Different inverted commas 1

[happyabc]

What is the the difference between enclosing a bit of text between single inverted commas and double?

 

[medic]

Back to inverted quotes and double quotes, they are actually called left single quote and left double quotes. We couldn't use these during the pre-Windows era. Now we can use these punctuations here (note the difference between the shapes of opening and closing quotes below):

[red]“[/red]This sentence is inside a left double quote and a right double quote...[red]”[/red]
[red]‘[/red]...and this one is inside a left single quote and a right single quote.[red]’[/red]

 

[kmcginn]

Hate to bring this to the top, but I wanted to add my two cents. When I was taught English grammar (in the old days), I learned the rule about periods and quotes as some of you mentioned here - inside if the quote was a complete sentence, but otherwise outside to end the sentence. It seems the rule has changed, and now (at least in America) periods always go inside. I learned the hard way when my children would ask me to proofread their papers in school. After they told me several times that I was doing it differently than their teachers, I finally gave up and told them I would correct grammar but for punctuation they were on their own.

Why can't the rules just stay the same? Oh well, I guess that's life.

 

[Dimandja]

My English teachers always told me that my English punctuattion was no good. Frankly, I find English - or at least American punctuation quite baffling; I'm used to French punctuation which I find quite logical.

In French punctuation - comma - is inserted between parts of a sentence that each can start or end the sentence interchangeably. The English rule still eludes me.

 

[ESquared]

Dimandja,

We might have some disagreement on how the em dash should be used, as well...

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.

 

[Dimandja]

Actually, I agree with you. Should have written In French punctuation, a comma is inserted between....

Haste makes waste.

 

[ESquared]

FYI, you can actually get an em dash by holding down Alt and typing 0151 on the numeric keypad—at least on computers running Windows. If you aren't able to make this character, then the accepted construction is to use two single dashes--like this.

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.