Q. When I proofread, I am often requested to list the corrections in a note. An example of a note is: I recommend deleting “a querulous comment”. I put the period outside the closing quotation mark. I think what I’m reading in CMOS 6.9 would make my punctuation incorrect. Am I correct in this assumption?
A. No. Assuming that you want the editor to delete the words “a querulous comment” and nothing more—not even the period that follows—your punctuation is correct. Ignore the guideline in CMOS; common sense must prevail. You are trying to convey what should be deleted, and you must not put anything within the quotation marks unless you want it deleted. Given the nature of your list, you may wish to avoid end punctuation so the issue becomes moot.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. How does one punctuate dialogue in which one character interrupts another in the middle of a word? The writer whose work I’m editing has used a hyphen followed by an ellipsis, which looks awful to me: “I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself an expe- . . .”
A. The conventional punctuation is a dash: “I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself an expe—”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. CMOS 6.9 and 6.10 clearly define where closing punctuation goes in relation to quotation marks—particularly when the quoted text is a complete thought or phrase. However, where does the period go in text like the following: In the Gross Weight column, type “.01” and in the Volume column, type “1”. I’ve been putting the period inside, as in the following: Change the customer order status from “Delivered” to “Invoiced/Closed.” Which is correct in these types of cases?
A. Please see CMOS 7.79. In your first example, a period after the 1 is likely to be taken as part of what should be typed. At best, it’s ambiguous, so to avoid misreading, put the period outside the quotation marks. This situation is uncommon and an exception to the American rules for punctuating quotations. In the second example, the instruction is clear, so use standard punctuation, putting the period before the ending quotation mark.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. What is the rule regarding quotations within parentheses within sentences—and, additionally, multisentence quotations in same? I know that this is correct: You’ll never catch him working out (repetitions? routine? forget it). But is this correct? You’ll never catch him working out (“No reps and routines for me. I can’t stand them.”).
A. Putting more than one complete sentence in parentheses in the middle of another sentence doesn’t work. We don’t recommend it! If the quotation is from a written source, the original punctuation must be preserved, but if you are quoting something spoken, you can change the period to a semicolon or dash and omit the ending period. Please see CMOS 6.13.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Dear Chicago experts, my question is regarding the use of ellipses to indicate text omitted from quoted material. Does one insert a space after the ellipsis if the following sentence is a complete one? Or should all text should be closed up to ellipses in these cases? The example in CMOS 13.53 appears to have a space but is not clear.
A. Chicago puts a space after an ellipsis regardless of its function. If you have trouble seeing spaces in CMOS Online, use the Control key (on a Mac, Command) with the + key to enlarge the type until you can see it better. Or copy and paste the text into a MS Word doc and make the spaces visible.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Is there a term for a quote that comes after a subheading?
A. Sometimes a quote is just a quote, but if the content is similar to that of a book epigraph or chapter epigraph (perhaps including a source line)—that is, something pithy or funny or thoughtful, rather than a run-of-the-mill chunk of supporting material—then call it an epigraph or section epigraph.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’ve read the section on ellipses (CMOS 13.50–58), but I want to verify that what you’re recommending is [space dot space dot space dot space] for a regular ellipsis. Also, I am puzzled by the rationale of putting a period at the end of an incomplete sentence and then an ellipsis before continuing the quotation. As I see it, this doesn’t differentiate between a complete sentence followed by missing text and an incomplete sentence followed by missing text.
A. You are right; the traditional system does not distinguish between a complete sentence followed by missing text at the beginning of the next sentence, and an incomplete sentence followed by the intact beginning of the next sentence. The period merely indicates that the two chunks of text belong to different sentences. If it’s important to distinguish, then you must format the passage as two separate quotations. Please note, too, that we add a period only at the end of an independent clause.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Dear CMOS Editors: When omitting the end of a sentence in a quotation, should there be a space after the ellipsis before the closing quotation mark? (1) The Supreme Court ordered the school districts to desegregate “with all deliberate speed. . . .” (2) The Supreme Court ordered the school districts to desegregate “with all deliberate speed. . . .” I see that CMOS 13.55 indicates there should not be a final space, but I’m not sure if that rule applies beyond sentences that are deliberately grammatically incomplete.
A. Don’t add a space. Note too that there is rarely a need to put an ellipsis at the end of a quotation that forms a grammatical sentence, whether in itself or, as here, with what precedes it. You would be fine with (3) The Supreme Court ordered the school districts to desegregate “with all deliberate speed.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I am having trouble understanding the structure of the following example (CMOS 13.55): “Everyone knows that the Declaration of Independence begins with the sentence ‘When, in the course of human events . . .’ But how many people can recite more than the first few lines of the document?” Are these intended to be two sentences? If so, why would there be no closing period after the ellipsis points and closing quotation mark (i.e., before “But”)? If they are one sentence, why would “But” be capitalized? I’m missing something—or misunderstanding, perhaps. Please help.
A. They are two sentences. There is no period at the end of the first sentence because the quotation trails off before it reaches grammatical completion. If the quotation were a complete sentence, a period would be called for: “Everyone knows that the song begins with the sentence ‘We’re a ménage à trois: just moi—et moi—et moi.’ But how many people can recite more than the first few lines?”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I seem to find conflicting information, and I can’t figure out the following: is it OK or not to introduce a block quotation with an incomplete sentence (such as “The passage states”) followed by a colon? Or does the sentence have to be a complete sentence?
A. Either way is fine. (In fact, “The passage states” is complete—or independent—on its own. “The passage states that” is incomplete.) Independent clauses usually require some end punctuation; incomplete ones often do not. Please see the examples at CMOS 13.9–29.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]