May 18, 2006: Issue 139
Use italics, not quotation marks, to set off unspoken thoughts.
incorrect: “I might hate pink polka-dot walls in a month,” she thought.
correct: I might hate pink polka-dot walls in a month, she thought.
incorrect: “I thought the place was perfect,” he says. “I told myself, ‘It just needs a few minor repairs.'”
correct: “I thought the place was perfect,” he says. “I told myself, It just needs a few minor repairs.”
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