So, in returning somewhat to my charter, I want to point out (without naming names, Jake Freivald) that one should try to pick a side and be consistent.
That is, if you want to write like a Brit, I'm sure there's room for you across the pond. But as an American communication professional, I recommend adherence to an American style guide. You don't even need to pick one style guide. I mean, I float freely among AP, Chicago, AMA, or even the corporate style guide du jour - that is, I happily flex to please my clients. And when writing fiction, I stick with Generally Accepted American English (GAAE). Yes, I made that up. And, of course, there are exceptions for accented dialogue, poetry, etc.
So, why do I bring this up? Because when you are writing in the United States, for a mostly American audience, your commas and periods belong inside the quotation marks. This is not a matter of personal preference.
"That is all."
Well, for the record, I didn't say I used that style of punctuation *because* it's British; I just noted that the British use it. :)
ReplyDeleteI use it because the punctuation isn't part of what was said by the original author, so it *shouldn't* go in the quotation marks -- regardless of our convention.
Also, as an "American communication professional", I *do* put punctuation inside the quotation marks. It's only when speaking as an American communication amateur (as now) that I choose the convention I prefer over the one that's expected of professionals. :)
So, do you have different quotation punctuation rules for different situations? Such as when you are *not* specifically quoting someone else? For example:
ReplyDeleteI would say that you are being "pretentious," but that's not quite the right word.
Comma in or out?
Or:
Some people like to use punctuation that is "British," but it's really just "wrong."
What if the punctuation *was* part of the original author's quote, such as:
Jake yelled, "I keep my professional life and my amateurish life separate!" in his response.
Now where does that exclamation point go - in or out?
I see that in your last paragraph you placed the punctuation outside the quotation mark, even though you were not quoting any "original author." So, what's up with that?
I suspect you have a very complex "amateur communications" preference system...probably far too "clever" for me to decipher.