Inside/Outside
President Obama and former President Bush met at Starbucks today. Bush ordered a tall black coffee. President Obama, after a double-take, decided Bush was really talking about coffee and ordered a Signature hot chocolate with extra whip cream and sprinkles.
"I'm so glad, George, that you accepted my offer", President Obama said.
"I'm glad, Mr. President"--
"Please. Call me Barack".
"Okay, Barack. I'm glad you invited me. So what's on your mind"?
"Well, I was talking to Michelle the other day, and she said to me, 'President Honey, I think it would be good, as we reach our first year, to invite the former president and his wife to dinner'."
"Well, Barack, that's a wonderful sentiment. Laura and I would love to join you and Michelle for dinner"!
"Great, George. That's what I was hoping you'd say. What shall I have the White House chef fix to eat? I thought we could eat some...".
George Bush waited, but Barack didn't finish his sentence. George thought, "He likes to eat what I like to eat;" he smiled and nodded, as if to say, "No need to go on."
Then, simultaneously, they said: "Independent voters"!
They both laughed, salivating. And they became fast friends. The end. Well, not really.
Okay. So what's this all about? No, I'm not being political. I'm writing about something much more important than politics. It's about...punctuation. That's right. Quotes, to be specific. Double and single quotes. The big question: does the quotation mark go inside or outside the terminal mark, the comma and the semi-colon? Yes, this is one of those times I'm going to try to "Educate"; I'm trying to change the world here, because it seems most people just don't know whether to put the quotation marks inside or outside the punctuation mark. Frankly, it drives me crazy. This is important stuff. When I'm reading an e-mail or the assembly instructions for a pre-fab bookcase or even a book about vegetarian-spiritualism published by a couple living on a commune in Topanga, my eyes come to a screeching halt when I see...one of those...out-of-place quotation marks. I don't know if I'm having a revelation or I'm just sick. But I feel the need to save the world from this affliction. So:
In each of the above sentences of dialogue the ending quotation mark is in the incorrect position as it relates to the terminal mark (period, question mark and exclamation point), and to the comma, semi-colon and dash. Look at them. It's just wrong!
The rule is that the ending quotation mark is outside the punctuation mark. There are a couple of exceptions, such as when the quotation mark ends a quote within two independent clauses separated by a semi-colon; then it's inside the punctuation mark. There's another exception to the "inside the quotation mark" rule, and that's when you insert words not in a quote and set off by dashes or em dashes. But let's first look at how it usually applies, which is outside:
Read each sentence:
"I'm so glad, George, that you accepted my offer", President Obama said. - Incorrect! Outside!
"I'm so glad, George, that you accepted my offer," President Obama said. - Correct
"I'm glad, Mr. President"-- Incorrect! Outside! Outside!
"I'm glad, Mr. President--" Correct
"Please. Call me Barack". - Incorrect! Out! Side!
"Please. Call me Barack." - Correct
"Okay, Barack. So what's on your mind"? - Incorrect! Oh. My. God. Outside!
"Okay, Barack. So what's on your mind?" - Correct
A quote within a quote is punctuated with single quotes. The same applies to the single quotes as for double-quotes:
"Well, I was talking to Michelle the other day, and she said to me, 'President Honey, I think it would be good, as we reach our first year, to invite the former president and his wife to dinner'." - Incorrect!
"Well, I was talking to Michelle the other day, and she said to me, 'President Honey, I think it would be good, as we reach our first year, to invite the former president and his wife to dinner.'" - Correct
"Well, Barack, that's a wonderful sentiment. Laura and I would love to join you and Michelle for dinner"! - Incorrect
"Well, Barack, that's a wonderful sentiment. Laura and I would love to join you and Michelle for dinner!" - Correct
"Okay, George. That's what I was hoping you'd say. What do you want to eat? I thought we could eat some...". - Incorrect!
"Okay, George. That's what I was hoping you'd say. What do you want to eat? I thought we could eat some...." - Correct
Here's an exception to the rule, where the quotation mark is on the inside:
George thought, "He likes to eat what I like to eat;" he smiled and nodded, as if to say, "no need to go on." - Incorrect!
George thought, "He likes to eat what I like to eat"; he smiled and nodded, as if to say, "no need to go on." - Correct
Then, simultaneously, they said: "Independent voters"! - Incorrect! For the last time!
Then, simultaneously, they said: "Independent voters!" - Correct
Here's another exception to the rule, where you insert words not in a quote and set off by dashes or em dashes:
Tom said: "Please, please remember the simple use of quotation marks"--he's having palpitations just worrying about it--"and never ask again: 'inside or outside.'"
This saving the world stuff is really getting to me. Don't try it, Barack.
"I'm so glad, George, that you accepted my offer", President Obama said.
"I'm glad, Mr. President"--
"Please. Call me Barack".
"Okay, Barack. I'm glad you invited me. So what's on your mind"?
"Well, I was talking to Michelle the other day, and she said to me, 'President Honey, I think it would be good, as we reach our first year, to invite the former president and his wife to dinner'."
"Well, Barack, that's a wonderful sentiment. Laura and I would love to join you and Michelle for dinner"!
"Great, George. That's what I was hoping you'd say. What shall I have the White House chef fix to eat? I thought we could eat some...".
George Bush waited, but Barack didn't finish his sentence. George thought, "He likes to eat what I like to eat;" he smiled and nodded, as if to say, "No need to go on."
Then, simultaneously, they said: "Independent voters"!
They both laughed, salivating. And they became fast friends. The end. Well, not really.
Okay. So what's this all about? No, I'm not being political. I'm writing about something much more important than politics. It's about...punctuation. That's right. Quotes, to be specific. Double and single quotes. The big question: does the quotation mark go inside or outside the terminal mark, the comma and the semi-colon? Yes, this is one of those times I'm going to try to "Educate"; I'm trying to change the world here, because it seems most people just don't know whether to put the quotation marks inside or outside the punctuation mark. Frankly, it drives me crazy. This is important stuff. When I'm reading an e-mail or the assembly instructions for a pre-fab bookcase or even a book about vegetarian-spiritualism published by a couple living on a commune in Topanga, my eyes come to a screeching halt when I see...one of those...out-of-place quotation marks. I don't know if I'm having a revelation or I'm just sick. But I feel the need to save the world from this affliction. So:
In each of the above sentences of dialogue the ending quotation mark is in the incorrect position as it relates to the terminal mark (period, question mark and exclamation point), and to the comma, semi-colon and dash. Look at them. It's just wrong!
The rule is that the ending quotation mark is outside the punctuation mark. There are a couple of exceptions, such as when the quotation mark ends a quote within two independent clauses separated by a semi-colon; then it's inside the punctuation mark. There's another exception to the "inside the quotation mark" rule, and that's when you insert words not in a quote and set off by dashes or em dashes. But let's first look at how it usually applies, which is outside:
Read each sentence:
"I'm so glad, George, that you accepted my offer", President Obama said. - Incorrect! Outside!
"I'm so glad, George, that you accepted my offer," President Obama said. - Correct
"I'm glad, Mr. President"-- Incorrect! Outside! Outside!
"I'm glad, Mr. President--" Correct
"Please. Call me Barack". - Incorrect! Out! Side!
"Please. Call me Barack." - Correct
"Okay, Barack. So what's on your mind"? - Incorrect! Oh. My. God. Outside!
"Okay, Barack. So what's on your mind?" - Correct
A quote within a quote is punctuated with single quotes. The same applies to the single quotes as for double-quotes:
"Well, I was talking to Michelle the other day, and she said to me, 'President Honey, I think it would be good, as we reach our first year, to invite the former president and his wife to dinner'." - Incorrect!
"Well, I was talking to Michelle the other day, and she said to me, 'President Honey, I think it would be good, as we reach our first year, to invite the former president and his wife to dinner.'" - Correct
"Well, Barack, that's a wonderful sentiment. Laura and I would love to join you and Michelle for dinner"! - Incorrect
"Well, Barack, that's a wonderful sentiment. Laura and I would love to join you and Michelle for dinner!" - Correct
"Okay, George. That's what I was hoping you'd say. What do you want to eat? I thought we could eat some...". - Incorrect!
"Okay, George. That's what I was hoping you'd say. What do you want to eat? I thought we could eat some...." - Correct
Here's an exception to the rule, where the quotation mark is on the inside:
George thought, "He likes to eat what I like to eat;" he smiled and nodded, as if to say, "no need to go on." - Incorrect!
George thought, "He likes to eat what I like to eat"; he smiled and nodded, as if to say, "no need to go on." - Correct
Then, simultaneously, they said: "Independent voters"! - Incorrect! For the last time!
Then, simultaneously, they said: "Independent voters!" - Correct
Here's another exception to the rule, where you insert words not in a quote and set off by dashes or em dashes:
Tom said: "Please, please remember the simple use of quotation marks"--he's having palpitations just worrying about it--"and never ask again: 'inside or outside.'"
This saving the world stuff is really getting to me. Don't try it, Barack.
Posted by Tom Eubanks at 12/26/2009 11:03 AM 
Categories: Writing Services
Tags: Punctuation and Grammar
Categories: Writing Services
Tags: Punctuation and Grammar
Good stuff. Just had this conversation a week or so ago with a "friend. " Had to do it! Explains it well. Thanks.
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Cool, someone else tellin' me how to write. As I was sayin' to someone just the other night, "Sure wish I knew the rule of quotes once and for all." !
Just put your blog in my reader. Sweet.
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Another matter, Tom:
Your specifics all referred to "quotes". Note that I have used quotation marks here to indicate (perhaps) an alternate meaning for the word, not a reference to a spoken phrase. Your blanket rules do not cover this case, or do you contend that they do?
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First, in your comment you wrote Your specifics all referred to "quotes". The period should've been inside the quotation mark...Mark. The rules cover the alternate meaning for a word as long as it comes at the end of a sentence, phrase or clause where there is a period, comma, dash, em dash, question mark, exclamation point, semi-colon or colon. Suppose you wrote, The song was not "classic," it was just old. The rule still applies. If, however, there was no other punctuation, as in I considered the record to be a "classic" collection of songs, then you wouldn't need to even think about inside or outside. It's only when other punctuation comes into play that you have to consider where the quotation mark is to be placed.
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I received a decent education in English grammar when I was young, and I try to write properly. For a long time I noticed when others had bad grammar.
Now, I just wish they would press the 'spell check' button before committing their typing to paper or email, regardless of grammar.
For those who listen to podcasts, look up the series 'Grammar Girl', where each episode highlights grammar problems.
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