin

mrz · 29/09/2013 10:16

if the punctuation belongs to the quote inside the quotation marks, and a closing full stop/question mark/exclamation mark if the quote is a complete sentence

any punctuation which does not belong to the quote outside the quotation marks except closing punctuation.

englishteacher78 · 29/09/2013 10:30

Nope, never been the UK way to put the comma outside.

valiumredhead · 29/09/2013 10:37

m.grammarbook.com/punctuation-rules/quotation-marks.aspx

Interesting...

valiumredhead · 29/09/2013 10:38

Sorry,I think that's an American site

valiumredhead · 29/09/2013 10:41

Quotes within quotes looks a bit messy!

clam · 29/09/2013 10:45

The Americans also do not distinguish between practice and practise. And I would say in 90% of cases I see, they're used incorrectly over here.

ModeratelyObvious · 29/09/2013 10:53

Comma inside the quote marks.

teacherwith2kids · 29/09/2013 14:26

I think the generational thing is true.

I (40mumble) have had to crack the grammar books in order to be able to teach my class correctly, as a much more formal knowledge of grammar is now expected than was the norm in my 1970s schooling.

englishteacher78 · 29/09/2013 14:44

Rediscover Grammar - David Crystal
An excellent resource.

Mumzy · 29/09/2013 15:04

If you or your Dcs ever did 11+ it is a basic question

TheRoundTable · 29/09/2013 15:33

It's the second one.

Question marks used to confuse me like that though...

"May I have some sweets?", asked Peter.

Is this right or wrong?

clam · 29/09/2013 15:42

Wrong. You don't need the comma after the question mark.

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