A strange construction

[nyggus]

"Is there anyone who would agree with the following statement? - 'Human has had no impact on Nature'. "

I have always had problem with constructions as the one above. If the second sentence is short, the question mark may be put at its end. But when it is long, or even when it's a passage of two or more sentences, it'd look clumsy and even unclear, I think. So I always done it like above (so I used the dash after the question mark): is it correct? Is there any better way to do it?

Thanks,
Nyggus

[Anglika]

"Is there anyone who would agree with the following statement? - 'Human has had no impact on Nature'. " "Humans have" or "Humanity has"

I have always had problem with constructions as the one above. If the second sentence is short, the question mark may be put at its end. But when it is long, or even when it's a passage of two or more sentences, it'd look clumsy and even unclear, I think. So I always done it like above (so I used the dash after the question mark): is it correct? Is there any better way to do it?

Thanks,
Nyggus

This is back to the constant question of how to punctuate quotations. It could be phrased "Is there anyone who would agree with the following statement, 'Humanity has had no impact on Nature'?"

Others will have other views

[nyggus]

This is back to the constant question of how to punctuate quotations. It could be phrased "Is there anyone who would agree with the following statement, 'Humanity has had no impact on Nature'?"

Others will have other views

Thanks. But what if the statement to agree with is composed of two or more sentences? Would you use this construction? For example:

Is there anyone who would agree with the following statement? - "Dogs don't eat cats. Cats don't eat mouses. Mouses don't eat corn."

What about this one?

Nyggus

[Anglika]

Is there anyone who would agree with the following statements: "Dogs don't eat cats. Cats don't eat mice. Mice don't eat corn."?


The number of sentences is irrelevant if you are quoting something. The same rule applies.

If you remove the quotation marks, leaving the sentences standing on their own, then the question mark goes after "statements" and the sentences follow without any other punctuation required.

[nyggus]

Is there anyone who would agree with the following statements: "Dogs don't eat cats. Cats don't eat mice. Mice don't eat corn."?


The number of sentences is irrelevant if you are quoting something. The same rule applies.

If you remove the quotation marks, leaving the sentences standing on their own, then the question mark goes after "statements" and the sentences follow without any other punctuation required.

OK. Thanks, Anglika. When you write it, it looks so natural. When I wrote it, it looked so weird!

Cheers,
Nyggus