Spanish-English Comparative Punctuation
Lesson 4: Quotations, Part 4
Quotation Marks with Question Mark or Exclamation Point
First, determine whether it is the quotation or the whole sentence that is a question or an exclamation.
1. The quotation is a question or exclamation.
“Why did you do that?” asked Jordan.
NOTE: There is no comma after the quotation. The question mark takes its place.
She said, “Oh, no!”
NOTE: There is no final period for the sentence. The exclamation point is sufficient.
“Why,” asked Jordan, “did you do that?”
NOTE: When the quotation is split in the middle of a sentence, use commas as usual. Do not capitalize the first word when the quotation begins again.
2. The whole sentence is a question or exclamation.
Is it wrong to say, “I ain’t going”?
NOTE: No period at the end of the quotation, even though it is a complete sentence.
It took guts to say, “I won’t do it”!
3. The quotation is an exclamation; the whole sentence is a question (or vice versa).
Did he just shout, “I love you!”?
4. The quotation and the whole sentence are both questions.
REWRITE!
Did he just say, **“Do you love me?”?** (Don’t do this!)
One possible solution: I think he just said, “Do you love me?” Is that right?
First, determine whether it is the quotation or the whole sentence that is a question or an exclamation.
1. The quotation is a question or exclamation.
“Why did you do that?” asked Jordan.
NOTE: There is no comma after the quotation. The question mark takes its place.
She said, “Oh, no!”
NOTE: There is no final period for the sentence. The exclamation point is sufficient.
“Why,” asked Jordan, “did you do that?”
NOTE: When the quotation is split in the middle of a sentence, use commas as usual. Do not capitalize the first word when the quotation begins again.
2. The whole sentence is a question or exclamation.
Is it wrong to say, “I ain’t going”?
NOTE: No period at the end of the quotation, even though it is a complete sentence.
It took guts to say, “I won’t do it”!
3. The quotation is an exclamation; the whole sentence is a question (or vice versa).
Did he just shout, “I love you!”?
4. The quotation and the whole sentence are both questions.
REWRITE!
Did he just say, **“Do you love me?”?** (Don’t do this!)
One possible solution: I think he just said, “Do you love me?” Is that right?
Spanish-English Comparative Punctuation
Lesson 5: Quotations, Part 5
Quotations within Quotations
In American English, use double quotation marks [“xxx”] for the main quotation and singles [‘xxx’] for the internal quotation.
“What did she say?” asked Tony.
Mark replied, “She said, ‘Oh, no!’”
If any part of the sentence (whole sentence, main quotation, internal quotation) is a question or an exclamation, follow the same principles you learned in lesson 4 to determine where to place the question mark or exclamation point.
Joni asked, “Did she really say, ‘oh, no!’?”
If more than one part of the sentence is a question or an exclamation, consider rewriting.
In American English, use double quotation marks [“xxx”] for the main quotation and singles [‘xxx’] for the internal quotation.
“What did she say?” asked Tony.
Mark replied, “She said, ‘Oh, no!’”
If any part of the sentence (whole sentence, main quotation, internal quotation) is a question or an exclamation, follow the same principles you learned in lesson 4 to determine where to place the question mark or exclamation point.
Joni asked, “Did she really say, ‘oh, no!’?”
If more than one part of the sentence is a question or an exclamation, consider rewriting.
Spanish-English Comparative Punctuation
Lesson 6: Quotations, Part 6 (of 6)
Academic quotations
In scholarly works, it is permissible to use a colon to introduce a quotation. Shorter quotations are included within the text, using quotation marks; longer ones are set off (indented) from BOTH margins and no quotation marks are used. Use a style guide to determine how long a quotation needs to be to be treated as an excerpt or block quotation. If you do not have a style guide, assume that any quotation longer than three lines should be set off.
In the text:
In his monumental work, Metahistory, Hayden White writes: “Blah blah blah of the blah blahers said that blah blah blah blah and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.” However, we disagree because yadda yadda yadda.
Set off as an excerpt:
In his monumental work , Metahistory, Hayden White refers to blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah . He states categorically:
When we tell a story, we blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Notice that we do NOT use quotation marks with the excerpt style! Also notice that the text is indented from BOTH margins.
In scholarly works, it is permissible to use a colon to introduce a quotation. Shorter quotations are included within the text, using quotation marks; longer ones are set off (indented) from BOTH margins and no quotation marks are used. Use a style guide to determine how long a quotation needs to be to be treated as an excerpt or block quotation. If you do not have a style guide, assume that any quotation longer than three lines should be set off.
In the text:
In his monumental work, Metahistory, Hayden White writes: “Blah blah blah of the blah blahers said that blah blah blah blah and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.” However, we disagree because yadda yadda yadda.
Set off as an excerpt:
In his monumental work , Metahistory, Hayden White refers to blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah . He states categorically:
When we tell a story, we blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Notice that we do NOT use quotation marks with the excerpt style! Also notice that the text is indented from BOTH margins.