SmithWriting Blog

That’s right, readers. Nevermore shall you struggle with the proper use of quotation marks. Thanks to these easy tips, you’ll get them right every time.

 Use quotation marks around any form of direct speech.
“Another thing I’d like to see explained is how you punctuate quotations,” wrote Friar.
“We, too, could use a lesson in quotation marks,” added Tess and Decker.

Use quotation marks around excerpts from text.
According Steph’s new venture, EditQuest.com, “In every great fantasy story, there is a hero. And there is a guide.”

Put quotation marks around titles of books, poems, TV shows, computer games, movies, plays, songs, and works of art.
One of Amy’s favorite books is “Memory and Dream” by Charles de Lint.
Brett, however, prefers to read from the “Hávamál.”

Use quotes to break up a sentence—just make sure the sentence flows well with the attribution in the middle.
“I’ve given up shampoo,” explains Urban Panther. “And I look fabulous.”

For quotes within quotes, use single quotation marks.
According to Lori, “You should read ‘Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies.’”

As to placement of punctuation marks in relation to quotation marks, the rule is pretty straightforward: Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks. Question marks and exclamation points usually go outside the marks, but go inside when they are part of the quoted material.
Karen’s personal mantra is “I’m still standing! I’m still strong!”
Did Melissa just say, “I really love quotation marks”?
Beth simply asked, “Who doesn’t?”

Filed by rebecca at 8:30 pm under Grammar guide
21 Comments

Hooray! Today is one of my favorite days of the year: National Punctuation Day®.

Founded in 2004 by former newspaperman Jeff Rubin, this annual event exists to draw attention to the importance of proper punctuation—from the ampersand to the slash.

I’ll be observing this “holiday” by copyediting. With my red pen in hand and my trusty stylebook by my side, I’ll be closing open quotation marks, removing colons after verbs, and adding commas around nonessential phrases with great enthusiasm. What a way to celebrate!

For a refresher on the proper use of punctuation, please check out my previous posts:

• Where’s the semicolon love?
• Put it in parentheses (please)
• The colon: an unappreciated mark with an unfortunate name
• Read this post about exclamation points!
• Save the apostrophes!
• Delete the caps lock key

Filed by rebecca at 6:24 am under Grammar guide
14 Comments

Recently, my father—a self-proclaimed “old dog”—brought to my attention something that was troubling him in the world of words.

An avid learner and Internet surfer, Dad is a big fan of Wikipedia for its simple, direct explanations, definitions, and pronunciations. Well, you can imagine his surprise—and frustration—when he first encountered the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) on Wikipedia.

Anything but simple and direct, the IPA is a series of signs and letters for the representation of human speech sounds. Sponsored by the International Phonetic Association, it provides a “uniform and universally understood system for transcribing the speech sounds of all languages.” The problem is it looks like Greek. That’s because a lot of it IS Greek. Or Latin. Or some crazy combination of the two.

Dad wants to know what’s wrong with the phonetic symbols we learned in elementary school. These figures, used by most American dictionaries, are relatively intuitive and familiar, whereas the IPA symbols—like ð and θ—are anything but.

Here’s an example:

 

versus

in-tər-nash-nəl  [Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary]

Which pronunciation of the word “international” do you understand better?

Proponents of the IPA would say that in today’s global world, interpretation should not depend on the reader’s dialect, and there should be an international phonetic standard in place.

An “old dog” like my dad says that he just wants to know how to pronounce a word in English without having to learn any new tricks—or Greek.

What do you say?

Filed by rebecca at 4:55 pm under For the love of words
12 Comments

As a professional copywriter and copyeditor, I know firsthand the confusion that comes with choosing between the words “lie” and “lay.” It’s not easy. So my dog, Riley, and I decided to help clarify the usage of these two words. (We’re not ones to let sleeping dogs lie.)

lie

definition: to place oneself or be in a horizontal position

• does not take a direct object
• past tense: lay
• past participle: lain
• present participle: lying

examples:

Riley lies in the grass.
Yesterday, Riley also lay in the grass.
She has lain outside for hours.
She is lying by my shade garden.

lay

definition: to put in a low or horizontal position

• takes a direct object
• past tense: laid
• past participle: laid
• present participle: laying

examples:

I lay Riley’s bone on the floor.
I laid Riley on my lap when she was a puppy.
I have laid her toys by her bed.
My husband is laying her water bowl on the lawn.

Any questions? Lay your cards on the table.

Filed by rebecca at 5:10 pm under Grammar guide
15 Comments

For all you pickthanks, thatch-gallows, and slug-a-beds out there, have I got a book for you: the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence (Digest Books, Inc.).

Originally compiled by Captain Frances Grose in 1785, this lexicon captures the bawdy side of late 18th- and early 19th-century England. Just a quick skim gives you a feel for the thievery, cheating, and debauchery that was prevalent in that society.

Here are some of my favorite entries:

Angling for farthings: Begging out of a prison window with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.

Bufe nabber: A dog stealer.

Cod’s head: A stupid fellow.

Cropsick: Sickness in the stomach, arising from drunkenness.

Dub the jigger: Open the door.

Figging law: The art of picking pockets.

Jolly nob: The head.

To milk the pigeon: To endeavour at impossibilities.

Pickthank: A tale-bearer or mischief maker.

Puff guts: A fat man.

Slug-a-bed: A drone, one that cannot rise in the morning.

Soul case: The body.

Thatch-gallows: A rogue, or man of bad character.

Woolley crown: A soft-headed fellow.

Filed by rebecca at 4:37 pm under For the love of words
21 Comments