Questions tagged [quotations]
Questions about quotations, a group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated by someone other than the original author or speaker.
107 questions
0
votes
2
answers
74
views
How to describe not-quite-exact quotations
Many catchy turns of phrase, when originally uttered or printed, are in their original form not as catchy as they could be if edited for stand-alone usage. As a simple example, someone might say
(...
- 855
1
vote
3
answers
109
views
Does using quotes around an informal word make it acceptable in academic writing?
Riding stunts such as "wheelie," "stoppie," or "drifting" are considered reckless driving when performed on public streets.
All three words are rather informal/slang, ...
- 3,970
2
votes
1
answer
58
views
How to correctly understand the quote "I'll jump! And I will, too."?
In the famous Dumb-Hounded cartoon, the wolf threatens Droopy that if he comes one step closer: "I'll jump! And I will, too."
It's obviously meant to be comical, and it seems to be an ...
- 123
1
vote
1
answer
214
views
every light casts a shadow
What is the figurative meaning of the quote ' “No matter how hard you fight the darkness, every light casts a shadow, and the closer you get to the light, the darker that shadow becomes.” ― Plato '?
...
- 65
3
votes
1
answer
60
views
What's the meaning of "Fire up the 50" and "Give 'em a soup tour"?
They are two quotes of the Riptide Air-cushion Vehicle in the video game "Red Alert 3".
source: https://cnc.fandom.com/wiki/Riptide_ACV
These words are quite simple, but I don't understand ...
- 1,153
3
votes
2
answers
47
views
Comma or colon or nothing
I am having a bit of trouble understanding when to use a colon, or not.
I heard her whisper "I'm cold."
I heard her whisper: "I'm cold."
I think the first one is correct, but why?
- 41
-1
votes
1
answer
27
views
Meaning of a Lincoln Quote part2
This separate thread from my other question is made since moderator had asked to restrict one question per thread.
Given below is a quote from Lincoln:
No man who is resolved to make the most of ...
0
votes
1
answer
19
views
Punctuation before quoted speech after transitive speech verb
Which is the more correct way to write this:
"I heard you don't like noodles." He suggested, "you should get the soup."
"I heard you don't like noodles." He suggested: &...
user29750
0
votes
1
answer
26
views
Capitalization after a quotation mark (conversation)
I read a story written by Beatrix Potter, "The Tailor of Gloucester."
He cut his coats without waste, according to his embroidered cloth; they were very small ends and snippets that lay ...
- 578
0
votes
1
answer
53
views
What does "Hate emanates from within, love without" mean? [closed]
Hate emanates from within, love without
I read this on a website but couldn't quite understand what it meant, and so if possible, can someone tell me its meaning, it would be great.
0
votes
1
answer
60
views
I am playing a “the Lord of the Rings” game
Which of these sentences is correct?
I am playing a “the Lord of the Rings” game.
VS
I am playing a “Lord of the Rings” game.
And which of these is correct?
I want to watch some “the Lord of the ...
- 1,356
0
votes
1
answer
123
views
Should quoted clause be capitalized
I wonder if a quoted clause should be capitalized or not. For example, which of the following sentences is correct:
For instance, "he is less than 20 years old" contains a subject and
a ...
- 241
-1
votes
1
answer
22
views
Which Punctuation Do You Use For Quotations
Which one of these if correct, if I am trying to refer to a quote
'We're all a little bit gay' - Harry Styles
"We're all a little bit gay" - Harry Styles
- 434
0
votes
2
answers
57
views
It's no accident that the quote unquote golden period of Latin literature ends during this time
In this sentence, which part is quoted?
It's no accident that the quote unquote golden period of Latin literature ends during this time.
It is from a TV documentary.
- 1,555
1
vote
1
answer
73
views
Inversion with "to not have"?
I came across this quote and was intrigued by its grammar: "The soul would have no rainbow, had the eyes no tears"
At first glance, "had the eyes no tears" this seems like a type ...
- 399
0
votes
1
answer
35
views
say shut up, say "shut up"
People say shut up if they don't want to hear you speaking.
People say "shut up" if they don't want to hear you speaking.
Do you have to enclose shut up with quotes, or is it allowed even ...
user88427
0
votes
1
answer
43
views
Why are there no quotation marks for a that-clause?
"Bonjour" is a French word meaning "hello."
In modern Welsh, 'glas' means 'blue'.
But why do we say, for example, the sentence means that the word means “hello,” not the sentence ...
- 125
0
votes
1
answer
293
views
What does "There's no escaping reason, no denying purpose" mean?
In The Matrix Reloaded (2003), after Oracle left the scene, Agent Smith says to Neo:
Agent Smith: But as you well know, appearances can be deceiving...which brings me back to the reason
why we're ...
- 19
0
votes
3
answers
148
views
Qutation marks in American English for emphasis and bracketing: single or double? [closed]
Suppose you write a mathematical text in American English that quotes from various sources (other literature and itself) and emphasizes and brackets stuff. You've already used up your font gimmicks (...
user142975
2
votes
1
answer
764
views
What does this famous quote mean?
In Serenity (2005), Kaylee says to Malcolm, who deserted Simon and River:
Kaylee: Going on a year now, I ain't had nothing twixt my nethers
weren't run on batteries.
What does this famous quote mean?...
- 415
1
vote
2
answers
886
views
Comma between “such as” and direct quotations?
Consider the following sentence:
We see claims such as “Money is the root of all evil” [1] and “Women require time and money” [2] spread throughout research-level texts.
Here, [1] and [2] are some ...
user142975
-3
votes
1
answer
53
views
Translate this sentence. Rewrite it in your own words. Why does Conroy reference all of these works of literature in this paragraph? [closed]
I have read like a man on fire my whole life because the genius of English teachers touched me with the dazzling beauty of language.-Pat Conroy
This is from "A Letter to the Editor of the ...
-1
votes
1
answer
87
views
Meaning of a Clifford Geertz quote about the western conception of the individual
Please, explain what the following quotation from Clifford Geertz means:
The Western conception of the person as a bounded, unique, more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universe; a ...
0
votes
0
answers
84
views
Is the sentence "you will find me in fine state" grammatical?
There's a dinner scene in Red Dragon (2002) where Hannibal quotes Horace's letter to
Tibullus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHUgvhExOfo
As for me, when you want a laugh, you will find me in fine ...
user429257
0
votes
1
answer
107
views
Why is "his" used instead of "him" in this U. Sinclair quote? [duplicate]
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it
-- Upton Sinclair
Why "... his not understanding it", and not "... him not ...
- 825
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What does it mean by ask a question?
Should the "ask" be in an "ing" form? Consider the following conversation,
A: I think I can ask a question on Stack Exchange.
B: What do you mean by ask a question?
Should I ...
- 3,627
2
votes
1
answer
90
views
What does "never been one for me except" mean?
There is a sentence from Johnny Cash's Wikipedia page with a very strange structure:
At the July 5, 2003, concert (his last public performance), before singing "Ring of Fire", Cash read a ...
- 121
1
vote
2
answers
6k
views
Should the comma be inside or outside of the quotation marks?
Say I have a sentence like
The discovery of the "exoplanet", a type of planet that resides outside of our solar system, shocked the researchers.
Should the comma be outside of the ...
- 21
16
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Grammaticality: 'Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something'
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something — Plato
I didn't understand this quote. How do you understand this? Shouldn't there be a verb after 'fools'?...
- 18.1k
1
vote
0
answers
152
views
What does "live to a higher note" mean?
Live honestly to a higher note. Life is too short. So, do the best you can and live your life to a higher note.
- 11
-1
votes
1
answer
25
views
Clarifying a quote
I would like to quote a shortened version of the following piece of text.
Explicit minimal times have been given for 2D systems (and lower
bounds are given in [7] for the heat equation).
...
- 475
0
votes
1
answer
349
views
If I make a non-verbatim quotation (as news outlets often do in their titles), what punctuation should I use?
Federal judge Beryl A. Howell: No vote on initiating an inquiry is required. In the cases of all three presidents who faced such an action — Andrew Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Bill Clinton — the ...
- 3,558
1
vote
2
answers
611
views
Should I put commas and periods before the ending quotation mark?
I know that it is advisable to put commas, periods, exclamation marks, and question marks before the ending quotation mark when dealing with direct speech, or quoting whole sentences. But what if I ...
- 145
-1
votes
2
answers
402
views
What does this quote mean "Call no chain strong, Which holds one rusted link."
What does the quote mean from the poem Protest by Ella Wheeler Wilcox mean?
"Call no chain strong, Which holds one rusted link."?
Here is the section:
Therefore I do protest against the boast
...
0
votes
2
answers
798
views
quoting a sentence in Present Simple: can I change the tense?
If I quote a sentence in Present Simple (not just paraphrase), should I replace present forms with past forms or leave them as they are?
In other words, what are rules or conventions regarding ...
- 3,558
2
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What does this quote mean from Jane Eyre? "She regretted to be under the necessity of..."
Jane Eyre is a famous novel about a girl dealing with stuff like her aunt (Mrs. Reed) not liking her.
Eliza, John, and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing-room: she lay ...
- 123
-2
votes
1
answer
476
views
Meaning of quote [closed]
What does mean the first sentence in bold and the second quote?
“You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” (Maya Angelou)
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then ...
- 1,446
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What if a quote contains an error
What should a writer do if s/he wants to use a quote, but the quoted sentence seems to contain a grammatical error? Should the writer correct the error when including the quote?
- 41.4k
0
votes
1
answer
578
views
Get through vs finish
Today my doubt is about the word “get through”. Basically the meaning is like “finish” something right? Well in this quote “when you get through the homework, I’ll give you more” can I use the word “...
- 313
2
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How can I refer to something in a book?
I am trying to find the right words for the sentences.
(1) The book ____ "Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching".
(2) Charles Dickens writes/wrote in his book: "Suffering has ...
- 1,277
0
votes
1
answer
51
views
Do we use comma in this situation or not?
Do we use comma in this situation or not? I have a sentence in mind and I was wondering if someone could give me a feedback on it.
He yelled "blasphemy!" as the man showed him the Bible on top of ...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
269
views
"A language isn't something you learn so much as something you join."
I read such a quote from Chapter 1: Building Abstractions with Functions
"A language isn't something you learn so much as something you join."
~Arika Okrent
Honestly , I have little idea what ...
- 2,722
0
votes
1
answer
118
views
Do we put an interrogation mark inside a quote?
Do we put an interrogation mark inside a quote? I've heard you shouldn't put a dot, but I feel like you should put an interrogation mark inside a quote, because otherwise you wouldn't know if it's a ...
user88427
2
votes
1
answer
12k
views
What's the best way to remove a single word from a quote?
I wish to quote from a source, however, the original quote contains an extra the that does not flow with my sentence.
Which is better, describing what the article refers to, or removing it with an ...
- 181
1
vote
1
answer
32
views
Are punctuations within quotes ok?
I wrote the following as an example:
There are Christian men who pretend to be virtuous while at the same
time committing sins like adultery like it was nothing. I say
"Blasphemy!" However ...
user88427
0
votes
1
answer
37
views
How to punctuate a complex sentence with two quotes?
Supposing, there is a sentence:
For example, if parents ask their son or daughter: “There are 10
ballerinas at the theater but all of female dancers have gone on the
tour. How many ballerinas ...
- 289
2
votes
1
answer
66
views
"nothing ‘family values’” or “no ‘family values’"?
I have encountered the construction nothing something in Crash Course US history.
Also, he once acted with a monkey and there is nothing “family values” about that.
Should no have been used there ...
- 16k
1
vote
2
answers
4k
views
What is the meaning of given quote - When hungry, eat your rice; when tired, close your eyes [closed]
I wonder what is the meaning of this quote, It seems nothing is there. Or I am not understading. Thank you
When hungry, eat your rice; when tired, close your eyes. Fools may
laugh at me, but wise ...
- 505
0
votes
2
answers
224
views
Should the name of policies use hyphens or quotes?
I typed "no-eating policy" on Google Books. The results use hypens and quotes.
Does this mean that both usages are correct? Is one more common than the other?
Example sentence:
You, as a doctor, ...
- 7,235
0
votes
1
answer
64
views
Who are Burke and Hare?
I’m reading Kipling’s Kim, where it mentions
Still more important than Wordsworth , or the eminent authors, Burke
and Hare, was the art and science of mensurations.
I wonder, who are the Burke ...
- 215