Punctuation
Q.Hi, CMOS people. You answered a question for me a few days ago, about using a comma or a colon to introduce dialogue in a book project we are doing. We took your advice and are using commas. My friend, though, would still like to use a colon to introduce internal dialogue. (Michael thought: if I go home now, Mother will know I forgot something). Would that be OK, or should we stick to commas for everything? Thanks!! Answer »
Q.How should the sentence “Guess what” be punctuated? I realize that it’s technically an imperative sentence, which should end with a period (or exclamation point), but in many contexts it’s used as if it were interrogatory, and thus it’s often punctuated with a question mark rather than a period. Is this simply incorrect? Answer »
Q. Please tell me if it’s permissible to use a comma rather than a semicolon in the following sentence: “The idea isn’t to use the test to get people in trouble, it’s to help them avoid decisions they’ll regret later.” The rules seem to suggest that a semicolon is preferred but not absolutely required; a semicolon feels to me like it separates the thoughts more than I’d like. Answer »
Q. Is it “Hello Mr. Doe” or “Hello, Mr. Doe”? Answer »
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