Calling all Grammar Nazis!

[Hosnon]

I've been absent from DU for a while and thought a good grammar/syntax question would be a great way to reenter the fray.

Which is the (more) correct sentence?: (as a side note, is the use of the colon after the question mark correct?)

He maintains that "the world is flat!". OR
He maintains that "the world is flat". OR
He maintains that "the world is flat"!

In other words, how does a writer keep the tone of the speaker he is quoting?

Thanks!

[krispos42]

1. I can hazard a guess...

He maintains that "the world is flat!".

[TOhioLiberal]

2. I believe the correct usage is...

He maintains that "the world is flat!" No extra punctuation.

[Omphaloskepsis]

3. I agree..

[Lautremont]

4. I also agree,

and no, you don't need the question mark after the colon.

[Hosnon]

6. What if the writer's statement was a question?

Would it be: He maintains that "the world is flat?"

[Lautremont]

7. Then it becomes total nonsense, because he isn't maintaining

anything - he's asking it.

[Hosnon]

10. Perhaps I am using bad examples.

The crux of the question is what do you do when it seems that punctuation conflicts and you want to maintain the tone of the quoted material?

[Lautremont]

11. As a writer, I'd probably rearrange the sentence a bit.

"The world is flat?" he asked.

But to answer your question to the best of my knowledge, I think you'd go with the punctuation that belonged with whatever the end of the sentence is.

eg:
He looked around the room and cried, "Can no man tell me if in fact the world is flat?"

[Hosnon]

12. Rearranging the sentence is probably the best route to take.

Just a problem I've run into on various occasions

[Omphaloskepsis]

17. Then it becomes pedantic.

[Omphaloskepsis]

9. I would say yes.

From what I have been told the punctuation should fall before the ending quotation mark. Add a space after that and start a new sentence.

[DS1]

5. There is no reason for puntuation

He maintains that the world is flat, and so on

[Starbucks Anarchist]

8. #3, I believe.

Because you're quoting person #2 while the first speaker seems the most emphatic about it, therefore the exclamation point goes outside the quotes.

[Redstone]

13. Reporting for duty. Leave the quotation marks out entirely.

Redstone

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. DS1 is correct

If "maintains" is your verb, quotation marks are not indicated.

If you want to convey the speaker's meaning, you can do so by quoting him/her directly, if "The world is flat" is what he/she actually said:

"The world is flat!" he said.

Or,

He said, "The world is flat!"



Herr Grammarübersturmbannfüerher.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. You might want to choose an alternative to "maintains"...

He insists that the world is flat!
or
He insists, "The world is flat!"

"Maintains" conveys that one is sticking to their belief; but doesn't indicate any particular emotion accompanying that belief. I'm assuming, since you're considering use of an exclamation mark, that you want to express a strong feeling associated with the person's belief that the world is flat.

[misanthrope]

16. He maintains the world is flat. Think AP...

...Concise is best.

[eppur_se_muova]

18. It depends on which string you want to print.

Oh, sorry, thought this was a C syntax thread.

[idgiehkt]

19. the second one is the most correct.

But like the other people said the quotes aren't necessary.

[JVS]

20. 2 pics