Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

Quotes and the Words That Get Us Into Them

The term "lead-in words" is used to describe the words that introduce quotes. Traditionally they are ...I said... ...did he ask... ...she replied... ...did you state... Some of the "modern" innov...
Category_MWW Blog>The Quotation Mark

Quotes and Caps

The first word of a quote is capped if it starts a grammatically complete sentence or a fragment that stands for a complete thought. It is not capped if it is a fragment. ...Q When did you leave...
Category_MWW Blog>The Quotation Mark

Question Marks and Quotes

A question came up on Facebook about a question mark inside the quote when the sentence goes on. ...When he asked, "Are you serious?" did you respond in... ...He said something like "Are you comin...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

The Answer "No"

When an attorney has asked a compound question ...Do you remember whether Ray was there?... and the response he gets is "No," there is another question to be asked. ..."No," you don't remember? ...
Category_MWW Blog>The Dash

Quotation Marks and the Dash

Whether you want the dash inside or outside quotation marks when there is an interruption is really a matter of personal preference. When the quote is interrupted, you might decide to put the dash...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

Awkward Quotes

When someone chooses to switch into quotes after the word that, you just have no choice but to use quotation marks (despite the fact that your trusty English teacher told you never to use quotes af...
Category_MWW Blog>The Quotation Mark

An Interesting Quote Question

This was a FB question: ...It is a "Don't worry. It's okay. I understand" situation... It is okay to have the periods in the middle of the quoted material that is an adjective. Commas don't work...
Category_MWW Blog>Numbers

Just Some Stuff This Morning

When someone says "quote/unquote," use a slash mark in between the words. Surround them with appropriate punctuation. Use the quote marks also. When the attorney says "okay" before he starts a que...
Category_MWW Blog>The Quotation Mark

To Quote Thoughts or Not?

When someone is "thinking" and saying aloud what that thought might be, if he is using the exact wording he would use when saying it, yes, it should be quoted. ...I said to myself, "Wow. I am in t...