View source for British and American English

==Punctuation==
===Inverted commas===
In British English, a punctuation mark (usually a [[comma]]) goes before closing [[inverted commas]] (or a closing inverted comma, if single quotation marks are being used) to indicate dialogue, but is otherwise put, if needed, after the quotation marks. American English does not make this distinction, and punctuation always ''precedes'' closing quotation marks:

American English: The pen tip material is still called "iridium''',"''' although there is seldom any iridium in it. (Comma before closing inverted commas.)

British English: The pen tip material is still called "iridium'''",''' although there is seldom any iridium in it. (Comma after closing inverted commas.)

Both British and American: "Today we're looking at iridium''',"''' the teacher announced. (In quoted speech and dialogue, comma before closing inverted commas.)

===Capital letters after a colon===
In British English, a capital letter is used after a colon at the beginning of a quotation, but not otherwise. In American, a capital is used to begin a complete sentence after a colon, but not otherwise.

:Hamlet: To be or not to be, that is the question. (Quotation, complete sentence, both British and American.)

:"Today: iridium''',"''' the teacher announced. (Neither quotation nor sentence, both British and American.)

:A conclusion was reached: it would not happen. (Complete sentence after colon, not a quotation, British.)

:A conclusion was reached: It would not happen. (Complete sentence after colon, not a quotation, American.)

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In America it has long been standard practice for a married woman to combine her husband's surname with her own previous one, e.g. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. In Britain, apart from Scottish legal documents, this was rare until very recently.-->