Questions tagged [quotations]
Questions about quotations, a group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated by someone other than the original author or speaker.
319
questions
1
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0answers
50 views
Use of [brackets] in quotation: altering a single letter in a direct quote
We know that brackets, [these], are used for altering or adding extra information to a direct quote. For example, from this answer:
These are used to indicate that a direct quote has been edited [or ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
How would you punctuate someone referring to themselves by a nickname? [duplicate]
Being the "family freeloader," as Tom liked to call himself, he felt as though he had no right to complain.
Should the comma come after the quotation marks, or is the current placement ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
How to use quotation marks when quoting more than one paragraphs?
When quoting on a website like Stack Exchange, we have block quotes:
like these
but if they aren't available, and I want to use "double quotation marks": "then the quote is enclosed ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
“If it were not for” and “if it had not been for”: Which is more traditional?
Some use "if it were not for" to mean both the present and the past events, while others use "if it had not been for" for the past. For the former, see Oxford and be (verb) in OALD....
0
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2answers
76 views
How to quote material that ends sections with semicolons
I haven't found an answer to this specific scenario:
"This is an example of the quoted text from the report where this section ends with a semicolon;"
That is also the end of my sentence so ...
1
vote
2answers
132 views
Grammatically wrong quote
As a researcher, I often need to quote from the previous authors. Sometimes, it happens that there are spelling mistakes in the part I want to quote. I treat this as a human error and write the ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
How to punctuate dialogue/ direct quotations?
I am a little confused on how to punctuate dialogue. Does the speaker always need to be set off by punctuation? For example, which of the following is correct.
Albert said "I like to eat cake.&...
0
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0answers
21 views
How do you punctuate a sentence with two separate quotations separated by a conjunction?
An example would be the sentence:
They were saying, "He's too young to be working so many hours," and, "He should be focusing on his schoolwork."
I would think that, because ...
19
votes
7answers
3k views
What's a positive phrase to say that I quoted something not word by word
Sometimes I quote in my writing sombody else, but I do not know the exact words the other person had used. What is a concise and positive(*) phrase to describe this? I found different options on the ...
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votes
1answer
54 views
Where the heck do I put a period in these sentences?
Hullo all,
I've been given a doozy of a job that is thick with sentences like this:
Student will demonstrate emphasizing with the feelings of another by remembering a similar past experience and ...
0
votes
0answers
45 views
Can you use square brackets to correct punctuation in quotes? [duplicate]
I know why we use square brackets in quotations. But can we also use it for changing punctuation, in order to make it fit better with the sentence?
For instance:
Original Quote: "We went to the ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Pluralizing Quotations [duplicate]
Is there a way to properly pluralize a quotation, if I must and can't just rearrange the sentence to avoid it (or do not wish to rearrange it for artistic purposes)?
Example:
We exchanged many "...
-1
votes
1answer
42 views
Can you add a comma at the end of a line to continue the quotation to the next line?
He leaned down whispering,
"Will you stay?"
0
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0answers
33 views
Literary device when famous quote altered to change meaning, and still allude to original? [duplicate]
The quote in question is one from Shakespeare's Othello, Iago says “I am not what I am” (I.i.71), it references, but alters the words of God in Exodus 3:14, “I am that/who I am”. Is there a name for ...
0
votes
2answers
190 views
Using single quotation marks for shorter quotes, and double quotation marks for longer ones?
Background
This website has had a fair share of questions on the use of single versus double quotation marks. The most popular question on this topic is a good resource on their use in American and ...
0
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0answers
23 views
Should I capitalize a word from the middle of a quote if the quote and word occur at the start of the sentence?
I was writing an essay for a school assignment, when I encountered a quote similar the following:
Nobody has encountered a black hole, because they're simply too far away to reach.
I then needed to ...
0
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0answers
37 views
Should Quotation-Ending Period Be Comma Unless Sentence Ending?
Now I'm checking Quotation Marks article by Grammarly. The article, for example, introduces
“There was a storm last night,” Paul said.
which uses a comma at the end of the quoted sentence, and
John ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
How to read a quotation with omission?
How can you read (orally) a quotation that has some parts omitted with ellipsis points?
For example, consider the following sentences:
The original sentence:
"To read a quotation with omission --...
0
votes
0answers
48 views
Punctuation of two complete quotations introduced by a colon and separated by coordinating conjunction
How would I punctuate between the two quoted sentences when they are introduced by a colon and separated by a coordinating conjunction? Here is the example sentence:
The advertisement shall include ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
What's the reason for using quotations with titles of works?
I have seen that in some styles for documenting sources quotations marks are used for the titles of short works.
What's the reason for setting this as the convention? This seems like a use-mention ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Should you include the word “the” inside a quoted/emphasized words? [closed]
I'm having a bit of trouble regarding whether to include the word "the" inside a quoted words.
For example:
None was known when the Great Cataclysm had happened on the other hand.
Should I ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
“cloud” or “cloud” - is the quotation mark same? [duplicate]
I found two different quotation marks, "cloud" and “cloud”. What's the difference between these? Should I always use "" or “”.
-2
votes
1answer
41 views
How can I attribute an entire paragraph to a source?
I need to summarize an interview for a news article across a few sentences in a single paragraph that uses a series of paraphrased remarks.
Specifically, I'm looking for examples of clean ways to make ...
0
votes
0answers
119 views
Should you use quotation marks when transcribing an interview in which the speakers are identified before each quote?
I apologize if the title is unclear, as I couldn't find a great way to phrase this.
What I'm asking is, which of the following would be correct?
Interviewer: Good morning, thank you for joining me.
...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
Giving both page number and number of definition / proposition / theorem / lemma etc [closed]
I imagine this may be an overkill, but when making references to large e.g. mathematical books, I find it helpful to have both the page number and the definition / proposition / theorem / lemma (etc.) ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
“sic” with “explicitly” (and other adverbs)
I was reading a Wikipedia article on Fermat's principle that quoted some older English text, and one bit confused me:
The principle of Fermat, although it was assumed by that mathematician on ...
0
votes
2answers
48 views
Direct speech sentences without leading “He said,”, “She said,”, etc
Note: The question at He nodded his head yes; she shook her head no does not answer this queestion because that question deals with a gesture that can be expressed fine without direct speech but in ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Should you start a new paragraph for a new speaker if both speakers are contained in the same quoted passage?
This manuscript quotes a passage from the Bible that has more than one speaker:
Job 1:6–7 says:
One day, when the angels had gathered around the Lord, and Satan was there with them, the Lord asked,...
0
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0answers
4k views
Origin of the quote “Sadness is caused by intelligence”?
In social media (1)(2)(3), I have found:
"Sadness is caused by intelligence, the more you understand certain things, the more you wish you didn't understand them."
— Charles Bukowski.
But yet ...
6
votes
1answer
2k views
Origin of the saying “God must love the poor because he made so many of them”
The saying "God must love the poor [or the common people or the plain people] because he made so many of them" falls somewhere between a proverb and a famous quotation, but its origins are rather ...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
Should I use [sic] when quoting the KJV 1611?
I am currently working on a project for my Grade 12 religion class, and it requires (surprise, surprise) Biblical quotations. I have decided to use the 1611 KJV Bible and quote verses with very ...
1
vote
2answers
87 views
How can I unambiguously differentiate between the absence or presence of a period in a quote?
For example, take the following sentence that refers to a text message:
This happened after she told me "Okay."
If the original contents of the message did include a period, it would serve a ...
0
votes
0answers
76 views
Interrupted quotation in a paragraph
Please help me with the correct usage of capitalisation in an interrupted quotation.
For example:
Alice yelled, "Get out of here."
In the above sentence, the first word under the quotes is ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Should I capitalize this?
Usually, "Yes," "No," and "Leave me alone" were the only utterances anyone could get out of me.
Should yes, no, and leave be capitalized here?
thanks
3
votes
1answer
657 views
Who originally said “A film is made/written three times”?
A movie is made three times: it’s made when it’s written, it’s made in production, and it’s made again in post.
This is a very well known saying within the film industry, essentially explaining how ...
-1
votes
2answers
631 views
Origins of “You Got This” and “Wait For It”
What are the earliest reference quotes, using the cool modern senses below, for each phrase?
”You got this":
Motivational encouragement to instill confidence to overcome some problem/foe.
...
0
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0answers
30 views
Brackets upon brackets? (Mine vs. Supreme Court Justice's)
I'm doing some homework. I am quoting from an administrative law decision. The hearing officer who wrote the decision quoted from a Supreme Court dissenting opinion, which quoted from a previous ...
2
votes
0answers
139 views
What does “Nothing is too good for him to eat.” mean?
I don't exactly know what it means. Which is the correct form below?
All are good enough for him to eat.
There is not any good thing (or food) for him to eat.
From The Forsyte Saga: The Man of ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Comma inside quotes
Is it correct to have a comma inside the quotes below for this excerpt from a story, or should it be outside?
Bob wanted to see the world and meet other people; he would watch the planes fly past ...
1
vote
0answers
25 views
How to go backwards when quoting from something?
I am trying to take a quotation from a book (The Awakening if you're interested), but the part I am trying to quote does not well fit my sentence, I am wondering if there is an accepted way to quote ...
1
vote
1answer
142 views
Placement of period in quotation or definition at end of sentence (American rule)
The American rule for sentences ending in a quotation is that the period should be inside the closing quotation mark. The rule for parentheticals at the end of a sentence is that, when the ...
0
votes
2answers
46 views
Using “that” to introduce a quote [duplicate]
If you use "that" to introduce a full quote from a person is there still a comma and is the first letter of the sentence capitalized?
For example, which one of the following is correct?
Bob once ...
0
votes
1answer
116 views
Can an em dash be inserted in the middle of a quotation for interjection?
I've found questions asking about an em dash in quoted speech, and punctuation rules for em dashes in quotes, but this question is quite different.
The example I saw comes from a tweet, reproduced ...
14
votes
8answers
7k views
Translate the French quote “Il n’y a pas d'amour, il n’y a que des preuves d’amour” to English?
I’d like to translate a quote from Pierre Reverdy (or Jean Cocteau, this
is an open question apparently). The quote is:
Il n’y a pas d’amour, il n’y a que des preuves d’amour.
For some context in ...
2
votes
1answer
8k views
'A mind is like a parachute'—who coined this expression, and when?
I recently received a Facebook notification from an online quotation site, which attributed the following saying to Frank Zappa:
A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.
I ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
Punctuation before ending a quotation
I was reading an article and came across this sentence:
“Much wow, Bercow hid his opposition to Brexit so very well when he was Speaker.,” Mark Wallace, executive editor of ConservativeHome, ...
1
vote
0answers
20 views
single quotes or not [duplicate]
She got mad because I didn't call Bob Principal Bob.
Should it be
She got mad because I didn't call Bob 'Principal Bob.'
thanks
0
votes
1answer
68 views
How do I use a question as an embedded quotation when it also deserves a comma?
So I asked "Shall I do the thing?" and he responded with "Yes."
In that sentence, should the ? exist? It kind of feels like it should be a comma, given its place in the sentence. ...
-1
votes
1answer
356 views
What does the quoted section in someone’s name mean?
As in the title, what does a quoted section in a name mean? Names like John “James” Doe (not someone’s name)
1
vote
0answers
18 views
Should a sentence have a comma before the quotation when the quotation is given an indefinite article?
See the following:
I heard the man shout out a, “Good luck, lad!”
Should there be a comma after a? Thanks!
