Asterisk. Punctuation. Arrgh.

[m***@hotmail.com]

Do asterisks go before or after the period or other marks at the end of
a sentence*?

*I was pretty sure I had this figured out, but then I started having
second thoughts**.

**The asterisk modifies the word or sentence, while the punctuation
mark just ends it, so I think it should be closer***.

But I could be wrong****!

*****Kill me.

[Don Phillipson]

Post by m***@hotmail.com
Do asterisks go before or after the period or other marks at the end of
a sentence*?
*I was pretty sure I had this figured out, but then I started having
second thoughts**.
**The asterisk modifies the word or sentence, while the punctuation
mark just ends it, so I think it should be closer***.

Asterisks do not modify a word or sentence; they link it with
something else on the page or in the book. Placement of
asterisks is a matter of journal or house style. (Mine, a small
historians' journal, places asterisks and footnote indicators
only at the end of sentences. Others may act differently.)

[Donna Richoux]

Post by m***@hotmail.com
Do asterisks go before or after the period or other marks at the end of
a sentence*?
*I was pretty sure I had this figured out, but then I started having
second thoughts**.
**The asterisk modifies the word or sentence, while the punctuation
mark just ends it, so I think it should be closer***.

I think this was the first question I ever asked this group. But the
archives don't show it.

I believe the answers I got then were: do as you think best. Using
asterisks to indicate emphasis is a fairly new procedure, so there's no
history of right and wrong.

And what usually looks best, to me, is putting the punctuation
*outside*. Like that.

[Ross Howard]

Post by Donna Richoux

Post by m***@hotmail.com
Do asterisks go before or after the period or other marks at the end of
a sentence*?
*I was pretty sure I had this figured out, but then I started having
second thoughts**.
**The asterisk modifies the word or sentence, while the punctuation
mark just ends it, so I think it should be closer***.

I think this was the first question I ever asked this group. But the
archives don't show it.
I believe the answers I got then were: do as you think best. Using
asterisks to indicate emphasis is a fairly new procedure, so there's no
history of right and wrong.
And what usually looks best, to me, is putting the punctuation
*outside*. Like that.

Stick equivocation, Donna. The OP meant asterisks that denote
footnotes.*

[* Like this.]

As Don Phillipson has mentioned, most academic and other serious
journals put the superscript footnote numbers at the end of the
sentence, after all the punctuation. I see no reason why asterisks
should be treated any differently.

--
Ross Howard

[Donna Richoux]

Post by Ross Howard

Post by Donna Richoux

Post by m***@hotmail.com
Do asterisks go before or after the period or other marks at the end of
a sentence*?
*I was pretty sure I had this figured out, but then I started having
second thoughts**.
**The asterisk modifies the word or sentence, while the punctuation
mark just ends it, so I think it should be closer***.

I think this was the first question I ever asked this group. But the
archives don't show it.
I believe the answers I got then were: do as you think best. Using
asterisks to indicate emphasis is a fairly new procedure, so there's no
history of right and wrong.
And what usually looks best, to me, is putting the punctuation
*outside*. Like that.

Stick equivocation, Donna.

"Stick equivocation"? What's that?

Post by Ross Howard
The OP meant asterisks that denote
footnotes.*

How can you tell?

[R H Draney]

Post by Donna Richoux

Post by Ross Howard

Post by Donna Richoux
And what usually looks best, to me, is putting the punctuation
*outside*. Like that.

Stick equivocation, Donna.

"Stick equivocation"? What's that?

They kind they sell at the State Fair, usually battered and deep-fried....r

[Mark Brader]

Post by Donna Richoux

The OP meant asterisks that denote footnotes.*

How can you tell?

Because the posting makes sense that way, and not if the stars*
are supposed to be emphasis. Look again at where they're used.

*"Asterisk"? Bleah.

[m***@hotmail.com]

Thanks all for the replies. It's amazing, but this isn't covered in
Canadian Style, the CP Style Guide, and about four other references
I've tried. Outside the punctuation for now (mainly in our work, the
mark denotes "small print" conditions on guarantees, etc.). Thanks!*

*Really.

[John O'Flaherty]

Post by m***@hotmail.com
Do asterisks go before or after the period or other marks at the end of
a sentence*?
*I was pretty sure I had this figured out, but then I started having
second thoughts**.
**The asterisk modifies the word or sentence, while the punctuation
mark just ends it, so I think it should be closer***.
But I could be wrong****!
*****Kill me.

I don't know what the conventions are, but I would do it two different
ways-
For a pointer to a footnote about a whole sentence, I'd put it at the
end, outside of the final punctuation.
For a pointer to a footnote about a single word within a sentence, even
if it were the last word, I'd put it just after the word.
--
john