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Subject:Colons and Quotations in Tech Manuals From:"Erb, Isis" <Isis -dot- Erb -at- globalcrossing -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 7 Jun 2001 11:59:57 -0400
Hi All,
I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this topic has been covered (I
didn't find anything in the archives addressing this issue).
My boss and I are in disagreement about how to handle this topic:
1) Traditional US grammar rules state that you should put the colon on the
outside of a direct quotation. But for a technical manual that is putting
something that the users see on their screen into quotes, should the colon
remain inside the quotation marks (assuming the colon also appears on the
screen)?
Example: The turret displays, "Enter diversion num then Save:"
2) If the colon is retained within the quotation marks, and the quotation
falls at the end of a sentence, would you use a period? If so, would you
place it inside the quotation marks or outside?
Thank you all for any help you can offer. And if you know of this being
addressed in a book, please tell me the title of the book. That would go a
long way toward convincing my boss! : )
Isis Erb
Technical Publications
Global Crossing Financial Markets
d/b/a IPC Trading Systems
PH: (203) 339-7824
Fax: (203) 339-7086
E-mail: isis -dot- erb -at- globalcrossing -dot- com
URL: www.globalcrossing.com
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