Puctuating sentence having: I hear "..."

Skabr

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Hi,

Please help me out. :)

Which one is correctly punctuated?
(In a context where two people are having argument but the character only hears a few words when he enters a specific room)

i. I walk in and hear "juvenile delinquency."

ii. I walk in and hear, "juvenile delinquency."

iii. I walk in and hear "juvenile delinquency".

Also, I'm confused about the period in the above sentences. Is the period supposed to be in the quotes? Can it be outside the quotes in some examples?

Thanks for reading,
Skabr
 

Chase

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i. I walk in and hear "juvenile delinquency."

ii. I walk in and hear, "juvenile delinquency."

iii. I walk in and hear "juvenile delinquency".

Your middle example is most correct. However, since some of the overheard sentence is missing, I would indicate it by ellipses:

I walk in and hear, ". . . juvenile delinquency."


Also, I'm confused about the period in the above sentences. Is the period supposed to be in the quotes? Can it be outside the quotes in some examples?

For U.S. publications of short stories and novels, the comma (or period, when appropriate) always goes inside the end quote mark. Always. No exceptions.

Publications in other countries may differ.
 

ironmikezero

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Personally I'd use ellipses to indicate there was something missed (the preceding language not overheard, but likely implied via context), and the comma. If the last two words heard concluded a sentence, the period would be properly placed within the end quote mark.

I walk in and hear, "...juvenile delinquency."

Admittedly, there is an element of subjectivity. It can depend upon the context and what you are trying to convey.

Oops, I cross-posted with Chase - with whom I agree...
 
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cornflake

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Listen, heh, to Chase.

Also, U.S. convention is generally end punctuation inside the quotes, U.K. is generally outside.
 

Skabr

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Thanks!

And, Chase, thank you so much for your in-detail reply! You've been of great help!!:)

Thanks,

Skabr
 

LynnKHollander

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Listen, heh, to Chase.

Also, U.S. convention is generally end punctuation inside the quotes, U.K. is generally outside.
Not quite.
UK convention for full dialogue is the same as US: within the quotation marks.
We're discussing a brief bit of dialogue NOT uttered by the subject --not a dialogue tag. The closing period can be inside or outside the sentence in question.