When did the rules change?

[koØm]

When I was young, the were no such things as "Day Care Centers", mothers stayed in the home amd raised the child while Dad worked.

It wasn't like that for me, my mother bundled me up, put us on the bus and took me to work with her where, she did "Domestic Work" for affluent families; she taught me how to read using the Billboards, Street and Traffic signs and, the Bus stop benches.

I did not even know Bacon existed until I started Kindergarten and my God-mother started keeping me and getting me off to school. Folks where my mother worked didn't eat Pork.

But more importantly, when I started school and, was taught "Grammar", I was instructed that, "A sentence started with a Capital letter and ended with a period, a question mark or, an exclamation point; everything else went in between. Hard and fast rule, easy to remember.

Now-a-days, writers are being taught that it is proper to end a sentence with "Quotation marks" instead of the period, question mark or exclamation point when the quote comes at the end of a sentence.

Had the biggest disagreement while "Technical Editor" with the Editor-in-Chief over where to put the period in a sentence when talking about "something", as opposed to ending a sentence with a quotation.

Example: Everybody knows that *45 and his administration are full of "Shyte".

Example: The announcer proclaimed, "Let's get ready to rumble."

Both examples are correct but, my Editor believed everything went behind the quotation marks while, I believed as I was taught that the period ended the sentence; to solve the dispute, I resolved to edit the content in such a way that the sentences didn't end in a quote.

So, when did the rules of Grammar change, was it when Independent thought became hard to find and, idiots relied upon and parroted the lines of those more informed than them; to prevent the appearance of plagiarism, were the "Quotation marks" moved behind the period?

How were you instructed in school?

.

[KG4CGC]

Rules of grammar? I thought this was going to be about when did both parents have to start working just to make ends meet. Another day perhaps?
I've forgotten more about grammar than kids are taught these days. Just a matter of what you want to commit to memory.

[WZ7U]

That's how I remember grammar being laid out. It's how we were taught in the public schools in late 60's forward in CO. Like a dummy, I dropped out in the 10th grade to chase a dollar. Had I realized that had I'd stayed, I could've garnered many more dollars. :mallethead::doh:

Whether I continue to apply it correctly nowadays remains to be determined.

[N7YA]

Boy do I miss Grammar. Such fond memories...she made the best chocolate chip cookies.

[K7SGJ]

Boy do I miss Grammar. Such fond memories...she made the best chocolate chip cookies.

Yep. She couldn't wrestle, but you should have seen her box.

[n6hcm]

english is a quirky language. you should expect stuff like this.

this sort of information will be in a style book if you're writing about something regularly.

[WZ7U]

The MLA comes to mind....

[koØm]

The MLA comes to mind....

Got one.

15623




Quotation Marks with Commas and Periods

One of the most common question people ask me is whether periods and commas go inside or outside a closing quotation mark, and there’s a reason everyone is confused. The rules in American English are different from the rules in British English, so if you’re regularly reading American and British publications, such as the BBC and CNN websites, you’ll regularly see it done different ways.

In America, we use a hard-and-fast rule that was supposedly designed by compositors to protect the tiny commas and periods (1, 2). We always put periods and commas inside quotation marks.

In Britain, they use rules that require the writer to determine whether the period or comma belong with the quotation or are part of the larger sentence. It appears that early champions of this logical system were H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler who wrote the classic 1906 British usage guide The King’s English (3). In it, the brothers describe the British logical system of punctuation.

They note that they are in conflict with compositors, people who set type, but the Fowlers believe their system is better.

Link (http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/quotation-marks-with-periods-and-commas)

As in the British rules, *I*, the writer gets to determine where the period is placed in my writings; I do not think in "Hard-and-Fast" terms nor do I follow "Hard-and-Fast" rules; I wear my reading glasses so, when I eat, I am able to discern the Fly shyte from the black pepper.

Signed:

Mr. Semi-colon

.

[HUGH]

It's largely unused by the junior reporters on our county newspaper, they seem to be singularly clueless about meanings, punctuation and grammar. This is unfortunate as they should be setting an example for readers, the town newspaper is far better but then they don't employ young people who have attended "media studies" courses, whatever in hell they are.

As for US vs UK rules I don't worry, it's "horses for courses".

[WZ7U]

The town paper here was family owned for a century until the owner decided it was time to enjoy life and vacation the time away. Which is understandable when you're into your sixties and have been doing this your entire adult life as part of the family business. The spelling, grammar and syntax were always impeccable, without flaw. Then when she sold the paper to a regional conglomerate, the staff that was brought in was this new generation of journalists who apparently don't understand what the squiggly spell check line means and syntax is out the door. There/their/they're is a concept lost on them so along with the 100% rate increase was reason enough for this house to quit reading the small town paper that used to be great.

[KE6KA]

The rules haven't changed. Punctuation is enclosed within quotations. The exception is when you enclose something parenthesis after a quotation.

But yes, some rules do change unofficially. Like spelling. The past tense of spell can be spelt or spelled. Some halfwit somewhere decided spelt is incorrect and for some reason a lot of people now think that spelling is invalid.

In both of the above cases someone somewhere took it upon themselves to change it. The reality is nothing has changed other than we have the internet now and everyone on the internet thinks they are an authority on everything.

[WØTKX]

Texting is derived from CW abbrevitations, sometimes

[suddenseer]

Texting is derived from CW abbrevitations, sometimesCW the first analog to digital conversion.

[HUGH]

But yes, some rules do change unofficially. Like spelling. The past tense of spell can be spelt or spelled. Some halfwit somewhere decided spelt is incorrect and for some reason a lot of people now think that spelling is invalid.

In both of the above cases someone somewhere took it upon themselves to change it. The reality is nothing has changed other than we have the internet now and everyone on the internet thinks they are an authority on everything.

"Spelt" is also a grain used in cooking, opinons vary as to what it actually is but I must say "spelt" sounds better when read aloud even if it's written as "spelled".

How about "rooves" usually spelled "roofs" but read aloud with the "v". "Rooves" in print seems to match "hooves" but doesn't look right. Right now I've run out of inverted commas, I'll get some more off Epay.

[WZ7U]

My grammartimus maximus is sore now

[suddenseer]

"Spelt" is also a grain used in cooking, opinons vary as to what it actually is but I must say "spelt" sounds better when read aloud even if it's written as "spelled".

How about "rooves" usually spelled "roofs" but read aloud with the "v". "Rooves" in print seems to match "hooves" but doesn't look right. Right now I've run out of inverted commas, I'll get some more off Epay.I defer to the guy where this bloody lingo started from.