On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 12:54:34 +0100, Anders Christensen
<andersc1@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Which is the most correct sentence?
> 1) CF means "Compact Flash". It stores data.
> 2) CF means "Compact Flash." It stores data.
It depends whose style guide you read. Traditionally in British English
the latter has been preferred. This was because it saved lead in
printing, the dot was fragile and was best not placed next to the space.
This reason is no longer valid.
For many of us now the first way is clearer, especially when talking
about typing as in your second question:
> And which of these?
> 1) When using the password "default", you have no privacy.
> 2) When using the password "default," you have no privacy.
Does the password contain a comma or not? Probably not, but the second
way looks as though it does (especially since the sentence doesn't need
a comma there anyway to make sense). In technical writing, therefore,
placing punctuation outside the quotes is definitely preferred because
accuracy is important.
If writing for a publisher, look at their style guide. It may well say
all sorts of things which are not "best practice" elsewhere.
(One which annoys me is single versus double quotes. I was taught at
school to use "66 and 99" for quoted speech, i.e. double quotes, but UK
publishers almost always use single ones for speech. US ones still use
the double quotes, perhaps they weren't as worried about the cost of
lead...)
Chris C
|
|