Comments on: Punctuation Errors: Multiple Punctuation Marks

By: marilyn

marilyn — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:35:19 +0000

When expressing somthing people might think or say, do you punctuate it in the following manner – with the comma after “think”?
Consider the following:
When people hear about the source thing, they think, “Oh, he means God.”

By: PreciseEdit

PreciseEdit — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:39:18 +0000

Geoff: None of these is correct, though the comma and colon used in sample B and C are both correct.

“Why is none of these correct?” you ask.

Answer: “Please [comma here] may I be excused?”

By: Alice

Alice — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:59:08 +0000

“This is a very simple rule, but the horde of over-emotional teens coming from MySpace and similar calls for a reminder.”

Minus the MySpace, I probably fit this very well. Some of my less formal work contains too much punctuation. Nothing like ten exclamation points or anything, but still too much.

What can I say? Force of habit. I usually go through and weed out errors like this in the revision, though. I’m actually starting to break myself of the habit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That last sentence may be a bit of an exaggeration.

By: cutelilsk8rgramma

cutelilsk8rgramma — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:03:05 +0000

oops. my italics went haywire. it’s meant to read:

I want to present the book titled There and Back Again!

If you’ll look in printed works, I’m sure you’ll note that there is never, ever double punctuation (!”. for example) used.

By: cutelilsk8rgramma

cutelilsk8rgramma — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:01:29 +0000

@ Daniel I want to present the book titled “There and Back Again!”.

This is incorrect. I believe the correct way to punctuate would be: I want to present the book titled There and Back Again!

And this is the correct punctuation: b. The student stood up and said, “Please may I be excused?”