Re: "xxx." or "xxx".

[Kris Olberg <kjolberg -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM>]

I was never taught anything other than what the "guides" say, so in the
cases you proposed I would always opt for 1a and 2a. The guides do talk
about situations in which it is appropriate to put the punctuation outside
the quotes. The following two examples contrast usage

        Barb said, "What do you think?"

                but

        How do you define the term "think"?

The only time I would deviate from what the guides say is when the
information in quotes is literal and must be unaltered to preserve meaning,
such as in the following instruction to a reader:

        Enter "asdfge".

This removes the ambiguity that would exist for the reader if I put the
period inside the quote (that is, the reader would not have to ask: "Do I
enter the period or not?")

Remember this: You have documentation to back up your assertation that 1a
and 2a are the correct usages. Do those opposed to that style have
documentation backing up what they say? If so, make them produce it.

Regards...Kris
------------------------------
kolberg -at- actamed -dot- com
kris -at- olberg -dot- com

----------
> From: DIGEST Barbara Diorio <BarbD33 -at- AOL -dot- COM>
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: "xxx." or "xxx".
> Date: Thursday, September 18, 1997 10:27 PM
>
> Five technical writers, one office, two opinions.   When a sentence ends
with
> a word in quotation marks, do you put the punctuation (period or comma -
we
> agree on the other punctuation marks) inside the quotation marks or
outside
> the quotation marks?  The various guides that we checked all indicated
that
> 1a and 2a (below) are correct, but some of the writers swear that they
were
> taught to follow 1b and 2b.   What do you think?
>
> 1a.   "Tell me what you think," said Barb.
> 1b.   "Tell me what you think", said Barb.
>
> 2a.    Each fix is moved to the restricted area by a "gatekeeper."
> 2b.    Each fix is moved to the restricted area by a "gatekeeper".

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