I am completing a manuscript for my recent book. I would love to know whether I need to put a comma, semicolon, or other form of punctuation (or none) in-between these quoted sentences.
The examples are below. Which one of these sentences is correctly punctuated?
-
For example, you could choose to say, "Thank you, you are very kind. I
will let you know"; "I appreciate your offer, but I've made a decision
already"; "Thanks! I'll think about your offer for a few days and I'll
get back to you." -
For example, you could choose to say, "Thank you, you are very kind. I
will let you know," "I appreciate your offer, but I've made a decision
already," "Thanks! I'll think about your offer for a few days and I'll
get back to you." -
For example, you could choose to say, "Thank you, you are very kind. I
will let you know." "I appreciate your offer, but I've made a decision
already." "Thanks! I'll think about your offer for a few days and I'll
get back to you."
Which of these are correct? Notice how the first paragraph has a semicolon, the second has a comma, and the third has a period within the quoted text.
I'd love to hear your expert knowledge!
Best Answer
I'm not sure you're going to find an authoritative answer for this question. And I'd assume that it boils down to a matter of style (preference) rather than constraints. You could use bullet points, but perhaps you'd prefer a more flowing style. Personally. I'd choose your first version, with an 'or' after the second semicolon. I prefer the 'outside-the-quote' sectioning punctuation, though I'd not worry about using !"; or ?"; (or even .";) if necessary. I doubt you'll find an endorsement closer than the following (listed sentences but not quoted sentences) from uno.edu/lrc/writingcenter which recommends: