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Grammar for Grownups Quiz #60

American Quotation Marks or British?

Those little dots with tails attached can be illusive to someone learning the intricacies of American English grammar. I'm talking about the comma (,) and the apostrophe (') and the double dots/tails which include quotation marks (" "). Just to confuse things, sometimes the quote marks involve only one (' ').

Here's where it gets confusing: In America, we use double-quotes for spoken lines and single-quotes for quotes within quotes.

"I'm going to kiss you now," she said.
"Did you say 'kiss' or am I mistaken?" he asked.

Pay attention now! In England, writers use the opposite.

'You heard me, big boy.'
'I'm puckered, but don't call me "big boy"!'

What muddied the waters is a little book that came out several months ago and sold wildly because of its cute title (Eats Shoots and Leaves). Few realize that the text was written under British rules. Since then, the impressionable have copied some of those "rules". (Didn't we fight a war a couple hundred years ago to get rid of the British influence?) Oh yes, one more idiosyncrasy: the Brits (and Europeans) use commas instead of periods in financial matter. As in: the price is 19,95 (euros) or $19.95 (US).

Place your quotation marks where you will in these sentences:

1. When they met in the park, he said, Let's sit down and talk.

2. I don't want to talk, she answered.

3. The last time we spoke, you said just for the heck of it, but didn't mention when.

4. What I said was this: Squeeze me, but please don't tease me.

5. Oooh, she said, moving over to sit beside him. You're such a strong guy!

Click here for my answers.

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