User:Tangerineduel/Sandbox 2: Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
No edit summary
Line 137: Line 137:
However, it would be problematic to follow the British standard on a site powered by MediaWiki software.  The single quotation mark has a meaning in wiki code that the double quotation mark does not.  In this one case, therefore, we adopt the American standard of using double quotation marks.  Hence, we would see this as being the "correct" punctuation of the above passage:
However, it would be problematic to follow the British standard on a site powered by MediaWiki software.  The single quotation mark has a meaning in wiki code that the double quotation mark does not.  In this one case, therefore, we adopt the American standard of using double quotation marks.  Hence, we would see this as being the "correct" punctuation of the above passage:
::Martha jumped as a figure appeared out of the gloom. A short, elderly Indian man, peering at her worridly. "Where's the Doctor?"
::Martha jumped as a figure appeared out of the gloom. A short, elderly Indian man, peering at her worridly. "Where's the Doctor?"
===Semi-colons===
====Replacement for other types of "sentence glue" ====
Semicolons are largely a matter of personal preference.  Many people never use semi-colons in their everyday writing, yet they can be quite correct in their punctuation.  A semi-colon is largely an ''alternative'' to a conjunction or a full stop, generally used to suggest there's a fairly close, even causal, relationship between two sentences. 
:'''Correct''': The Doctor didn't care; he was going whether the Brigadier liked it or not.
:'''Correct''': The Doctor didn't care.  He was going whether the Brigadier liked it or not.
:'''Correct''': The Doctor didn't care, because he was going whether the Brigadier liked it or not.
All of these are correct.  It's really just a stylistic choice that can help vary one's sentence construction in an article.  What's ''not'' correct is:
:'''Incorrect''': The Doctor didn't care, he was going whether the Brigadier liked it or not.
====For clarity in lists====
If you're listing long series of things, semi-colons help make the border between listed items clearer.  This can be vital if one's list include a lot of clauses set off by commas.  Consider the following:
:'''Correct:'''  The Doctor was forced to remember his companions:  Leela, the one with the savage tongue; Amy, the girl who didn't want to grow up; Harry, the doctor who was an imbecile; Jamie, the man who had to forget his boyhood; and Barbara, the teacher who should never have come along at all. 
Semi-colons help the reader understand where each of these descriptions end.
==Spelling and usage==
==Spelling and usage==
Some commonly misused and misspelled words are;  
Some commonly misused and misspelled words are;  
85,404

edits

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.