Should you change spelling in quotes?

The accuracy of quotations in research writing is extremely important. They must reproduce the original sources exactly. Unless indicated in brackets or parentheses […] changes must not be made in the spelling, capitalization, or interior punctuation of the source.

What is the difference between British and US English regarding punctuation with closing quotation marks?

British style (more sensibly) places unquoted periods and commas outside the quotation marks. For all other punctuation, the British and American styles are in agreement: unless the punctuation is part of the quoted material, it goes outside the quotation marks.

Is the Oxford comma grammatically correct in British English?

Despite being named after a British University, the Oxford comma (the comma used before “and” in lists (e.g., I like wookies, ewoks, and droids)) is not considered standard in UK English because only one style guide (Oxford) recommends it.

What is it called when you change a word in a quote?

I think you are looking for ‘to paraphrase’: The adaptation or alteration of a text or quotation to serve a different purpose from that of the original.

How do you correct a spelling in a quote?

If “incorrect spelling, grammar, or punctuation in the source might confuse readers, insert the word ‘[sic]’, italicized and bracketed, immediately after the error in the quotation” (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 274). For example, “they made they’re [sic] lunches.”

Which is the salutation using UK style?

In a similar way, both Americans and British tend to use “Dear Sir or Madam” or “Dear Sir/ Madam” when you don’t know someone’s name, but Americans sometimes use the more traditional forms “Dear Sir” or “Dear Sirs”, which are generally considered too old-fashioned or even sexist in the UK.

Why do British say full stop?

In 19th-century texts, both British English and American English were consistent in their usage of the terms period and full stop. The word period was used as a name for what printers often called the “full point”, the punctuation mark that was a dot on the baseline and used in several situations.

Can you put a comma before and British English?

The serial comma is an extra comma you will often see placed before “and/or” in US based English. Generally, British English does not make use of this extra comma, but most publications on the US do. At one time the Brits did use it, but without wanting to get all historical, let’s just make sure we get this right.