[Grammar Question] How to quote an engraved piece of jewellery?
Asked by
anon (
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December 6th, 2009
Uh, probably a pretty stupid question but you’ll just have to forgive me. Besides, you’ll be seeing more like this in the future as I’ve recently taken up writing and find my English skills rather lacking. ;P
I have the following sentence:
He’d already found several coins, and a pendant engraved with the words, S.A. & J.W. Forever
But I’m unsure as to how it should actually be written. Am I supposed to italicise “S.A. & J.W. Forever”? Use quotation marks? A colon?
This is how I currently have it written in my story:
He’d already found several coins, and a pendant engraved with the words, S.A. & J.W. Forever.
Which way is the correct way to present it?
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27 Answers
However you want to do it is the correct way. Especially if this your own, creative writing.
He’d already found several coins, and a pendant engraved with the words, “S.A. & J.W. Forever.”
.. I think. And I’m surprised the Grammar Guru hasn’t shown up yet.
After browsing the internet a little more, it seems that quotation marks are indeed the way to go. I’ll wait for affirmation from this Grammar Guru though. ;)
Thanks for your input guys and especially @juwhite1 for the welcome.
If quoting what the pendant says in your sentance, you need to use quotation marks.
Oops… typed too slowly! And, you’re welcome!
Well, here’s one of the GG’s. (sentence.) And this is not an issue of grammar but punctuation. There’s a difference.
Get rid of the unnecessary comma; use quotation marks for the rubric.
He’d already found several coins and a pendant engraved with the words, “S.A. & J.W. Forever”.
Don’t put so many comas and add quotation marks around the engraving…i like to write, too so…
@jessicamarie : Be more specific and start your sentence with an upper-case letter; viz; Don’t….
@gailcalled…I know i thought about that after i answered this question
@anon..Uh…i think she was talking to me
@jessicamarie: And I am sure, given this topic, that your “coma” was simply a typo.
@Peccavi.
@Allie got it right. .....“S.A. & J.W. Forever.” Last quotation mark goes outside the period.
No comma before the quotes. This is not discourse. Period goes inside.
[Edit] On second thought, “italicise” tells me you’re British. British-style punctuation places the period outside the quotes.
The sentence needs clarification. Were the coins and the pendant all engraved?
If not, try this to bring more emphasis to what seems to be the more interesting discovery:
He’d already found, in addition to several coins, a pendant engraved with the words “S.A. & J.W. Forever.”
@editingdiva That’s why I originally had a comma after “coins”, but your suggestion places more importance on the pendant than I originally intended. I expect you’re right though so I’ll have to have a little play with the structure. Thanks.
@Jeruba Thank you! Yeah, I should have probably mentioned that.
@gailcalled Why did you give coma quotation marks? Is there a more complicated way that you put it, since you are so brilliant!
@jessicamarie: Ducks, you mean “comma”...one of these,,,,,,,. Coma is what you fall into after an overly-lengthy discussion of punctuation.
Or simply fell into a coma over these issues.
What witty banter is this.
I’m still waiting for someone to start singing Boy George.
Initials are not words. Perhaps you might delete
“the words” and, as Jeruba said, italicize.
He’d already found several coins, and a
pendant engraved with S.A. & J.W. Forever.
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