Punctuation

1. Full stop sfter the inverted comma (not actually an apostrophe). Also, you don't need the comma after 'people' as 'but' is a conjunction which adequately joins the two clauses. 2. In this case the 'apostrophes' are actually speech marks. The full stop goes inside. The rules are fairly simple. In the first case, 'Uncle George' is a concept all his own as it were. It's a person where the inverted commas are added to imply it's a nickname or something. Therefore the inverted commas are a part of a whole and the full stop has to go outside. In the second case, the speech marks should surround the verbalisations. That sentence has been concluded so it has a full stop and the speech marks are outside to indicate that the sentence was spoken. Hope that helps. Helvigo Jenkins

First one, the full stop goes outside the quote marks as it's not a full sentence: 'Uncle George'. Second one is a full sentence so the full stop goes inside the quotes: ...I've shit myself.'

I agree with both answers above and would like to see more of these little puzzles as I, too, have difficulty with commas, especially before buts.

Yep. 1. After. 2. Before. Interesting points. Linda

If we're talking buts then generally the comma will go before if the two halves of the sentence are complete sentences in themselves. "I don't really understand grammar, but it probably doesn't matter."

A question mark will come after a quote mark when the quote is in the form of a question. Such as: Who said, "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know"? Answer: Groucho Marx in Animal Crackers. All right, I had two cents and I didn't know what else to do with it. Funny thing is grammar. lol. I just spelled grammar wrong and got corrected by spell check. Rich

I feel I'm going to brazenly split an infinitive...

In that case, Alex, I'm going to dangle a participle. It ain't gonna be pretty. Flitting gaily from flower to flower, the football player watched the bee. The above is one of my favorite online examples.

Hey! I'm from the Nihted States of America and yo got some nerve! If yo mst know, I've been stockpiling my yo know what's for when I pay a visit to Great Britain. Oh, man. I almost said the UK. Ah, damn. I jst wasted one of my 'u's'. Ah, there I go again. Hell. By the time I get over there I'll be out of yo know what's and yo'll jst take me for a cleless American. Rich (Who really is cleless. Bt being American has nothing to do with it.)

and replaced ss with zs- he he the buts are like the ands- I am glad I got that cleared up about the comma before but and and. I learned in school never ever to put a comma before and and but but now I am wiser. Thanks guys. Why go to school when you can learn on Abc? Rich I love your quotes- your 2 cents are much worth- worth much too.

Read it out loud and place the commas where there are natural speech pauses. http://www.ukauthors.com

How aboot this: "There was no telling how many scars Uncle George beared from the service. No one really understood what it was like to bathe in the blood of your enemies, or trying to shut out the screams of your comrades. War never really ended for Uncle George and seeing that blank stare from time to time reminded us all how fragmented his mind still is. Yet we love him even when he can be a bit of an unecessary asshole. Sometimes love is better than any medal earned on the battlefield." - Chinobus -

You bashing anything never occurred to me, PG. I was just poking fun at myself. And thank God for this spell checker. Now I know that 'occurred' has only 2 R's. I guess it's the way I say it. Occurrrred. I'm a slow talker. lol. Rich