Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mindmetoo]

I was talking to a friend about differences in Canadian and American English usage. Color vs colour. Anyway, an obscure one was where to put the comma/period in lists:

1) I love "My Generation", "A Legal Matter", "Boris The Spider", and "Won't Get Fooled Again".

2) I love "My Generation," "A Legal Matter," "Boris The Spider," and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

The first form is the form I like. But I think that's American style. The second form freaks me out to no end, but I think that's proper Canadian style.

Anyone got any ideas?

[Swiss James]

the second one is horrendous- I sort of assumed that Canadian style was generally the same as the English style- and I've never seen that in England.

[schwa]

The second form is American & what I as a Canadian am used to too.

Periods & commas go inside, but question marks & exclamation marks go inside or outside depending on logic.

Thats ok Swiss James -- your style looks horrendous to me too!

[JacktheCat]

The first one is proper grammar in British English.

The second is proper grammar in American English.

I grew up in an American family (in Africa) and went to British "public" schools, so I can switch back and forth between the two Englishes with easy. It's a nifty party trick.

Why is that Canadians use a mish mash of American and British grammar and vocabulary depending on which coast they lean to?

[waterbaby]

I was taught style 1

Style 2 I was taught to use for speech/dialogue, not lists.

[canukteacher]

I'm Canadian and I am with number 1. I think number 2 is totally wrong.

Jack the Cat..............Canadians, we have multiple personalities when it comes to spelling and grammar.............I think we should blame the Americans

Seriously Jack, I do know what you mean, and I don't really know the answer. I'm from Nova Scotia, and maybe being closer to England means that I lean toward the British grammar and vocab more?? Just kind of guessing here.

CT

[Sleepy in Seoul]

The second one is appalling. The first one is much, much better except for the last comma before the "and". It doesn't belong there . You shouldn't put anything in the quotation marks, unless it belongs in the quotation. Just my opinion, but I'm right damnit!!!

Has anyone read "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss? It's great . I like it so much, I actually brought a copy to Korea with me...

[mindmetoo]

[peppermint]

The Cat is right. When I was in uni, very few of my professors were Canadian, most were either Brit or American and I learned early that using the punctuation styles familiar to them meant the difference between a B and an A.