“I'm sorry,” Tom said.

[kadioguy]

A. “I'm sorry,” Tom said. [my sentence]

B. “I'm sorry.” Tom said. [my sentence]
-----
Do both work and mean the same?

I see only style A on the websites of the BBC and the VOA.

And interestingly, the BBC uses double quotation marks rather than the single ones in direct speech/direct discourse, although it is a British company.

 

[tedmc]

Why would you want to write it in two sentences? That should be a short pause (comma) rather than a long pause (full-stop).

 

[kadioguy]

Why would you want to write it in two sentences? That should be a short pause (comma) rather than a long pause (full-stop).

In Chinese, as you know, Ted, a period/full stop would be much more common in this kind of sentence.

 

[emsr2d2]

A. “I'm sorry,” Tom said. [my sentence]

B. “I'm sorry.” Tom said. [my sentence]
-----
Do both work and mean the same?

I see only style A on the websites of the BBC and the VOA.

And interestingly, the BBC uses double quotation marks rather than the single ones in direct speech/direct discourse, although it is a British company.

B is completely wrong. The full stop should be included only when it serves as the closing punctuation mark of the entire sentence. It doesn't, because "Tom said" is part of the longer sentence.

A has the comma in the wrong place for British English. It should be after the closing quotation mark.

"I'm sorry", Tom said.

See more here.

 

[5jj]

In Chinese, as you know, Ted, a period/full stop would be much more common in this kind of sentence.

Punctuation conventions vary from language to language. Don't try to apply the rules of one language to another.

 

[kadioguy]

A has the comma in the wrong place for British English. It should be after the closing quotation mark.

"I'm sorry", Tom said.

See more here.

But it seems that the use is not unusual even in British English. Here are two examples:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-58824604

[Practical English Usage 3rd ed. Unit 476.9]

 

[Tdol]

So why are you trying out b)?

 

[kadioguy]

So why are you trying out b)?

I was confused it with the similar structure in Chinese writing. :roll:

In Chinese we say, 「我很抱歉。」湯姆說。

 

[5jj]

But it seems that the use is not unusual even in British English.]

There are few punctuation rules that are set in stone in BrE.

 

[Rover_KE]

And if you write Tom said "I'm sorry", there's no need for a comma after "said" because there's no pause necessary.

 

[Tdol]

There are few punctuation rules that are set in stone in BrE.

I'd make the overuse of the exclamation mark an imprisonable offence. The rest, I'm relaxed about.

 

[5jj]

I agree! It should be banned!!!!

 

[probus]

I'd make the overuse of the exclamation mark an imprisonable offence.

I'd never have pegged you for a Thatcherite.

 

[Tarheel]

Kadioguy, you have a habit of comparing Chinese to English. However, they are not much alike. Do what you like, but in my humble opinion it's not very helpful.

 

[probus]

De gustibus non disputandum est, but I for one find Kadioguy's Chinese versus English comments interesting and useful. If nothing else they show the great difficulties that translators have to cope with. Keep going, Kadioguy.