The King's English (2nd ed, 1906)

PUNCTUATION
290

explained in this section, which demand the addition of a full stop (derived?.). That would be a worse monstrosity than the one in the first of the three legitimate alternatives that we add. We recommend that the Times method should be abandoned, and the first or second of the others used according to circumstances.

  • The next question is, Whence is this income derived?—Times.
  • The next question is 'Whence is this income derived?'.(Full direct quotation. Observe the 'monstrosity' stop)
  • The next question is whence this income is derived. (Indirect quotation)
  • The next question is 'Whence this income is derived'. (Indirect quotation with quotation marks, or half-and-half quotation, like the Borrow sentence)

In concluding the chapter on Punctuation we may make the general remark that the effect of our recommendations whether advocating as in the last section more strictness or as in other parts more liberty, would be, certainly, a considerable reduction in the number of diacritical marks cutting up and disfiguring the text; and, as we think, a practice in most respects more logical and comprehensible. ...


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