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Your words and a quote in the same sentence

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Clever username, Jul 14, 2007.

  1. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    Odd thread title, I know, but I didn't know what else to call it.

    Anyway, what's the proper way to puncuate/capitalize these types of sentences:

    Smith said he responded by telling Jones to “Mind your own business.”

    Comma after the to? Capitalize the M in mind? Or leave it the way it is.
     
  2. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    I know this is simple, but I'm having a brainfart.
     
  3. jlee

    jlee Well-Known Member

    I'd keep the capitalized M because the quote does not fit the rest of the sentence (like "mind his own business" would). But also no comma after "to."
    Maybe:
    Smith said he told Jones, "Mind your own business."
    Or dance around it another way.
     
  4. Eagleboy

    Eagleboy Guest

    I would say lower-case M in that example, but I think that since when you ask a question in a sentence, you're supposed to capitalize the first letter "When I went down to the basement, I thought, Does this place have a lightswitch?" That might be along the same lines.

    I don't know anything for sure, and my AP stylebook is somewhere buried under my bed. I'd go with how you have it with the lower-case M, personally.
     
  5. jlee

    jlee Well-Known Member

    On second thought, papraphrase the whole thing
    Less confusion all around
     
  6. sportschick

    sportschick Active Member

    Per page 322 of my stylebook (in the punctuation guide), no comma and lowercase the m.
     
  7. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    what's the entry?
     
  8. sportschick

    sportschick Active Member

    quotation marks
     
  9. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    Found it. That book fails me so often I don't even think to look in it anymore. Thanks.
     
  10. sportschick

    sportschick Active Member

    I am useful sometimes, ya know!

    The book's great for punctuation questions and news style stuff. It's a bit lacking in sports style.
     
  11. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    The things I usually try to look up aren't even in there. You have to either go with best guess or find a similar circumstance.
     
  12. eliminate "to"

    Smith said he responded by telling Jones, "Mind your own business."

    If it's a main clause, it's up.
     
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