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Subject:Re: Punctuation/Quotes -Reply From:"Virginia L. Krenn" <asdxvlk -at- OKWAY -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU> Date:Fri, 12 Jan 1996 10:28:50 -0600
Bill Sullivan wrote:
> George Allaman writes:
>> I vividly remember, when dinosaurs ruled the earth, being taught never
>> to include punctuation that ends a sentence in quotes of a phrase, and
>> although I have adapted, it has never felt right. Example:
>> "No," she said, "I hate punctuation." (Correct and okay by me)
>> She thinks he's a "flash in the pan." (Apparently correct but I hate
>> it)
>> I would like it to be: She thinks he's a "flash in the pan".
>> The "correct" version is illogical to me. The period marks the end of
>> the sentence, not the quoted phrase (or word, in this case). Not that
>> language was ever logical. Does anybody agree?
> What's wrong is that you are using good honest quotation marks either
> for emphasis or out of some discomfort with the phrase. This is like a
> homeless person using a shopping cart for a suitcase.
You seem to be making the assumption that George's example sentence does
not include a direct quote. I believe that it does.
