American punctuation and emphasis

[Barb_D]

momule, could you please state your references for this?

[momule]

momule, could you please state your references for this?

Barb -

I promise not to ignore this request. This evening and tomorrow I have to finish a paper of my own and grade some but I will be back to this ASAP. I never claim to be 100% right all the time, but I do really enjoy the discussion and am pleased to have found this site.

Is there one particular part of my comments that you take special exception to? Thanks for your reply and challenge to do a bit of research.

Pat

[Barb_D]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

Specifically, I question your suggestions that you end with a period after the quotation marks in the US, that a period quote period ( .".) is ever correct, and saying that you cannot end with a quotation mark. Those are all completely in violation with the punctuation rules of every American style guide I know. (Caveat: I don't use APA or MLA.)

Purdue OWL Search Page
Put commas and periods within quotation marks, except when a parenthetical reference follows.

He said, "I may forget your name, but I never forget a face."
History is stained with blood spilled in the name of "civilization."
Mullen, criticizing the apparent inaction, writes, "Donahue's policy was to do nothing" (24).

Quotation Marks: Where Do the Periods and Commas Go--And Why?
When it comes to commas and periods, though, logic doesn't enter into the equation, at least not in the United States. Universal American usage places commas and periods inside the quotation marks, regardless of logic.
~"Diane," she said, "put the book down and go outside for a little while."
~"I will in a minute," she replied, "as soon as I finish this chapter."
This rule applies even when the unit enclosed at the end of the sentence is just a single word rather than an actual quotation:
~To get to the next page, just press the little button marked "Enter."

AP Stylebook: The period or comma always goes within the quotation marks.

[MiaCulpa]

I believe that the use of single quotes within a sentence is a practice that is more reflective of speech patterns, used for clarification, or for emphasis, than of formal English usage. I have not seen a single reference where there is a double quotation mark at the end of a sentence with the period also being within the double quotes unless the quotation is a full sentence in itself and part of a larger sentence. In this case the sentence would read per this example:

Mr. Jones, a friend of mine, always says, "Do your own work, please.".

This may look awkward, but it is correct. An Am. English sentence must end with one of these punctuation marks: a period, an exclamation point, or a question mark. At no time are single or double quotation marks acceptable as final punctuation marks at the end of a sentence.


While I recognize that the original poster is looking for documentation and not opinion in this matter, the fact is that the Am. English language is in a state of constant flux which allows for some degree of artistic license when using it. APA and MLA formatting are designed not as guides for correct English usage, but rather as accepted guides for the use of reference material in formal writing. Even masters at those formatting styles admit that there may be several accepted ways of doing the same thing within the same format.

Hmm. I'm curious. In which branch of academia have you done your studies? Perhaps this rule of punctuation endings for sentences is stylistically peculiar to your area? In current American literature, double quotation marks ending dialogue sentences are the standard.