[General] RE: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

[monsterjazzlicks]

RE: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

Hi folks,

Firstly, I would like to be sure, please, of what the correct rule is for when punctuation and speech marks are a part of a sentence, or phrase, which has been placed in italics.

So, for example:

"So how do you feel about gettin' out of this damn joint and back on the outside?" Splinter asked his cellmate.

"So how do you feel about gettin' out of this damn joint and back on the outside?" Splinter asked his cellmate.​

In the former, the word 'outside' is italicised, but the question mark and closing speech mark are not.

In the latter, the word 'outside' is italicised, and so is the question mark and closing speech mark.


Secondly, if an entire sentence is placed in italics and also in speech marks, then are the speech marks and period italicised as well, please?

For example:

The cacophony kept going round and round in his head. "Ding, dang, bing, bong, ding, dang, bing, bong."

The cacophony kept going round and round in his head. "Ding, dang, bing, bong, ding, dang, bing, bong."

​

In the former, none one the text within the speech marks is italicised.

In the latter, all of the text within the speech marks is italicised, as well as the speech marks themselves.


Many thanks for any help given.

Paul

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

Hi again,

If I may tag another question on here, please:

if the entire sentence is italicised but is NOT contained within speech marks, then should any punctuation mark - at the end of the sentence - also be italicised, please?

For example:

And the wind rose and rose, and the voices of the evil howled and howled; DEATH upon you all!

​

or,

And the wind rose and rose, and the voices of the evil howled and howled; DEATH upon you all!


​

As you can see, the former has an italicised '!' while the latter does not.

Many thanks guys.

Paul

 

[Tdol]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

If the punctuation is a part of the italicised text, I would italicise it.

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

If the punctuation is a part of the italicised text, I would italicise it.

Tdol,

That's kind of what I thought but I was not certain.

Cheers,

Paul

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

That's overkill.Use either quotation marks or italics, not both.

Hi,

But what if the text is dialogue? Can you not have dialogue in italics, please?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

Some people consider it acceptable to write dialogue in italics. It is the italics that set the dialogue apart from the narrative, as quotation marks do.

If you have the dialogue in quotation marks, you can italicise words and phrases, exactly as you can in the narrative.

Thanks Piscean,

So if the dialogue (text) is to be written (throughout the story) in italics then you can omit speech marks? In other words, you can use italics as a substitute for speech marks (as long as you are consistent)?

Paul

 

[GoesStation]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

So if the dialogue (text) is to be written (throughout the story) in italics then you can omit speech marks? In other words, you can use italics as a substitute for speech marks (as long as you are consistent)?

Not in standard punctuation. Some authors adopt eccentric punctuation styles. I generally don't read more than the first page of such authors' works.

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

Not in standard punctuation. Some authors adopt eccentric punctuation styles. I generally don't read more than the first page of such authors' works.

GoesStation,

I think I will just stick to non-italicised dialogue, and place it within speech marks. At the very most, the odd word may be italicised if required. Otherwise things are going to get too complicated.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

I expect you've noticed that if your default style is to use double quotation marks, you use single ones for a quote within the quote, and vice versa.

I said 'Justin Thyme asked me "Have you seen my brother Mark recently?"'

 

[monsterjazzlicks]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

I expect you've noticed that if your default style is to use double quotation marks, you use single ones for a quote within the quote, and vice versa.

I said 'Justin Thyme asked me "Have you seen my brother Mark recently?"'

Hi Rover,

I had not crossed that bridge yet, but thanks. Gee, I would need to get my head around that first before being able to use it fluently/unconsciously.

Paul

 

[Rover_KE]

Re: Punctuation and Speech Marks in Italics (help?)

[STRIKE]unconsciously[/STRIKE] subconsciously