Which sentence below has the proper comma insertions with the quote marks? Are both sentences correct, and which one do you prefer in terms of punctuation? (1) The abbreviations "etc.," "et al.," "a.m.," and "p.m." need to be deleted from your essay. (2) The abbreviations "etc.", "et al.", "a.m.", and "p.m." need to be deleted from your essay. Thank you.
From what I understand, American English prefers (1) and British English prefers (2). I use (1) if that matters.
I agree with thirdwind. Technically, the correct form is the second, but it looks odd. In UK English it is common, but even there it is losing ground to the US style. Personally, even though I use UK English spelling, I prefer American English grammar. Call me a freak, if you will....
technically, the first is correct for commas and periods, per US rules... the second used to be correct per UK rules, but the first is gaining ground, as mike noted...
