Open Question about Punctuation

TheBig3 · 03-10-2010, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

Seems to me that if it's a quoted response, it should read like this:

Q: "What did Big3 say?"
A: "He said poor people smell." OR "Poor people smell."
The tricky one is: "Big3 said poor people smell." because it seems redundant in context with the Q... but I don't think it's correct, as a response, to write "Poor people smell, Big3 said".

The only scenario I've seen with regard for the way Tore presented it was in it's actual proper narrative form: "Poor people smell.", Big3 said.
You usually see this in any literature where the narrator is quoting. The narrator doesn't quote his narration, therefore the quotations surround only the quote, and the comma separates the quote from the narration.

That's true. but what I recall from my time in the trenches is that depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on, grammar changes with regard to quotes.

adidasss · 03-10-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

1. Why? Is she poor?

right-track · 03-10-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBig3KilledMyRainDog

That's true. but what I recall from my time in the trenches is that depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on, grammar changes with regard to quotes.

If a person is quoted then it should always be verbatim.
People don't always use correct grammar when speaking.

Freebase Dali · 03-10-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by right-track

If a person is quoted then it should always be verbatim.
People don't always use correct grammar when speaking.

That makes sense, but in this scenario, Big3 wouldn't have said "Poor people smell, Big3 said". Actually, I take that back. People refer to themselves in third-person all the time.

right-track · 03-10-2010, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

That makes sense, but in this scenario, Big3 wouldn't have said "Poor people smell, Big3 said". Actually, I take that back. People refer to themselves in third-person all the time.

Exactly. right-track does it all the time.

Anyway, what makes you assume Big3 said it?

Freebase Dali · 03-10-2010, 04:09 PM

It, all the time, right-track does?

333 · 03-10-2010, 04:53 PM

Yes, I said "Poor people smell, Big3 said." is wrong, and it is not wrong. I am. It can be written either way.

"Poor people smell, Big3 said." can be used after a dialogue and characters are already established. Also, it would mean that someone else is saying that Big3 is saying it. For example:

"I love poor people," Jane said.
"You're a crazy bitch," John said.
"I don't understand why you would say such a thing."
"Poor people smell, Big3 said."

While "Poor people smell," Big3 said. establishes that Big3 is speaking in 3rd person narrative. When I assumed the original sentence was wrong, I did not take time to think about who the speaker could be. I stand corrected.

lucifer_sam · 03-10-2010, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

Seems to me that if it's a quoted response, it should read like this:

Q: "What did Big3 say?"
A: He said; "Poor people smell." OR "Poor people smell."
The tricky one is: "Big3 said poor people smell." because it seems redundant in context with the Q... but I don't think it's correct, as a quoted response, to write "Poor people smell, Big3 said".

The only scenario I've seen with regard for the way Tore presented it was in it's actual proper narrative form: "Poor people smell.", Big3 said.
You usually see this in any literature where the narrator is quoting. The narrator doesn't quote his narration, therefore the quotations surround only the quote, and the comma separates the quote from the narration.

The two parts to the quote should be offset from each other regardless of whether it's being narrated or spoken at the time, since it's given as a direct quote (as opposed to indirect, whereupon you would use the qualifier "that"). Hence:

Big3 said, "poor people smell."
OR
"Big3 said, 'poor people smell.'"

The single and double quotes are used interchangeably to distinguish the original speaker from the narrator.

Guybrush · 03-10-2010, 05:14 PM

I didn't actually mean to use the quotation marks in any grammatically important context as I was focusing on correct use of the commas. In hindsight, I should've realized they could have caused some confusion.

I think a thing to remember is that even though you are referring to something someone has said, you don't necessarily have a quotation and so you may not have to use quotation marks.

"Poor people smell", Big3 said. This is a quotation, but imagine that Big3 had a long speech about poor people and someone else is just summarizing what his point was.

You didn't see the speech? Well, you didn't miss much. Poor people smell, Big3 said. I guess that's true.

edit :

To Right-Track, I suspect you are right about the use of the word and. In norwegian, I'm pretty sure you can omit the comma as long as you have two full sentences and use and or a select few other words with a similar purpose.

Example :

I am a man and I am over 30 years old.
I am a man, and I am over 30 years old.

I think both these are correct in norwegian although I'm not 100% sure.

VEGANGELICA · 03-12-2010, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

"The guy whose buttocks I waxed, fell in love with me."

"Boardtracker, a musicbanter tracking bot, is less boring than Erica."

Tore, the first sentence is incorrect, according to Purdue OWL, and should probably instead be, "The guy whose buttocks I waxed fell in love with me."

The second sentence (arrggh!) is grammatically correct, although for optimal effect you should probably write, "Boardtracker, a musicbanter tracking bot, is less boring than Erica, even when she attempts to type hot, steamy posts about masturbation to convert all of musicbanter's members into adoring disciples of her lingual gifts."

Quote:

Originally Posted by 333

I love grammar. Not claiming that I'm some expert. I just love writing in general.

"The guy, whose buttocks I waxed, fell in love with me." OR "The guy whose buttocks I waxed fell in love with me."
This is a tricky one for me. I didn't know if I should have taken out your comma or add another comma after 'the guy'. Can anyone help?

333, I love writing, too! This butt-sentence is also tricky for me. Since the information that the man's buttocks were waxed seems to be a very important or essential fact about the man and his reasons for falling in love, my thought is that no commas should be used.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

I am a man and I am over 30 years old.
I am a man, and I am over 30 years old.

I think both these are correct in norwegian although I'm not 100% sure.

In English, the second sentence is correct, following this rule: "Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet."

However, if you were to write, "I am a man and am over 30 years old and am a quirky, rat-loving scientist," then you would not use commas between the verbs or verb phrases that follow the single subject.

03-10-2010, 05:14 PM	#29 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I didn't actually mean to use the quotation marks in any grammatically important context as I was focusing on correct use of the commas. In hindsight, I should've realized they could have caused some confusion. I think a thing to remember is that even though you are referring to something someone has said, you don't necessarily have a quotation and so you may not have to use quotation marks. "Poor people smell", Big3 said. This is a quotation, but imagine that Big3 had a long speech about poor people and someone else is just summarizing what his point was. You didn't see the speech? Well, you didn't miss much. Poor people smell, Big3 said. I guess that's true. edit : To Right-Track, I suspect you are right about the use of the word and. In norwegian, I'm pretty sure you can omit the comma as long as you have two full sentences and use and or a select few other words with a similar purpose. Example : I am a man and I am over 30 years old. I am a man, and I am over 30 years old. I think both these are correct in norwegian although I'm not 100% sure. __________________ Something Completely Different

03-10-2010, 04:09 PM	#26 (permalink)
Freebase Dali Partying on the inside Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 5,584	It, all the time, right-track does?

03-10-2010, 04:53 PM	#27 (permalink)
333 Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 965	Yes, I said "Poor people smell, Big3 said." is wrong, and it is not wrong. I am. It can be written either way. "Poor people smell, Big3 said." can be used after a dialogue and characters are already established. Also, it would mean that someone else is saying that Big3 is saying it. For example: "I love poor people," Jane said. "You're a crazy bitch," John said. "I don't understand why you would say such a thing." "Poor people smell, Big3 said." While "Poor people smell," Big3 said. establishes that Big3 is speaking in 3rd person narrative. When I assumed the original sentence was wrong, I did not take time to think about who the speaker could be. I stand corrected.