Issue For April 19, 2007
Writing Question of the Week
This is usually a question submitted by an OWL user to the OWL Tutors. If you have a question you need answered quickly, ask one of our OWL Tutors or call the Writing Lab's Grammar Hotline at 765-494-3723. And remember, both services are free for everyone!
Hello,
Which is grammatically correct?
She raised my brother and me (or I) alone after our father died, or ... me and my brother... ?
-Venus
Venus,
Thanks for writing. The correct order is:
"She raised my brother and me."
You can tell if you've done it correctly by taking out the person who isn't you and seeing if the sentence makes sense. For example, if we take out the person who isn't you ("my brother"), you're left with two options:
"She raised me" OR "She raised I"
Obviously, "She raised I" does not sound right and is not correct, so you know that the first sentence, "She raised me" and hence "She raised my brother and me" must be correct.
Hope this helps.
--OWL
The OWL Help Nest
Each week we publish Purdue OWL News readers' requests for advice or information and the responses from other Purdue OWL News readers.
I created an invitation and used the following wording:
My manager suggested I insert the word "a" before Parisian. The invitation then reads:
In my wording, Parisian is an adjective that modifies flair. My manager's use of the word "a" limits the features of the Gala to just one, and that is Parisian. I won the argument and ordered the invitations with my original wording but now I wonder if I was wrong. Please weigh in.
Thank you.
--Bridget Gallagher, Boston, Massachusetts
Using "a" before "Parisian" is no more limiting, in my opinion, but both versions seem awkward and perhaps confusing.
Does the celebration include fine dining and dancing with a Parisian flair; fine dining with a Parisian flair and dancing, or does the entire celebration (decor, dining, dancing, ambiance) have a Parisian flair? I think that's what you meant, but what *is* "Parisian flair?"
--Marlene Clark, Middletown CT
I write the comma inside of end quotation marks; however, I have seen the comma appear outside of single quotation marks. This is where a word, or perhaps short phrase, is emphasized. Why is the single mark format used, and where should the comma appear?
Thanks for your answer.
--Sandy Widstrom, Highlands Ranch, CO
Sandy, you are correct in always placing the comma inside quotation marks, whether single or double marks. When you saw the comma outside single quote marks the writer placed the comma incorrectly. The most common use of single quote marks is a quote within a quote. "Roosevelt said Dec. 7, 1941 was 'a day that would live in infamy,'" the professor told his class.
--Joe Wisinski, Adjunct Professor, University of Tampa
I recently had my 12th graders write a research paper. We had difficulty finding information on citing in-text Internet sources using the MLA format when there is no author or page number given. Usually one just gives the author's last name and page number in parentheses in lieu of footnotes. Has anyone seen a format for doing in text citations in the above situation? --Karen, Raleigh, NC
While I haven't had the opportunity to review the MLA 7th ed. yet, I know from recent practice and publications in the arts and humanities that in-text citation of internet sources should follow the same criteria as any other reliable source, which requires author and page. Here are some tips to follow along with the MLA rules: be more liberal with your consideration of authorship--sites are often authored by organizations, associations, or other groups; follow the MLA rule of using the title of the source when authorship is unknown and use it in any place an author would be listed; refer to a paragraph number in lieu of conventional page numbers--most sites don't label each paragraph with a number, but it appears to be standard practice to perform your own count, so your citation may look like this: ("Reading Poetry," para. 4)--para. is used to indicate paragraph number, and I have seen the comma used for in-text citations of internet sources even though other sources do not. When it comes to citing internet sources, some improvising is required, but always keep in mind the objective of the citation: to give credit where it's due and to ease retrieval for others. The work cited entry might follow this order (title in lieu of author, date of posting, date of access, paragraph count, url):
--Beverly, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, NL Canada
Next Week's Questions
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What's Happening on the OWL at Purdue
- OWL Eye On...Research Paper Writing. We have a substantial revision of our "Writing a Research Paper" online. Please check it out: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/!
- OWL Eye On...New Graphics! We have some new graphics in our prepositions section of the site. Let us know what you think! You can see the section here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/02/.
- OWL Eye On...Fair Use Policy Changes. lease note that our Fair Use Policy has gone through a major revision. See the changes here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/551/01/.
What's Happening in the Writing Lab
- OWL Eye On...End of Semester Schedule. The last day of tutoring for the Spring Semester will be on April 27th, 2007. We suggest that you call in early and make an appointment--our last few weeks fill up quickly!
This week's OWL News was edited by Dana Lynn Driscoll.
