Mechanics question

[Guest]

When a word is written out, what is the correct punctuation? For example:

I though everyone knew the word "fuck," until I saw the paper where is was spelled f-u-k.

Question: should a colon go after spelled or is it correct as it is?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[snooper]

When a word is written out, what is the correct punctuation? For example:

I though everyone knew the word "fuck," until I saw the paper where is was spelled f-u-k.

Question: should a colon go after spelled or is it correct as it is?

Thanks,

Steve

Not necessarily, it is a matter of personal choice there. However there is a "t" on the end of "thought", "is" should be "it", and the comma sould be outside the quote marks, so we have two possible correct versions:

I thought everyone knew the word "fuck", until I saw the paper where it was spelled f-u-k.

I thought everyone knew the word "fuck", until I saw the paper where it was spelled: f-u-k.

Then again, perhaps the comma is unnecessary and we have two more possibilities:

I thought everyone knew the word "fuck" until I saw the paper where it was spelled f-u-k.

I thought everyone knew the word "fuck" until I saw the paper where it was spelled: f-u-k.

 

[tanyachrs]

In the US, the comma is supposed to go inside the quotes, however the British convention of only putting punctuation inside the quotes when it makes sense is becoming more common in the US and I personally find it more attractive. I don't think I'd use the colon. I'd probably use quotes for the misspelling as well as the correct spelling. I might also use single quotes.

I thought everyone knew how to spell 'fuck,' until I saw it written out as 'fuk.'

I thought everyone knew how to spell 'fuck', until I saw it written out as 'fuk'.


From Wikipedia:

In American English, commas and periods (full stops) always go inside the quotation marks, single or double:

Also called “plain quotes,” they are teardrops.
Dave asked, “Did HAL say ‘Good morning,’ or did he not?”

Due to the influence of computer science (see BNF rules for describing formal languages), what is essentially (if unknowingly) the British standard has become more widely accepted in the U.S.:

Also called “plain quotes”, they are teardrops.
Dave asked, “Did HAL say ‘Good morning’, or did he not?”

 

[snooper]

From Wikipedia:

In American English, commas and periods (full stops) always go inside the quotation marks, single or double:

Also called “plain quotes,” they are teardrops.
Dave asked, “Did HAL say ‘Good morning,’ or did he not?”

Due to the influence of computer science (see BNF rules for describing formal languages), what is essentially (if unknowingly) the British standard has become more widely accepted in the U.S.:

Also called “plain quotes”, they are teardrops.
Dave asked, “Did HAL say ‘Good morning’, or did he not?”

That is interesting and, as so often, I beg to differ. I would certainly write:
Also called “plain quotes”, they are teardrops.
On the other hand I would write:
Dave asked, “Did HAL say ‘Good morning,’ or did he not?”

This is because the quotes round plain quotes indicate that the words are used in some special sense (in this case to indicate a technical phrase), where as the quotes round Good morning are indicating a genuine direct speech quotation.

 

[Guest]

mechanics

Thanks, Snooper. Sorry for the original typos! I think I like your colon best, because it is like saying, this is spelled as the following:...

Also if I want the reader to spell a given word, then think it needs to be hyphenated, for each letter to be read, rather than the mispelled word in quotes.

 

[Artik2]

What a great thread... I'm learning English and this is useful.